Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

I am setting up a 10 gallon tank for my softshell hatchling and I was wondering if anyone knows how much sand these tanks can safely hold? I currentlu have about 2 inches of sand and about 9-10 inches of water but I have a feeling the turtle would like more sand.. does anyone know if it can safely hold 4-5 inches of sand plus water?

Thanks!
Mario

Mario they definetely can. I about 6 inches of sand in my 10 gallon and 5 or 6 inches of water. I also have a basking rock set up for my two hatchlings and they typically bask 2 or 3 hours a day. I have included a couple of live plants bought at PetsMart for cover. They seem to like the set-up for now, although a 10 gallon is not a permanent home for any softshell. You would need at least a 29 gallon or larger for a male smooth or spiny in my opinion at some point. The ten should be fine for 6 months to a year, maybe more. Just make sure you change the water once every week or two and have a good filter. I have a whisper 10-20 gallon on my tank and it works great. I only change the water about every week and mine do great. What kind of hatchling do you have anyways?

I've got a florida softshell right now but I was thinking about getting him (or her) a buddy soon. I want to make sure it's comfortable in the new environment first. Im adding a picture of the tank now with a bit more sand. I gotta go get a light for him and a better basking surface. If you look at the bottom right corner you can see him sticking his head out of the sand.

For some reason the pic didn't show up. Try emailing it to me at Skiwee10@aol.com. Just put "tank pictures" as the subject. Chris