How to Decorate a Turtle Aquarium

Turtles are fun and interesting pets that really don't require a great deal in the way of personal interaction. However, there are basic needs that must be met to keep your turtle healthy and happy.

Make sure that the aquarium is big enough for your pet. A small baby only needs about a 10-gallon tank. However, that cute little thing that you held in the palm of your hand at the pet shop will probably outgrow that. The next step up should be a 20 to 50 gallon tank, and it should be the long "breeder" type.

Make sure the tank is located out of direct sunlight. You should provide for two major elements in your turtle's aquarium, one for land and one for water. Since the needs of turtles varies from species to species, be sure to find out which one you have so that you can provide properly for it.

Things You'll Need

• Glass aquarium appropriate for your turtle's size Land mass Incandescent lamp with 40-60 watt bulb Water filtration system Uniodized salt Aquarium heater Aquarium thermometer Decorations

Instructions

1. 

   Remove any substrate from your turtle aquarium. A clear glass bottom is much easier to clean, and the turtle won't inadvertently be eating things like sand or gravel. These items can cause the turtle to be constipated, or it can choke on gravel and small rocks.

2. 

   Provide a land area for basking, making sure that there is plenty of land mass above the water's surface. This can be a large stone, a thick piece of wood, bricks, or commercially made objects of plastic, acrylic or glass. Make sure the land area is securely anchored so that it doesn't move around. It should have a generous sloping section which forms a ramp for the turtle to easily climb out of the water onto the land.

3. 

   Set up proper basking lighting from outside the tank to provide your turtle's land area with heat, as well as UV rays necessary for calcium metabolization.

4. 

   Add water to the tank. If the turtle happens to accidentally flip over onto its back, the water must not be too shallow for the pet to be able to right itself completely in the water to avoid drowning. Keep the water deeper than the length of the turtle's entire body. Add a water filtration system and plan on changing the water every 45 days or so. Add a teaspoon of uniodized salt for each gallon of water. This will discourage bacterial, shell and skin diseases on your turtle.

5. 

   Add a heater and suction cup thermometer to the water. You can turn the thermometer sideways if the water is too shallow to accommodate vertical positioning. Find out what the proper water temperature for your species is, and maintain comfortable conditions for your pet.

6. 

   Add decorations to what has now transformed from an aquarium to a turtle terrarium or habitat. You can use commercially produced decorations--or shells, driftwood, stones, and plants. Artificial plants are as attractive as real ones, with the added advantage that the turtle won't eat them. You won't have to replace them on a weekly basis. Don't over-decorate because your turtle needs plenty of room to move around on the land as well as in the water. Situate any decorations so that access to the water won't be obstructed. Stick to decorating corners, using them to disguise outside filters and equipment.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your decorating as simple as possible to keep maintenance time and effort to a minimum. If your turtle has already outgrown its aquarium, start saving your money for a bigger one. Tank size is more important than decorations, which turtles really don't care about, anyway.

• Make sure that your turtle can't become stuck under any of your decorations. Don't put objects that you have found or picked up from outdoors into the turtle tank until they have been sterilized. Make sure that there are no pointed or sharp edges on anything in the tank. Don't put any objects smaller than the turtle's mouth into your tank.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish