How to Take Care of Aquatic Turtles
Keeping an aquatic turtle as a pet will require that you create an artificial habitat that meets its needs for space and cleanliness. It's not good enough to simply feed the turtle and give it attention. Those are just the basics of turtle care. Several other requirements must be met in order for your new pet to live a long, healthy life. Once you've set up the turtle's new home, maintaining it will be easy.
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Things You'll Need
- Glass aquarium with lid
- Aquarium heater/thermometer
- Aquarium light
- Gravel
- Rocks and branches
- Turtle food
- Water filtration system
- Aquarium water conditioner
Instructions
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Get an aquarium large enough to provide room to swim as well as room for a basking area above the waterline in the warmth of the aquarium light. Place the aquarium in an area that will receive regular sunlight.
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Place water filtration equipment and a heater in the tank, according to manufacturers' specifications. Pour 1 to 2 inches of gravel in the bottom of the aquarium. Arrange the gravel so it is slightly sloped from the rear to the front of the tank.
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Fill the tank about two-thirds full with water. Use a water conditioner to eliminate chemicals not conducive to your turtle's health. Follow manufacturer's guidelines concerning how much conditioner to use.
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Stack rocks and branches sturdily on one side of the aquarium. Place a large, flat stone at the top. The flat stone should sit just above the waterline and dip into the water so your turtle will easily be able to climb up out of the water.
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Plug in the water filter, heater and lights. Allow the water to warm up. Get the temperature stabilized between 75 and 80 degrees before adding the turtle.
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Place the turtle in the aquarium on top of the basking area. Keep the aquarium light on during the day and turn it off at night to simulate a natural environment.
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Feed your turtle every day by placing its food directly in the water, not on the basking area. You can feed it turtle food pellets or brine shrimp, purchased at the pet store, or even tiny pieces of meat, worms or vegetables.
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Handle your turtle as seldom as possible, and wash your hands with disinfecting soap after you do. Not only can turtles transmit diseases such as salmonella but also sudden changes in temperature can make them sick.
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Tips & Warnings
Replace about one-third to one-half of the water in the aquarium every week or two. Your filtration system will only be able to do so much.
Take a look at how other people have set up their turtle tanks before building you own. Photos of turtle habitats can be found online.
References
Resources
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