newtoyou Loc: Eastport

I found what I believe is Maryland's smallest turtle. At 15 mm long in March of '19. It is now 16 mm. They grow slowly.
Sternotherus odoratus, the Common Musk Tuurtle, or Stinkpot.
Only Mud or Musk Turtle north of Mason Dixon Line.
The two head stripes and size distinctive.
It lives with native fish and a 39 mm Eastern Painted Turtle.
A bottom crawler and a scavenger, I managed to get one of many shots of it, eying me thru the glass, that was acceptable.
Reversed 28mm and off camera flash. Shot thru glass.
Enjoy.
Bill

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EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

That is interesting Bill. Well done for shooting through glass into water. What sort of native fish does it live with? Do you need a platform in the tank for it to land on? I know nothing of turtles, just find tank life interesting. I have a few common tropical fish in 2 tanks which keep me busy in water changes etc. I started with a single small tank but these have grown to 2 larger tanks with the small one used for quarantine but I am thinking of setting that up again for a Betta fish with a few inoffensive mates for company.

newtoyou Loc: Eastport

Brenda.
Thank you. One thing plain, I must clean the glass. Single edge razor blades do the trick.
The fish are as follows,
40mm Blue Spotted Sunfish, Enneacanyhus glorious. And it is. Beautiful blue spots, mild mannered, stays small, under four inches.
40mm and almost three years old.
A 100mm and a 50mm Bluegill, Lepomis gulosus. Fiesty, aggressive and about to go soon.
Four Gambusia, Mosquito Fish. Gambusia affinis. A live bearer, looks like a drab Guppy. Bred females, waiting to catch them birthing, keep missing it. Young about 8mm, they are eaten quickly, mini whitebait.
And fresh water clams, snails and you name it. Collected from fast, gravel bottom streams.
Plants are houseplants, pothos and others, last a month or more, replace with rooted in water cuttings of same. Experiment.
A multi colored LED growlight,300 mm or so square hangs above.
Everything scavenges the gravel bottom.
Both turtles graze on algae a good deal.
The turtles have an island, but only the painted turtle basks.
Turtles have food stolen by sunfish. Comical. Turtle gets confused, looks for the stolen food to the point of chasing the fish. Good luck.
All in a 38l tank.
A 19l tank has transforming tadpoles.
Next come some bullfrog tadpoles, large, two or more year tadpoles, large twice the size of my thumb.
An ever evolving source of entertainment and information.
Bill

EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

Thanks Bill, I had to look up those fish and they look an interesting set, the sunfish looks gorgeous. I was thinking of using a Pothos plant with the roots hanging in the water to suck up some of the nitrates - our tap water has high nitrates to start with. I have lots of plants in the tank which helps and I do 25% water changes every 5 days. It is an interesting hobby for sure with lots to learn. It is better than the TV most nights

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Then an interesting find, Bill!