Musk turtles feeding?

[dawny1774]

Hi, i got two new girl common musk turtles today, squirt and shelly , been told they are about 2 years old. Iv done alot of reading up on them over the years as iv always wanted a pair . My question is how much to feed them? Most online sites say every other day, is his correct? And how much? Iv got a good idea of what to feed them and have stocked up on alot of diffrent foods . Shelly hasnt had any problems eating, she has eaten everything iv fed her on her first day, but I think she would have carried on eating if I had let her :/, squirt wasn't interested but I'm putting this down to her being very shy and slightly scared from her move and new home. Any help would be greatly appreciated . Also what's the one bit of advise you would give me in regards to caring for musk turtles in general? Many thanks dawn

[jacquisunderland]

Hiya Dawn..
musks in general are very shy... they are generally bottom feeders when you are not there. Feed them as much as they will take in 10 - 15 mins, if they eat it all up give them some more.. then remove any uneaten food when theyve finished to preserve your water quality.. Your are correct in thinking that they might be off their food for the first 2-3 days as its all strange and new surroundings, this is very common. Just keep trying a little everyday.. as long as they seem healthy and happy enough and are active exploring their new home they should soon settle in.. when I have musks in I offer them a little cave I have which they seem to love not only to shelter but to rest on top of and some plastic plants to hide in. x

[turtlegirl]

jacqui is right. New turtles always take a few days to settle down, some more than others. I have taken in many unwanted turtles and some didn't eat for a week or more at first.Nothing to worry about for the first week anyway. Just keep offering them a little food, then more if they eat it but DON'T give into temptation to over feed them , no matter how much they beg and splash. I know many sources say feed adult turtles every other day but I always feed mine slightly smaller amounts daily. I love the way they interact with me.
Musks are essentially bottom dwellers and love to hunt around for food on the bottom. They do best on sinking pellets though I have known them to come up to the surface for dried shrimp which no turtle can resist. My baby musk eventually learned to eat floating pellets and tiny shrimps after a few months but she lives with young sliders and learned from them that floating stuff is food too.
Musks are very shy and hate being handled. Even after 15 months mine still head for the bottom if they are basking as soon as I approach their tank. The are cute and funny but definitely a pet to watch rather than handle and interact with, unlike my sliders who crave attention and don't mind being picked up or even stroked on the head by strangers. They do need a place to hide and bask. Best thing for them is a Zoo Med hollow floating log which they can rest inside, bask on top of or even play hide and seek swimming through the holes in the sides! Mine love theirs. For 2 musks get a medium , large log will be enough for 3-4 musks as 2 can bask on top or hide inside together.