turtle care?
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at
2:21 am
okay so i will most likely be getting a water turtle this coming fall when my friend goes to college. anyway i was wondering if someone could show me a picture or diagram of what the tank should look like, and just some water turtle care? like how often do you clean the tank? and can i buy food @ the petstore? can i take it out and hold it? is it okay to be out of it’s tank for long periods of time?
THANKS!
Tagged with: long periods of time • petstore • tank • time thanks • turtle • turtle care • water turtle
Filed under: Turtle Care
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You can look up images of turtle tanks, and that would likely be better than somebody like me explaining it. However, they need to have a heat lamp and something for them to bask on (log, large rock, etc). They just need to be able to come out of the water and bask under the lamp.
I hope you are aware of how large turtles can get. They aren’t the easiest creatures to take care of. You will need to periodically clean their tank but not too often, because if you clean it too often you will get rid of the helpful bacteria.
Food can be bought at the pet store but you need to make sure they are getting their calcium and vitamin D3. I use Rep-Cal phosphorous free Calcium with Vit. D3 ultrafine powder, and I sprinkle it on their food. Some popular turtle food is called reptamin. If you put some reptamin in a bowl with a little bit of water, and mix some of this powder in before putting it in the tank it works wonderfully.
Turtles aren’t the greatest pets to pick up and hold, as they aren’t meant for that. While you can take them out, it wont be guaranteed that they will like it. They will likely try to get away each time.And also I wouldn’t recommend taking them out of their tanks for long periods of time.
Hope this helps.
Water turtles need a dock so they can get out of the water and dry their shells. They also need a heat lamp and a sun lamp.
You can go to a pet store that carries supplies for reptiles and ask for help in setting up your tank. I have always found the employees to be very knowledgeable. You can also purchase food for your turtle at a pet store.
Just a note, water turtles are a lot of work. They need a clean tank, and the right balance of light and food. They can also live for a very long time if their conditions are right. Always wash your hands after handling them as they do carry salmonella.
Good luck and enjoy your turtle.