The Case for Muds in the Classroom

(Or, why you should have a mud turtle!)

© Susan L. Marsh, 2004, All Rights Reserved

Susan’s Zoo Crew

Why should you have a mud turtle (or two) in your classroom? There are many reasons:
space, time, size, cost, and ease of care.

Space:

A single mud turtle can live its entire lifespan in a 20 gallon long tank, or even a 10 gallon if it is one of the three-striped mud turtles. Pairs of three-striped mud turtles have even been known to breed and lay eggs in a 20 gallon aquarium. For ease of viewing, a glass or acrylic fish tank is recommended, and these are also available with pre-made stands, lights, filters, etc.

Time:

Mud turtles are the least messy and demanding of the aquatic turtles (especially compared to red-eared sliders!). Therefore, they require less time to clean filters, change water, etc.

Size:

The most common mud turtles do not exceed 6” in length, unlike red-eared sliders who can get over 12” long! This means you do not have to keep acquiring larger and larger tanks as the turtle grows. The smaller size also means the turtles are handled easily.

Cost:

Mud turtles do not require the specialized basking lights that should be provided for other varieties of turtles. They do enjoy occasionally basking, and a simple clip on desk light securely attached to the tank will suffice. They are less prone to illness from temperature changes, and in general are healthy animals. They also do not require a huge investment in tank setups or filters.

Ease of Care:

Mud turtles are undemanding, requiring only nutritious food (easily provided with one of the commercial formulas available-Reptomin is highly recommended), clean water, places to hide, and a place to crawl on to bask.

Equipment Needed

So what would you need to have a mud turtle in your classroom? Well, I will use an example of the three-striped mud turtle. One turtle would simply need a 10 gallon aquarium, or any equivalent sized sturdy container if being able to view from the side is no concern. There are many good plastic storage boxes that can do double duty as turtle tanks and only cost a few dollars. One caveat is that the flimsy ones will bow when water is added-an easy test is to fill the container in question as deep as the water level will be and check to see how much the sides bow out (warning: if the plastic container has a "chemical" smell, don't use it-it may be toxic. This is more of a concern for fish than turtles, but still is something to keep in mind). Any noticeable bowing or odor should relegate the box back to storage duty. For two or three mud turtles, or for one of the larger cousins (Eastern Mud turtle, larger musk, etc), a 20 gallon long aquarium will suffice. Of course, the more room you give, the happier they will be! Also keep in mind what will go in the tank-if having the students design and make a basking area is part of the project, go with a bigger space for more room.

One of the simplest basking areas is to go to a hardware store and purchase three tiles and some (safe for aquarium use) silicone caulking. Using the silicone, glue two tiles onto the third one for legs. Prop the legs against books or walls until the glue is dry, turn the whole thing over, and viola! a combination cave and basking area. For better traction, spread a layer of silicone on top of the “cave” and stick aquarium gravel or sand in it. Let all silicone dry for 24 hours before putting in the tank. Large PVC pipes, with rocks glued inside to stop floating and gravel/sand glued on top for traction, make good caves when turned on their side. Ensure that there is enough room (or no room at all) between the sides of the cave and the sides of the tank so that the turtles cannot get trapped. Decorative tiles may be purchased to brighten up the tank, or if the school has a ceramics class, the class can make their own caves from clay. Ensure that only food safe glazes (i.e. lead free) are used to finish any fired creations, and of course the clay must be kiln fired. Leaving the ceramic surface unglazed will allow better traction, but will also require more scrubbing to remove algae and other matter.

A good quality food is another necessity. I have personally used Reptomin © brand turtle food for many years with no problems. Even hatchling turtles take to it when broken into smaller bits. Avoid the dried ants and flies that are sold as "turtle food", they lack the proper vitamins and nutrition and are a waste of money. For a treat, the occasional mealworm, earthworm, or grasshopper (make sure they haven't been sprayed with pesticides!) can be dropped into the tank. Raising earthworms is another easy class project, and this would ensure that the worms did not come from contaminated soil. Try and use captive raised worms to avoid any internal parasites.

Clean water is important. If using city water, have the chlorine level tested (many fish stores will do this for free), and if high, add a commercial dechlorinator to it. If the level is low, running replacement water hard into a bucket (stir it up well) will usually suffice to remove the chlorine. Leaving the replacement water bucket uncovered overnight will also allow the chlorine to evaporate out. I personally have used straight city water as well as well water for many years with no problems. If your well water has a iron content, adding a mesh stocking of activated carbon will help with removing the yellow.

About filters: The setup you are using will determine which (if any) filter you need. If the tank is close to a water source, or you have willing volunteers, you can change the water every day or every other day and avoid using a filter at all. Keep in mind that water *will* be spilled in the changing process! In other words, place the tank far away from computers, textbooks, etc. There are different types of filters: box, undergravel, power, and canister.

Box filters: Avoid these in a turtle tank as turtles will tear the lids right off (personal experience here!). If you must use one, weigh it down well and hide it behind rock or other immovable decor.

Undergravel: Works as more of a mechanical filter than a biological one, as it will become clogged rather quickly from the large amount of waste a turtle puts out. If you do not mind tearing the tank apart every couple of months, scrubbing out a nasty mass of mulm, then this is a good method when coupled with frequent water changes. I have used undergravel filters in all of my glass tanks, but I also do frequent water changes and use a power filter.

Power: The only disadvantage of a power filter is that the water level in a turtle tank needs to be lower than that of a fish tank, leading to problems with the filters sucking air. Get one that has extension tubes and put the intake of the filter only a couple of inches off the substrate (or bottom). If using a power filter, get one that is rated at least twice the capacity of the tank. In other words, if you have a 10 gallon tank, use a filter for a 20 gallon tank. Turtle put out more waste than fish and a smaller filter will clog easily. Use the filter floss and/or sponge, and it can be easily rinsed out when clogged. Filter floss can be bought in bulk rather cheaply, polyester batting from the craft section can also be used. Or, for simplicity, buy the preformed cartridges. The advantage of a power filter is that when it clogs, it will simply overflow out the intake tube area. So when you see water running out of two places, you know it is time to rinse the filter! Undergravel and canister filters do not have this advantage. A good power filter is not expensive, nor hard to maintain.

Canister: I personally have never used this kind, due to the high initial cost and the labor and expense involved with changing the cartridges. Other people swear by them, but the rule of thumb for capacity is the same as for power filters: get one at least twice the capacity of the tank you are using.

The question comes up, what can be used on the bottom? The options range from nothing at all to gravel to river rock. The bare bottom tank is easy to tell when it needs cleaning, and a simple siphon hose is all that is needed to remove the mulm. The disadvantage is that the turtle(s) will stir up the dirt every time they move, leading to a cloudy tank. If you have a power filter on the tank, this can be good, as the filter will then suck up the suspended mulm. A gravel covered bottom is more eye pleasing, although problems have been reported of turtles ingesting gravel and blocking their intestines. Care must be taken to only use natural gravel, not the epoxy coated kind-the activity of a turtle can dislodge the epoxy coating and cause more problems. If using previously used gravel, wash it out very very well! Another option is using river rocks. These are easily attainable either in crafts stores or in the garden section. The smooth ones are attractive and easy to keep clean. I have been using river rocks on the bottom of my tanks, and the turtles enjoy stirring the rocks around. My recommendation is that if you are using a plastic container, use the bare bottom method and place bigger rocks in the tank for the turtle to crawl on. At cleaning time, remove the rocks and turtle, dump out the water, and replace!

A tight fitting lid is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a turtle tank. Turtles are skilled climbers and escape artists! Even with a secure lid, ensure that any tank decorations are low enough that the turtle can not get a foot over the top of the aquarium/container. Keep an eye on filters and other equipment also, I have had turtles escape by climbing up a heater! Turtles are stronger than they look, and the small mud turtle can fit through small gaps. If using a standard aquarium, screen or glass covers are easy to find. A piece of eggcrate (the kind used for lights) can be cut to shape easily and weighed down with an attractive rock or two. I have raised turtles in tanks without lids, but only after ensuring they can not climb out and that nothing (like a curious dog or cat) can get in. Even with lids, turtles have been known to lift them and escape. They seem to try harder to escape after a water change or tank cleaning/rearranging.

Should a turtle escape, the first place to look is under the aquarium. Mud turtles head for the darkest spot they can find. I have tracked turtles by the damp trail on the carpet before! If there is a nice dark desk or bookcase they can get under, they will. This tendency, along with their dark colors and small size, make it tricky to locate them. They can survive out of the water for a decent period of time with no ill effects, so do not panic if you unable to immediatly locate them. One way to find them (especially with a tile floor) is to turn off the lights and keep the room quiet. If you wait patiently, sooner or later the turtle is going to walk and can be tracked with a flashlight by the clopping of their shell. Just make sure that all doors stay shut and any gaps under them are filled (check supply closests also!). When you find the escapee, rinse off all dust and dirt and place back into the aquarium. If the turtle appears weak, place in a container with only a small amount of water (enough for the turtle to just poke its head up and breathe) until it recovers.

Unwanted Turtles

What do you do with the turtle(s) when the class is no longer interested, or you do not have time to maintain the tanks? Under NO circumstances should a captive turtle be released into the wild!! Imagine if you are used to getting all of your meals brought to you, already prepared, and then someone dumps you into the middle of the woods! Chances are pretty good that you would starve to death. Same for a captive turtle, they are not used to finding their own food and will either starve or will be eaten by a predator they are not used to avoiding. This does not even take into account the danger of the captive turtle bringing a strain of bacteria or a virus into a wild population and decimating it. There are other, more turtle friendly alternatives. The first is to see if one of the students, or even another teacher would be willing to take on the care (check with parents first!). Another option would be to donate the turtle(s) to another class, perhaps at another school. Local pet stores may take the turtle(s) and find other homes for them. A search of the internet will turn up "turtle adoption" agencies, one of which may have a local chapter or information on where you can take your unwanted turtle. A local zoo may also have a place for a healthy turtle. Also check with the local 4-H office (listed under county extension offices in the phone book), they may have a member interested in a new pet project. Again, under *NO* circumstances should you release a captive turtle into the wild!!!!! Mud (musk) turtles are very unassuming and easy to care for, finding a new home for one or more should not be a problem.

Return to the Main Page