Decide on a land or aquatic turtle. Common turtles like box turtles will require a desert like landscape. If you want an aquatic turtle make sure there is dry land and adequate room to swim, and that your enclosure is sealed enough to hold water.
Even with proper filtration, you’ll need to regularly change your turtle’s water. [4] X Expert Source Audra BarriosMarine Biologist & Reptile Specialist Expert Interview. 18 August 2020. When you change the water, make sure that the filter is not clogged. If you see waste or old food lingering in the filter, it may cause a clog that prevents it from filtering the water properly. You can buy a dechlorinator or water conditioner at any pet store.
How often a clean is necessary will depend on how messy your turtle is. It is generally a good idea to do this at least twice a month. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning the tank.
An example of vegetation for your turtle are aquatic plants like duckweed, azolla, and water lettuce. They also enjoy fruits and vegetables like papaya, carrots, apples, and leafy greens like romaine lettuce. For protein, your turtle can eat cooked chicken, turkey, or raw beef. If you want to feed your animal live protein, mealworms, snails, wax worms, beetle larvae, or even small goldfish are great. There are also commercially available diets, such as pellets, that can provide complete nutrition for turtles. Make sure that you read the ingredients carefully and that proportions of protein and vegetable based matter are at proper ratios.
Keep in mind that that UV cannot penetrate glass and will need to above or in the enclosure. Change out your turtle’s UV bulb every 6 months. Over time the bulb will stop emitting enough UV light. [9] X Expert Source Audra BarriosMarine Biologist & Reptile Specialist Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.
The basking (dry land) area should be 10 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) warmer than the water to entice the turtle to warm up by basking.
Vitamin A deficiency. This occurs when your turtle is not getting a proper diet and manifests as lack of appetite, swelling of eyelids, swelling of ears, and persistent respiratory difficulties. This can also affect the buoyancy of your turtle when it’s swimming. You can correct this by making sure your turtle has a balanced diet. Respiratory infections. The most common signs of this are wheezing, difficulty breathing, bubbles and mucus in their nose, and frequent coughing. If you see these symptoms, take your turtle to the vet who will give them an x-ray and determine the proper antibiotic course. The most common cause of these issues are improper basking and water temperatures or an exposure to drafty conditions. Shell rot. This is a fungal condition to the shell. The symptoms include: white, slimy, smelly appearance of the shell and sometimes puss. The symptoms may also include small abrasions on the turtle’s shell. If you see any of these signs, take your turtle to the vet who will prescribe antibiotics. Parasites. These are the most common cause of illness. The most common parasites for turtles are: pinworms, roundworms, and hookworms. The signs include lack of appetite, undigested food in stool, weight loss and sometimes spit up of food. Your vet will ask you obtain a stool sample to test for parasites and give a medication targeted to rid the turtle of the specific parasite. Find a good vet that specializes in herpetology. Not all vets will deal with exotic animals. Make sure that whatever vet you choose has a specialty in herpetology and can help your turtle. Look online for a good local herp vet with strong reviews and demonstrated speciality background. Call local vet offices to see if they can treat turtles, or if they know a good colleague that can.
Painted turtles are a great aquatic species for beginners. This is a colorful variety of turtle, readily available, easy to care for and great for a new turtle owner. They stay small, only 4 to 5 inches, and are active. They’re also commonly bred in captivity and years of breeding has created a docile and tame animal. They are recognizable for their colorful markings that make them appear “painted,” hence the name. Common Musk Turtles. These are a small, relatively hearty, aquatic turtle. They can rest comfortably in a small tank (as small as 30 gallons) but do not generally like to be handled. Slider turtles. There are many varieties of sliders with two being the most common — the red eared and yellow bellied slider. They stay under 11 inches and are easy to care for. They also have tame and docile personalities. Diamondback Terrapin. This is another type of turtle commonly available in pet stores and amongst breeders. While these turtles stay small (9 inches at the most) and are friendly, they require a little more expertise than either painted turtles or sliders. They prefer brackish water (a slightly salted water) and thus will require more work. Tortoises are a type of land turtle. They can live up to 100 years, so they’re a long-term commitment. [12] X Expert Source Audra BarriosMarine Biologist & Reptile Specialist Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.
Ask for proof that the turtle was captive bred. If the breeder cannot provide this, chances are the turtle was born in the wild. This can have detrimental effects on wild turtle populations and also make your turtle more prone to stress, which is potentially detrimental to the animal’s health.
Check the enclosure. The water should be clean, food should be available and adequate light provided. If any of these are missing, it can increase the likelihood you bring home a sick turtle.
Elderly people, children and infants are particularly susceptible to salmonella. Even if they are not directly interacting with the turtle or its environment, you will want to wash your hands thoroughly before coming in contact with at risk individuals.
