Your turtle will need both a land area
and swim area. The land area should
have one area at room temperature, and
one heated to about 90 degrees
Fahrenheit. Be sure to have two good
high range thermometers in your tank to
measure this. Your turtle’s land should
be large enough for him to sit on
comfortably. The water area should be
deeper than your turtle’s shell is wide,
and should be big enough for him to swim
around comfortably. If your turtle
flips over in the water, he should be
able to comfortable right himself in the
water.
Your tank should be no less than 20
gallons, and should be more if at all
possible. It will need a filtration
system, and an aquarium heater set at
approximately 82 degrees Fahrenheit,
depending on your type of turtle. Your
heat lamp should have a 40-60W
incandescent light bulb which should
heat your land area to about 85
degrees. Your land area can be built
from natural rocks, safe wood or
something you have purchased in a
store. Be sure your turtle is able to
easily climb from the water to your
land. In addition to your heat lamp,
you will need a fluorescent light with a
VitaLite™ bulb to serve as sunlight.
Tap water is fine to use in your tank,
since turtles are not as sensitive to
chlorine as your standard fish.
You do not need any type of gravel or
material in the bottom of your water
area. This makes it easier to clean
your turtle’s tank. It will also keep
your turtle from ingesting gravel and
becoming blocked, which is unfortunately
a common occurrence. Your turtle will
need a full water change once a week.
At least twice a year you will need to
scrub the tank with a very watered down
bleach solution, rinsing thoroughly. If
you run a good filter on your tank, you
won’t have to change your water as
often. Put one teaspoon of aquarium
salt in your tank for every gallon of
water. Clean water is of the utmost
importance to turtle health. It is
important to keep your water changed
regularly. Purchasing a good pump and
hose for water changes is wise for both
ease and functionality.
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Water Turtle Waste
Your turtle produces both visible and invisible
waste. Use a net to clean the visible waste as
soon as you can. The invisible waste will
produce ammonia in your tank, which is harmful
to your turtle. Purchase a test kit and test
your water regularly. If you find the ammonia
level high, it is time for a full water change.
If you are going to be on vacation, you can
purchase some ammonia remover for your turtle
care-taker, if he or she is not comfortable with
changing the turtle’s water. Consider making a
feeding tub for your turtle. Turtles eliminate
shortly after eating, so chances are you can
catch the waste in the feeder tub before you put
him back in his big tank.
