How to Raise Softshell Turtles So They Are Less Likely to Die? Detailed Practical Farming Methods

Softshell turtle is the common name for softshell turtles, a general term for soft-shelled aquatic turtles of the family Trionychidae in the order Testudines, also known as tuanyu, shuiyu, wangba, etc. In China, the main existing species are the Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), the Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii), the Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), and the Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys), among which the Chinese softshell turtle is the most common. It is not only a delicious dish on the table, but can also be used as a traditional Chinese medicine material, and has extremely high farming value. Let us take a look below at how to raise softshell turtles so they are less likely to die!

What living habits do softshell turtles have?

1. Sun-loving: Softshell turtles like to inhabit waters such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds with clean water quality. On calm and windless days, they often lie on the sunny shore basking in the sun.

2. Timid: Softshell turtles are very timid and are highly sensitive to sounds and moving objects in the surrounding environment. At the slightest disturbance, they dive to the bottom of the water to hide.

3. Aggressive: Softshell turtles are aquatic omnivorous animals and prefer animal-based bait. They are fierce and aggressive by nature, and bullying among groups is very common. When food is scarce, they will cannibalize their own kind.

4. Hibernation: During the growth period, softshell turtles mainly breathe with their lungs. When the water temperature drops below 15°C, they dive into the mud at the bottom of the pond and begin hibernation, relying on auxiliary respiratory organs such as gill-like tissues in the throat area to breathe.

What conditions are needed to raise softshell turtles?

1. Pond conditions: The pond area is generally about 5 mu, the pond slope ratio is 1:2, the pond bottom is flat, the mud thickness is about 25 cm, and the water depth is 1.8-2.5 m.

2. Water source requirements: The pond water source must be sufficient, the water quality must be good and pollution-free, meeting fish-farming water standards, with a pH value of 7-8.5 and dissolved oxygen above 5 mg/L.

3. Anti-escape facilities: Build an anti-escape wall around the pond, with a wall height of 40 cm and an inward overhang of 10 cm at the top of the wall. The inner wall should be smooth to prevent softshell turtles from escaping and enemies from intruding.

4. Build basking platforms: For every 200 sq m of the pond, use cement boards or wooden boards to build feeding platforms in the pond for softshell turtles to rest and bask their backs. The platform surface should be 15-25 cm above the water surface, and the inclined side should extend 20-30 cm below the water surface.

How to raise softshell turtles so they are less likely to die?

1. Bait preparation: Softshell turtle feed is mainly animal protein, supplemented by plant protein. Live baits include small trash fish, animal offal, and trimmings. Green feed includes fresh tender aquatic plants, melons, fruits, and vegetable stems and leaves. Wheat bran, cornmeal, bean dregs, etc. can also be mixed and processed before feeding.

2. Bait feeding: Softshell turtles begin to eat when the water temperature rises to about 18°C. At this time, feed a small amount of bait for domestication so that the softshell turtles start eating earlier. The daily feeding amount of fresh animal bait is 10-20% of the total weight of the softshell turtles, while the daily feeding amount of compound feed is 5% of the total weight.

3. Feeding method: Feeding softshell turtle bait adheres to the "four fixed and four observations." Feeding is generally carried out at fixed feeding grounds on both sides of the pond that are ventilated and sunny, which helps observe the feeding, growth, and activity of softshell turtles and fish, making it easier to adjust the feeding amount.

4. Water level management: At the initial stage of stocking, keep the water level at 80-100 cm, and gradually raise the water level as the water temperature rises and the individuals grow. In spring and autumn, add new water once every half month; in summer, add new water once a week. In summer and early autumn during high-temperature seasons, the water level should be raised.

5. Water quality management: In softshell turtle rearing ponds, regularly splash 15-20 g of quicklime or 2 g of bleaching powder per cubic meter to ensure that dissolved oxygen in the water is above 4 mg/L, the pH value is between 7-8.5, and ammonia nitrogen does not exceed 5 mg/L. If necessary, install an aerator.

6. Daily management: When raising softshell turtles, insist on patrolling the pond twice a day, morning and evening, to observe the activity, feeding, and growth of softshell turtles and fish, and adjust the feeding amount in time. Promptly remove residue and leftover bait in the pond to ensure fresh water quality.

Disease prevention and control techniques for softshell turtles

1. Saprolegniasis: Water mold can be seen with the naked eye on the limbs, neck, tail, and other parts of softshell turtles, and growth is slow. After onset, fish kangning or a mixture of 0.04% baking soda and 0.04% salt can be splashed over the whole pond, with very good results.

2. Neck swelling disease: The neck of the softshell turtle is obviously swollen, with bleeding from the mouth and nose, and the plastron area appears anemic. At onset, "Fulv" can be used to disinfect the pond water, and then "Biejiankang" can be used for treatment.

3. Red neck disease: Regularly disinfect with quicklime water, keep the pond water sanitary, and add 0.5‰ "Biejiankang" to the feed. For softshell turtles at the initial stage of onset, 200,000 international units of penicillin and streptomycin per kg can be injected into the abdominal cavity of the softshell turtle, once or twice is usually enough.

4. Enteritis disease: The excrement of diseased softshell turtles has an abnormal odor, digestion is poor, and movement is sluggish. For prevention and treatment, add 1% garlic juice and onion to the feed, with 7 days as one course of treatment.

5. Hemorrhagic disease: Blood spots appear on the plastron of softshell turtles, bleeding occurs in the intestines and respiratory organs, and lesions also appear in the kidneys and liver. The prevention and treatment method is to quickly isolate the diseased softshell turtles and treat them with "Biejiankang," sulfonamides, or antibiotics.

6. Rotten skin disease: In addition to disinfecting all pond water with "Fulv" and "Biejiankang," quickly isolate the diseased softshell turtles and soak them daily in a 100 microliter sulfonamide solution for 2-5 minutes, twice a day, with 7 days as one course of treatment. Generally, they can recover.