20 Gallon Long or 38 Gallon for a Spotted Turtle

Hello, I'm really new to turtles, so I'm curious about this. I can't find anything saying Spotted Turtles are illegal in Missouri, but let me know if I'm wrong. If they are illegal, then my question will apply to a single common Musk Turtle. Anyway, would a full 20 gallon tank be enough space for a Spotted/Musk turtle to live comfortably. I would have a basking platform that goes up out of the tank, so they would have the whole tank to swim in. Would a 20 gallon long be enough space or would something like a 38 gallon work better? I know bigger is better and I'll look into getting a 38 gallon, I was mostly just wondering because I have a 20 gallon long.

 

The 20 would work fine, but the the bigger the better! Also, you’ll need a big filter, turtles are messy. Spotted turtles are legal to sell, but in Missouri it is illegal to sell any turtle under 4 inches. You also need a permit if you somehow decide you want more than 5 turtles

 

The bigger the better for spotted turtles., preferably with a land area for them to walk about in. Musk turtles rarely leave the water, even to bask.

 

I'm not getting a turtle right now, but I'd like to one day. If I do, I'd probably do a 60 gallon breeder for one musk turtle with an out of tank basking platform.

 

I'd suggest a 40 breeder over a 20L because the footprint gives you more adequate options for land/basking area....plus the added water volume will help with waste production. It is a common size that is small enough to be used in various applications. Though I'm sure they'd love a 60 breeder too. Either option could also give you flexibility to create an actual land area that would be nice for visual aesthetics.