Turtle Care 101

[optimistic]

Do Turtles need sunlight like snakes do? I have my turtles in a plastic aquarium with a half inch of water and some rocks to go around. I don't know what kind of turtles they are. But they're 2 1/2 inches long.

 

[kami]

I used to keep turtles.

I'd give them more water than that. give them some deep water with some room so they can swim around (yes, even those little guys can swim deep if they want), but definitely give them some light. it doesn't have to be all day, but i'd say at least for a good 8-10 hours a day if possible. Make sure the light isn't TOO hot.

If you have the deep water remember that they need lots of platorms and whatnot that they can easily access to remove themselves from the water. Turtles spend a lot of their time out of the water.

Did you catch these in the wild or buy them at a pet store? Do they have little reddish/orangeish stripes on the sides of their head?

 

[Azraele]

Link1

Link2.

Hope these help.

 

[kami]

Hmm the pics in those links look a lot different from the turtles I used to have.

I have only kept red-eared sliders and painted turtles so whatever advice I gave, don't apply it to any other species before researching.

 

[Azraele]

<< don't apply it to any other species before researching >>


Good point. Make sure you know what kind of turtle you have (ask your vet if you're unsure). Once you know, you should be able to find tons of information following a Google search.

 

[kami]

red-eared sliders look like this
painted turtles look like this

 

[rgwalt]

First of all, are they turtles or torts? There is a difference. If they are true turtles, then they need more water than you provided. In fact, you might as well go ahead and get a nice big aquarium and start building. You'll need to install platforms for the turtles to remove themselves from the water, as well as a heater and a filtration system. Duetto makes a very good filter system for turtles. Consult a local petstore and internet resources for more help. If they are torts, then you have done good. They just need a shallow bathing container.

Here is the rub on sunlight... turtles and torts both need sunlight to thrive in captivity. However, I wouldn't go putting their tank near a window. This can cause a very rapid heating of the air and water which can kill your animals. Instead, go out and buy a fluorescent fixture and a reptile UV bulb. Bulbs will run you $20 to $30, but the fixture need not set you back if you buy something from a home improvement store rather than a petshop.

Check this link for more info, and good luck.

Ryan

 

[kami]

good advice ryan.

I kept my guys in a 15 gallon aquarium (2 of them). They live for a long time if properly taken care of...I've heard up to 50 years before for a red-eared slider. They simply got too big for the tank so I gave them to a friend of a friend who keeps a lot of reptiles and last time i heard they were still alive and almost a foot long :Q

 

[optimistic]

<< Did you catch these in the wild or buy them at a pet store? Do they have little reddish/orangeish stripes on the sides of their head? >>


Thats it! Those are my turtles, red-eared sliders! Super!

 

[optimistic]

I found a lot of useful information on the red-eared sliders! Thanks, Kami, Azraele, and Ryan

 

[BubbleHead]

What type of turtles are Ninja Turtles supposed to be?