Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If so is there any special wayto do so?
Thanks in advance. Casey

The best way to do this is to start them in fresh water as hatchlings. I don't think wild caught adult dbacks can be acclimated to fresh water.

Actually, I have kept adult diamondbacks (obtained as adults)in fresh water for years. My theory is that skin disorders observed in fresh water are due more to a relatively delicate skin, rather than the absence of salt water, although I have heard that a little salt in the water helps prevent skin disorders in many different aquatics, although this hasn't been confirmed by a controlled study to my knowledge. Tropical fish owners often use a little special salt in the water for this purpose. What IS hard to do sometimes, is to acclimate wild-caught adults to a captive diet that is not intensive in molluscs.

Agreed. I have worked extensively with rehabbing DBT's. Most all of the specimens I have are Chinatown meat market animals. By the time I get them they are in pretty sorry shape. (dinged, bashed up and bruised with various fungal and bacterial skin conditions, shellrot and in some cases SCUD.)

With time, all of them make remarkable recoveries and ALL are acclimated to a freshwater existence.

Water conditions are more important than salinity once an animal is acclimated to fresh water. They are more likely to develop shellrot and skin problems in water that is not well cycled and kept clean.

I do use Aquarium salt (for freshwater tanks) in the amount of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. (I do this for ALL my turtles though) Also when rehabbing them I have found that alot of their problems do heal a bit faster with a 45 minute bath in water with a bit higher salinity than that. (2 level tablespoons in 3 gallons of water for a period 45 minutes). This is by no means recommended as a sole treament for their skin or shell problems but it does help as part of an overall program.

Actually -- I just went down to Chinatown yesterday and found a completely melanistic male DBT. What a pretty little guy (virtually 100% jet black from head to toe). He is pretty banged up, malnourished and dehydrated. Lots of fungal patches too and a bitten tail. Believe it or not I have seen worse.

Lastly -- YES I agree 100% about the diet. It seems that once you get them used to feeding off the surface though they are a bit more receptive to eating prepared foods (reptomin). I just got one to do this after a year of trying. She started to pick at some gammarus then I just kind of slipped the reptomin in while she was sucking down the dried shrimp BINGO -- now she will even eat trout chow off the surface.

Steve