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Good beginner aquatic turtle

A

AMcCaleb

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So, I've been keeping fish for a while and my daughter has been asking for turtles. I've thought about going that route as well. So I've got an empty 75 gallon in my living room that Ive decided to turn into a turtle tank. Im looking for suggestions on a good beginner turtle that will thrive in a 75. I don't want to get anything as big as an RES. I was thinking painted turtles maybe. I'd like to get two at least. Am I on the right track with painted turtles? Are there any other good beginner species that would do well in that size tank?
 
You'd have to get lucky with 2 males as most breeders won't be able to be certain on sex (turtle sale or turtle shack whatever is not to be trusted on sexing). The females get a little too big for a 75 gallon tank, but you'd have a few years to get a bigger tank. Any mud or musk turtle would do well in a tank that size just as long as it wasn't full, which would be better for you. I would suggest that you look up the personalities of each species and decide that way, not by the space you have. You'll end up with a pet you don't mind buying a bigger tank for and your daughter will stay interested in the animal. Just as a quick reference: mud/musks like to hide a lot, stay on the bottom, and rarely bask, while painteds like to bask, are quite beautiful in their own right, and are eager to swim right up to you for food. I would suggest a black-knob sawback as the best 75 gallon species as the adults I have now would do well in a 60 gallon, but these are expensive as far as turtles go. Good luck finding the right pet for you and your daughter.
 
We actually ended up getting a midland painted turtle from a guy on Craigslist that had one in a 30 gallon with a RES and a YBS.
 
Thanks. I'm pretty sure it's a male. His tale is pretty long. You can see it wrapped around in this pic.



I've been told that it's possible to keep a painted and a musk in a tank this size since the musk sticks mainly to the bottom and doesn't bask often. What do you all think?
 
The male painted turtles also have extremely long front claws, which they use to stimulate the female during courtship - they flutter/brush their claws across the female's face. I had five in a 110 gallon tank at one time and they were always 'interacting'.
 
The further a musk has to swim up for air the more stressed he will be. It can be done, but water that deep means he would need a platform of some sort closer to the top to hang out on. I think some tile would work well for that purpose. I keep my musks in a 40 gallon breeder which is not too deep.
 
And I believe that might be a female. Their tails are usually about the same length but the males tail will be much thicker. There's a possibility it's just a really young male.
 
So, someone told me that a painted turtle would probably do fine with a musk turtle since the two will inhabit different parts of the tank for the most part. I know I need to get one about the same size. Should I get a male or a female though?
 
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