How to Take Care of a Turtle at Home
The term "turtle" is used to describe turtles that live in the water, whereas the term "tortoise" refers to turtles that live on land. Aquatic turtles are easier to take care of in a captive environment and can be a joy to keep as pets. Turtles need a proper environment and diet to thrive in a captive environment at home.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Glass aquarium
- Floating log
- Heat lamp
- Water filter
- UV light
- Worms, insects or commercial turtle food
- Leafy greens
- Supplement powder
Instructions
-
-
1
Fill the glass aquarium with water about halfway up. If you use tap water, it should be left to stand overnight to allow any contaminants to dissipate. The size of the aquarium depends greatly on the size of the turtle. For many smaller species as well as hatchling turtles, a 10-gallon tank should suffice until they grow larger, at which time you'll need a 20- or 50-gallon glass aquarium to house the turtle.
-
2
Install the filter, UV light and heat lamp according to the instructions on the packaging. The heat lamp should be turned on for 12 hours per day to simulate natural sunlight and allow the turtle to bask, whereas the UV light will provide the turtle with synthetic sunlight. The filter can now be plugged in and turned on.
-
-
3
Place the floating log in the water. This is a very important element of a captive turtle's environment because it allows the turtle to take a "break" and get out of the water as well as bask under its heat lamp.
-
4
Introduce the turtle to its new environment and give it a few days to adjust to its surroundings by leaving it completely alone.
-
5
Feed the turtle every 2 or 3 days. Different turtle species eat different diets, and they may be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. Most turtles' diets vary by their age, also. If you have a hatchling or juvenile turtle, it will eat a diet composed of 90 percent protein (insects, worms, commercial turtle food or fish) and only 10 percent vegetation, such as leafy greens. Adult turtles will eat primarily vegetation and very little protein, but it should still be offered. Food offered to any turtle should be sprinkled with a calcium and vitamin supplement powder.
-
6
Clean the turtle's habitat regularly. Turtles are not like fish, which can only handle a small percentage of their water changed at one time. Instead, the entire tank should be emptied and scrubbed with soap or a chlorhexidine cleaner. Before refilling, rinse it thoroughly to remove all cleaner residue. Remove any cage decorations and scrub them clean of any waste or algae.
Take apart the filter and scrub it clean with a scrub brush or toothbrush in hard-to-reach areas. Soap should not be used on the filter or filter medium, and the filter medium (sponge or charcoal packet) should not be rinsed too thoroughly or any beneficial waste-eliminating bacteria will be removed.
Without regular cleaning, the water can begin to smell very unpleasant and the filter may not function as well as it should.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Like many reptiles, turtles shed their skin. To a first-time turtle keeper, this can be frightening and be mistaken for an illness afflicting the turtle because it will appear to have trails of stringy white material hanging from it. While it looks like a skin condition or a problem with the surrounding water, it is just a normal occurrence.
Never remove a turtle from the wild to keep as a pet and take care of at home. This can harm wild populations and is illegal in many states. Also, never release a turtle back into the wild whether it is from the wild or from a pet store. This can introduce pathogens into the environment that could kill other turtles. Salmonella bacteria may naturally live in the digestive tract of turtles. The salmonella will not harm the turtle, but it can cause serious illness in humans. Turtles pose a salmonella danger because they eat, swim and defecate in the same water. Always wash your hands after handling a pet turtle.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit turtle image by ultraman from Fotolia.com
