Research the potential mature size of your turtle and buy a tank that will reflect his growth. Turtles cannot be crammed into a small space or they will be unhappy. Glass aquariums that provide about three to four times the length of the turtle are most desirable. Turtles need to be able to totally submerge themselves and they need an area to get out of the water and get completely dry. Keep in mind that the bigger the tank is, the happier the turtle will be. Turtles are reptiles that, surprisingly, have a large territory in the wild. Try to reflect that with a large tank.
Try to keep the water portion deeper than the shell is wide so your turtle can completely submerge and swim freely. Slope the land portion into the water so your turtle does not have trouble entering or exiting the water portion. Turtles love to bask in the sun. Create a basking platform so your turtle can enjoy the UVA and UVB heat lamps you set up in the tank. [4] X Expert Source Audra BarriosMarine Biologist & Reptile Specialist Expert Interview. 18 August 2020. Turtles can relax under the light for up to ten to twelve hours a day.
Clean your turtle’s aquarium weekly or create a separate area outside the tank to feed and allow your turtle to excrete waste before reentering the aquarium. An unclean tank or turtle could result in several different types of diseases that are difficult to treat. Algae will build on your turtle’s shell and will need to be cleaned off with a soft toothbrush. Turtles, like most reptiles, shed. The scutes on your turtle’s shell will become itchy and irritable if you do not keep the shell cleaned off. Always wash your hands before and after handling your turtle so that you do not transfer germs or contaminates to your turtle and to prevent the transfer of salmonella.
In general, turtles do not enjoy being lifted off of the ground, but sometimes it is necessary to remove them from their aquarium for cleaning, playing, or exercise. If so, handle your turtle gently and securely so they do not bite you or try to escape. Remember never to put your turtle on its back, grab its tail, or force it out of its shell. Your turtle will not think that is funny and it will stress them out. If your turtle enjoys affection, you can pet their head, chin, and shell as long as they allow you to do it.
A balanced diet of leafy green vegetables, insects, and prepared turtle foods will keep your turtle growing to full size. Your turtle might also like fruit or even flowers. Make sure you know what type of turtle you have so that you can provide the appropriate diet. Never feed your turtle dairy products, as their stomach cannot properly digest lactose. Also steer clear of giving your turtle processed foods. Whole, dairy free foods are best.
Provide your turtle with live crickets, mealworms, wax worms are delicious insects that turtles love to eat. Consider adding alternative insects, or even live fish and shrimp, throughout the week to keep your turtle’s diet interesting and nutritious.
Younger turtles need to eat daily whereas adult or mature turtles only need to be fed a few times per week. Be careful not to overfeed your turtle, they can become obese. Water should always be accessible. Indeed, many turtles will consume their food under the water, but if they do not, then you should leave your turtle’s food in the same location in the aquarium. That way, your turtle will always know where to go to get their food. To help avoid overfeeding, you should present food as your turtle eats it and remove all uneaten or partially eaten food after about five minutes.
If you plan to let your turtle out of the aquarium to walk around the house, make sure everybody is aware and that you provide some barriers to control the location of their exercise. This avoids any fatal accidents.
Live insects make tasty and hard to catch as well. Consider feeding your turtle mayflies, caddisflies, beetle larvae, crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, and waxworms. Earthworms, blackworms, snails, clams, small frogs, and tadpoles are acceptable mollusks, worms, and amphibians to feed your pet turtle. Other natural fish that your turtle would enjoy chasing and eating are red minnows, guppies, and mosquito fish. Do not feed them goldfish as they make harmful chemicals that are dangerous to consume.
Consider providing your turtle with an empty shell that they can slide across the floor with or place a small toy raft in their water that they can push along for fun. Train your turtle to eat from your hand. This takes some trust and familiarity but once some connection has been established between you and your turtle, try putting a piece of fruit on your hand. If your turtle enjoys this, then try placing the piece of fruit on your wrist so that you turtle has to crawl up your hand to get it. Try building an obstacle course. Design obstacles out of your turtle’s natural habitat – stones, sticks, plants, and water pits. Place a treat at the end to provide motivation. Another fun game for your turtle is to “find-the-treat. ” Hide crickets, worms, or other live insects around your turtle’s habitat for it to find. This will give your turtle a challenge with a treat as a reward. Remember that these tricks could take time for your turtle to learn, so be patient. Also, the more difficult the game or the exercise the more stress it will place on your turtle. In other words, it is not a good idea to play these games or exercises on a daily basis.
