Baby turtles are wonderful and fascinating animals to have as a pet. I have spent countless hours watching them do their water acrobatics in their tank. They are just incredible to watch as they hunt for food and inspect every nook and cranny of their habitat. They can be a very low maintenance pet if set up the proper way. This article will help you to achieve a low maintenance habitat so that you may enjoy your new turtle with little work involved.
One of the most important things to consider is what type of turtle you are interested in getting. There are many different species being bred in captivity by private breeders which gives you hundreds of choices. When deciding on a species make sure you do some research on the feeding and size that the animal will grow to. Turtles will not stay small if kept in a small habitat. This is an old wives tale that has been used by many unscrupulous dealers into fooling people to buy that cute baby turtle. All that you will accomplish ending your pets life prematurely. To keep your overall cost down you will want to get a habitat that will accommodate your turtle for its entire life. The animal will be happier and healthier in a proper sized set up. Never use the small turtle bowls that are sometimes seen a pet stores. These are called “death bowls” by breeders and are totally inadequate to keep any turtle in.
Water quality is very important to all turtles. Do research to find out the proper pH and temperature for the turtle you are getting. Make sure that your water is aerated and has the proper sized filter to handle the load that a pet turtle will create. We use canister type biological filters for all of our hatchlings and adults. The size of the canister will depend on the amount of water being filtered and the number of turtles that will live in that habitat . One way to cut down on the load in your tank is to feed your turtle in a separate container such as a Rubbermaid container. This will keep all uneaten food from fouling your water . Here is a hint on filtration: if the water stinks, it’s not an adequate filter. Biological filtration is by far the most effective means of cleaning your water. Inside the filter bacteria will grow and it will consume all the waste that is filtered through it. It may take up to two weeks for your filter to “cycle through” and become efficient in cleaning your water. Your water may cloud up for the first week or so and then should become crystal clear if the filter is of adequate size. The filters are usually cleaned once a month by squeezing out the filter material on top and rinsing the solid waste off. Water changes can be done periodically but try not to change all of the water unless necessary. A complete change could kill off all of your beneficial bacteria and cause the filter to have to recycle .
Make sure you find out the optimum water temperatures needed for the species you are keeping .Most often room temperature will suffice however there are certain species which may require colder or warmer water temperatures. Many dealers sell chillers that will cool the water as it passes through the unit . These should be used on cold water species only. We use titanium submersible heaters with built in thermostats to heat all of our tanks during the winter months with great success . Make sure that the heater is completely submersed so that no turtle can climb on it above the water surface as this could cause a burn and possibly death of your turtle.
With the exception of a very few species most turtles need to bask in the sun to warm up their body temperatures and to get the much needed uva/uvb rays they need to metabolize calcium and there dietary proteins . All species should have a dry area to crawl out of the water on. This is where you should place a heat bulb and uva/uvb bulb. The basking area should reach temperatures of 85 degrees to 90 degrees . You will find that some species will lay there all day long. Basking helps to control many diseases such as upper respiratory disease and fungal infestations which are the two leading killers of baby turtles. A good uv bulb should also be used and we would suggest a coil type florescent bulb in the 10.0 range. This bulb should be no farther away from the basking platform than 12 inches as after that only minimal if any uva/uvb rays will be available to the turtle. Heat lamps should be placed safely above the basking platform and will depend on the wattage of the bulb as to how far away it should be. We place all of our lighting on automatic timers that are set to be on for 10 hours daily in the fall and winter and 12 hours on in the spring and summer.
The best way to insure you and your turtle many happy years together is to do your research ahead of the purchase. There are many good books on the market as well as the Internet and many breeders that are available to answer your questions. Ask the person you are purchasing from how they have kept them and what their current diet is. Beware if these simple questions can not be answered. Check your turtle over closely and make sure that it has both eyes open and seems alert. Make sure that the plastron and yolk sac area are healed and clear of any discharge. Gasping or stretching its neck out with open mouth are bad signs. Fungal infections will usually show up as white cotton like substance on the feet , head or legs. Shell infections will look pitted or raw . In the event that you are purchasing via Internet website make sure it is from a reputable breeder or dealer. Some breeders may send you pictures via email of the exact animal you are trying to purchase. It doesn’t hurt to ask them. Some may be too busy to do this for you but many would be more than happy to send you pictures. Good luck with your new pet!
Written By: Greg Martin
www.martinsworldexotics.com
Tags: Care Sheets, hatchling, turtle
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