How to Care for Turtles

Turtles may not be as lovable as dogs or cats, but they make fantastic pets. Turtles have a lifespan of several decades, so you need to be prepared for a long-term commitment before adopting one. To ensure your turtle stays healthy and happy, you need to provide a suitable habitat, proper food, and maintain cleanliness. Different species of turtles have varying needs, so it’s essential to ask the seller for specific care instructions.

Provide your turtle with the largest possible habitat. Keep your turtle in a large aquarium or tank. As a general rule, the tank's capacity should be 40 liters for every 2.5 cm of the turtle's shell length. Be sure to check the specific space requirements for the turtle species you have.

• If you're raising a baby turtle, research how large it will grow when fully mature. For instance, if you have a 10 cm baby turtle and a 150-liter tank, the tank will eventually be too small when the turtle grows to 30 cm.
• The tank must have a secure lid to prevent the turtle from escaping.
• Additionally, aquatic turtles need enough water to swim, with a water depth at least twice the turtle’s length.

Spread peat moss or soil at the bottom of the tank. Mix sawdust with peat moss or combine sand with soil. Spread a 5-8 cm thick layer of this mixture at the base of the tank.

• Avoid using gravel at the bottom of the tank, as turtles might swallow small stones and choke.

Create a basking area for your turtle. Lay a layer of sand and soil or peat moss and sawdust on one side of the tank, raising it higher than the other side. Place smooth river rocks or driftwood on top. This area should be elevated above the water and kept dry.

• Ensure the slope of the peat moss or soil and the river rocks is gentle enough for your turtle to climb easily.
• Purchase a turtle hideout from a pet store and place it in the basking area. Your turtle will enjoy having a warm, cozy spot to retreat to.
• Remember that if you keep aquatic turtles, the water depth should be deeper. The basking area should be more than twice the turtle’s length to keep it dry above the water.

Fill the tank with water. Tap water is fine, as long as the chlorine levels are low. For box turtles, ensure the water is shallow enough so the turtle's chin stays above the surface while it soaks.

• Box turtles can drown in deep water. For aquatic turtles like pond turtles, ensure the water is at least twice the length of the turtle.
• Purchase a chlorine test kit online, at pet stores, or at household goods stores. If chlorine levels are high, use bottled water or buy chlorine remover at the pet store.

Use a reptile heat lamp to warm the basking area. A key part of turtle care is creating a temperature gradient between a hot side and a cool side. Buy a reptile-specific heat lamp from a pet store, making sure it is suitable for reptiles. Attach a thermometer inside the tank and ensure the basking area is between 29-32°C.

• If you use an incandescent heat bulb, you will need an additional UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb. UV light provides vitamin D to the turtle, aiding in calcium absorption.
• The UV light needs to be replaced every 6 months to a year.
• Turn off the light at night, but ensure the tank temperature doesn’t drop below 16°C. If the air and water temperatures are too cold at night, place the tank on a heating mat and buy a water heater from the pet store.
• The UV light should be positioned about 30 cm away from the turtle.
• It is better to set up the tank at least 2 weeks before getting your turtle to allow the environment to adjust to the right temperature.

Install a water filter to keep the water clean. Purchase a filter that can handle at least double the amount of water in your tank. For example, if your tank holds 400 liters of water and is half-filled, the tank contains 200 liters, so choose a filter suitable for 400-600 liters.

• When visiting the pet store, ask the staff for recommendations on water filters.
• Even with a filter, you must use a net to scoop out turtle waste and other debris from the tank daily. To keep the water cleaner, consider feeding your turtle in a separate tank.

Purchase a smaller tank as a backup. A backup tank is incredibly useful when you need to transport your turtle. Additionally, you will need to clean the main tank regularly and will need a temporary space for your turtle during that time.

• Since it's only for temporary use, the backup tank doesn’t need to be large, just enough for your turtle to move around. To keep the turtle warm, you can move the heating lamp into the backup tank when placing the turtle inside.

Purchase food specifically designed for the type of turtle you're keeping. Most pet turtles require a diet that includes vegetables and animal protein. Store-bought food can meet most of your turtle’s nutritional needs, but you’ll need to add other foods to keep them healthy.

Give your turtle fish, invertebrates, and vegetables. Purchase live or frozen guppy fish, earthworms, crickets, and grasshoppers. You can also chop vegetables like kale, lettuce, dandelion greens, and carrots for your turtle.

• Vary the food to keep your turtle interested. You can feed your turtle store-bought food 1-2 times a week, and give them homemade food 1-2 times as well.
• Foods like fish and live insects can excite your turtle.
• To prevent choking, chop the vegetables into pieces small enough to fit in the turtle's mouth, smaller than its beak.

Feed your turtle 3-4 times a week. Most pet turtles should be fed every other day, but it’s a good idea to check with the seller for confirmation. The morning is the best time to feed your turtle, as they are usually more active then. The exact amount of food to feed can be tricky to determine and doesn’t have a fixed measurement.

• A general rule is to provide enough food for your turtle to consume in 5 minutes. Observe your turtle during its first feeding to estimate correctly. Turtles are opportunistic feeders and will often overeat if given too much food.
• If you have an aquatic turtle, place the food in the water. Aquatic turtles cannot swallow food unless they are underwater. Use a net to remove any uneaten food after 5 minutes to keep the water clean.
• For box turtles, feed them in a bowl, and remove the bowl after about 5 minutes.

Supplement your turtle's food with calcium every other meal. You can buy calcium carbonate powder online or at pet stores. Sprinkle a pinch of it into your turtle's food 1-2 times a week to meet their calcium needs.

• Turtles require plenty of calcium to keep their shells strong and healthy.
• If you have an aquatic turtle, you can also drop a block of calcium carbonate into the water for your turtle to nibble on.

Regularly check your turtle for signs of illness. Examine your turtle every 1-2 days, such as when you feed it. Make sure the turtle's skin and shell are smooth, without any marks, blisters, or dark spots. Check the eyes, nose, and beak for any discharge or discoloration, and watch for any unusual behavior.

• Turtles are generally healthy, but they can be susceptible to infections, malnutrition, and eye problems. If you notice any worrying signs, such as a soft or wrinkled shell, cloudy eyes, or blisters on the skin, take your turtle to a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
• Search online for a good reptile vet in your area or ask the pet store or turtle seller for recommendations.

Use a net to remove your turtle's waste from the tank every day. To keep the water as clean as possible, you need to clean up turtle droppings, leftover food, and other debris daily. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the inside of the tank or when picking up the turtle.

• Turtles can carry the salmonella bacteria, which causes vomiting and diarrhea.

Check the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in the water every few days. Purchase a water testing kit from a pet store or online. Ensure the pH level of the water is between 6.0 and 8.0, or close to neutral. The ammonia level should be 0, the nitrite level should be below 0.5 ppm, and the nitrate level should be under 40 ppm.

• Turtles drink the water, so checking and maintaining clean water is crucial. If the pH is off, you can adjust it with chemicals available at pet stores. If the ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite levels are too high, perform a water change and consider upgrading your filtration system.

Replace 25% of the tank water every week. Use a bucket or siphon hose to remove one-quarter of the water, then add an equivalent amount of fresh water back into the tank.

• The water in the tank contains beneficial bacteria, so whenever possible, avoid replacing all the water at once.

Clean the tank every 3 weeks. Move the turtle to a backup tank while you clean the main one. Leave ¼ to ½ of the tank’s water and drain the rest along with any old peat moss or substrate. Scrub the rocks, caves, and tank interior using a solution of one part bleach to ten parts warm water.

• Rinse the tank and accessories thoroughly, making sure to remove all bleach solution. Once everything is clean, return the items to their original places and refill the tank with fresh water.
• Remember to wash your hands and disinfect the sink or basin with bleach after cleaning the tank. Don’t forget that turtles can carry germs that may be transmitted to humans.

• Always wash your hands after handling the turtle, touching the inside of the tank, or cleaning the tank.
• Turtle care varies by species, so it's best to ask the breeder or pet store for specific care requirements for your turtle.