Terrarium for turtles

Just curious if anyone has turtles and what kind of setup you may have? Our 5yr old will be getting a turtle soon and I want to set it up right. I've seen plenty of fish tanks on craigslist, but Id really like to go with a terrarium, which provides a little more "square footage" and is not as tall as a fish tank. I've been doing some research but haven't found much other then about 2 or 3 kits. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

 

you might look at a 20L-30L aquarium as they are longer and not as tall as your regular 20-30 gallon aquariums and will have more space for the turtle to use.

 

What type/species/size of turtle are you considering?

 

^ this.

Most turtles get way too big for a 20g. The common Red Ear Slider, for example, can reach the size of a dinner plate.

A small aquatic turtle, like the false maps, stay much smaller.

 

@PcBuilder14

 

@Blackout14
@skiergd011013

 

@EddyRRT built a badass turtle tank for his boys

 

Hmm, where to begin...

First off, understand the realization that this is indeed a reptile which many don't really think about. Correct turtle setups can be expensive. People think of them as fish like, but these a reptiles and need all the complicated light setups and special requirements like many other reptiles. They will also live 20+ years if taken care of correctly. I've had mine for nearly 10 years now and he's still going strong.

The first thing to consider is what breed of turtle you're going to get. The most common ones are Red Eared Sliders or Yellow Belly Sliders. Both are very similar in size and needs, only difference really is visually where one has a red ear and the other has more yellow coloration on it's shell. Any other turtle breeds will more than likely have more specific needs.

Handling-
As I'm sure you know, turtles can be carriers of salmonella. So always wash your hands when messing with the turtle or any part of their habitat. Also, if the turtle is very young try to keep handling to a minimum until they get more strength. They can be very susceptible to getting sick and their shells are still quite soft when they're young. After mine grew up a little I sometimes would take him outside and let him explore the outdoors. If you do this just be sure to keep a VERY close eye on them as they are great at hiding and other predators may want to eat them.

Habitat -
Your initial setup will depend on the size of the turtle you get as well as the gender. If it's a relatively young hatchling, then you can start with a ten gallon and that will hold you over for maybe a year. And, if you are lucky enough to get a male then you won't see them ever get above maybe 10". Females can grow to well over 12".

Tank -
A good rule of thumb is about 10 gallons of water for every 1 inch of turtle length. One of the biggest things I hear people say about turtles is that they need shallow water. This is completely false. They grow up in fast moving rivers and large lakes in the wild, so even a hatchling in a 100 gallon tank filled all the way is not going to hurt them. Also, a glass tank is perfectly fine for a turtle. Tanks are much tougher than people think, and if your turtle manages to break one then it has some type of super strength. What I would suggest is to go get a cheap 10-30 gallon plastic tote for now unless you can afford about a 55 gallon tank up front. If you do decide to get a large tank for a young turtle, just be sure to have some plastic plants or a ledge for him to rest on. I currently have a 55 gallon for my ~6" turtle that he's been in for 6 years since he was maybe 3" long and it's still a great size tank for him. But, he's a male so he's nearly fully grown.

Basking -
Your turtle will need a place for them to dry off and warm up. For this you can choose whatever you want to do this. but I suggest one of these turtle docks. I've been using one of these since I got my turtle 10 years ago and they're great.
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hab..._id=36-14986&_t=pfm=category&pfmvalue=faceted

With the basking area you have to be careful not to let your turtle be able to climb out of the tank from it. Surprisingly turtles are very good climbers. There are multiple ways you can do this. You can just lower the water level enough to keep them from climbing out, you can use chicken wire to cover over one side, or you can do what I currently have and build a small plexiglass wall around it.

DSC_0008 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
DSC_0014 by Brent Prater, on Flickr





Lighting -
There are two types of light that a turtle needs to be healthy. Some type of bulb that provides heat, and one that provides UVB rays. For the heat, you can use a regular household 75w bulb, or you can get a reptile specific one that will provide a little better heat. Preferably you want the basking are to be in the 90* range. I've never measured the temperature of mine though. The UVB helps keep their shell nice and healthy. For a UVB bulb, you want to get one that is at least a 5.0, something like this:
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/bul...-catid-500036?var_id=36-14842&_t=pfm=category

They do make combo bulbs that provide both, but they are much more expensive and very sensitive to breaking it seems.


Water Temperature -
You are going to need a water heater to maintain the correct temperature of the water. Hatchlings need slightly warmer water around 78-80*. Mature turtles can have anywhere from 74-80*. I personally keep mine around 76* since it's best for the fish I have in the tank with him.

Filtration -
Turtles are very messy animals. They create more waste than any single fish ever will. With that said, whatever size tank you get you will want a filter that is rated for at least twice the size of the tank as a general rule of thumb. This is especially true with smaller tanks. I had a 25 gallon filter on my 10 gallon tank and it worked great. Now I have a 75 gallon filter on my 55 gallon tank and it does just fine.

Feeding -
Feeding a turtle is pretty simple. You want to give them roughly the amount of pellets to be in proportion to the size of their heads. You want to feed them daily when they're young, and then every other day as they reach about a year. You can find decent quality food at Walmart and pretty much any other store that has pet food. Reptomin is the most popular as it is easily found, and it's not bad. I recently switched to a brand called Mazuri because it is slightly higher quality. My turtle loves it so much more than the Reptomin.

There are a ton of other things that I did not go over, but here's a website that can tell you EVERYTHING you can think of for basic turtle care. Again, if you're getting a more rare turtle you will want to find out what specifics they need on top of all of this basic care.
http://www.redearslider.com/index.html

 

I work at a public aquarium thats part of a museum. I'll contribute what I can here. Most of our tanks/enclosures are fairly "commercial" and beyond what most people do for home setups. Our box turtle enclosure here would be the best setup for me to share here. In the back, you will see our 160 W exo terra solar glo lamp. This provides not only heat for the turtle to bask under, but UVA and UVB. Towards the front (near the fern) there is an additional fluorescent bulb which provides UVB. It is sitting right above that square piece of bluestone for a reason. We put the turtles food on that stone (so as it eats, it wears/trims its beak), and while its eating it is also getting the UVB from the overhead lamp. Finally, you will see the soaking dish with rocks which gives the turtle traction to be able to get out. Most turtles need to be able to soak. A simple little water dish will work (we had one for years) but the animal will be surviving, not thriving. They have a little gland on their rear end that lets them absorb moisture. So you will see them soaking quite often. They also really enjoy cover/hides. We have the fern, and also a hollowed out little piece of tree. Recently, a local women helped us re-do this enclosure the way you see it now. She is an absolute wealth of turtle wisdom. Her whole house is literally setup to rehab neglected turtles. The first thing she makes you do upon entering her house is wash your hands, so you dont introduce anything to the turtles. She even has camera setups and monitors! If you want, i could provide her email. She gives amazing advice and will help you ensure the animal is properly cared for.

 

Good point. Didn't consider him possibly getting a land turtle.

 

Would that not be a tortoise?

 

@TXpro4X4

 

Wasn't aware of this.

 

Got 3 yellow bellies