Mata Mata Turtle housing and general questions?
Hi, I am in no way new to keeping reptiles (including turtles), but I wanted to ask about the tank size owners of the Mata Mata suggest for a hatchling to an adult? What kind of filtration? PH levels? Gravel or sand? How frequent do you do water changes? Any feeding tips?
Thanks ahead of time.
Tagged with: adult • filtration • gravel • hatchling • ph levels • tank size • turtles • water changes
Filed under: House Water Systems
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Hello. Glad you are planning ahead. Adult mata matas really do best in pools or cattle troughs, as they get quite large and, while 1 might “fit” into a huge aquarium, most are stressed when confined too closely. Filtration for all must be strong, and water changes frequent, but this depends upon the size of the turtle and tank. They do best in soft, slightly acidic water. Feeding is via strong suction created by expanding the throat, so they tend to swallow substrate – when kept on gravel, they are prone to blockages; sand usually is expelled, but a bare bottomed tank is safest.
At the Bronx Zoo years back we learned that matas kept on a goldfish only diet died after a few years…other zoo’s had similar experiences. When fed minnows, shiners and occasional goldfish, they did fine and even reproduced. For more on the goldfish issue, please see Feeding Fishes to Reptiles:Goldfish at http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2009/06/05/feeding-fishes-to-amphibians-and-reptiles-the-goldfish-vitamin-e-question-part-1/