10 Steps to Setup a Turtle Tank

1. Aquarium Size & Cleaning It

Figure on your turtle needing a set amount of dry surface versus wet surface. All turtles bask in the sunlight, so there will also be a light over the dry surface. Research what amount your species of turtle needs of dry surface.

Turtles need enough room to grow so make sure your tank is large enough. A lot of freshwater species of turtles can grow to 12″ long. The 20 and 30 gallon aquarium sizes are going to be a bare minimum of what you can use for housing turtles. We get a lot of emails asking if 5 gallon aquariums work for turtles. The answer is a NO because they are too small.

Empty the aquarium you plan on using for your turtle tank. Do not use any chemicals when it comes to washing the tank. Pure water is the only think you want to use. Buy aquarium safe sponges from pet stores to wash out your aquarium. Scotch brite pads and similar abrasive like pads scratch glass and then algae grows in those cracks like crazy. Just rinse and rub with pure water. Keeping it as simple as possible eliminates unwanted additives to your tank.

2. Lay Down Aquarium Rocks

When choosing what rocks to use, make sure your turtle cannot consume the rocks. The larger the rocks the better. Not that your turtle is for surely going to eat them… it’s just a safe precaution to take when setting up your tank. When turtles are younger, they may snap at prey between rocks and accidentally catch a rock in their mouth. Rinse your rocks before putting them in your aquarium very well. Just to make sure all debris and bacteria is removed.

3. Setup Plants: Live or Fake

I would advise getting some live plants for your tank just because it really adds to the ecosystem setup of the tank. Waste from food and turtle waste create ammonia in the water which decreases the oxygen levels in the water. Live plants consume carbon monoxide and turn it into pure oxygen. Your pets in the water aquarium will be much happier then they would with fake plants.

4. A “Turtle Dock” is Mandatory

There are different designs and Setups as far as turtle docks go. No matter what though… you need one! Turtles need to be able to crawl out of the water and get some air and dry off. Along with a dock setup for your turtle, comes a heat lamp that gives off UV rays.

5. UV Heat Lamp Setup

That heat and sunshine are a lot to a turtles life routine. Imagine your life with never seeing the real sun again. It may seem like such a small stupid thing to get for your turtle aquarium.. but it’s a mandatory necessity for your turtle. It helps bring needed Ultra violet rays to the turtles skin and shell. Visit the “Turtle Lighting” section for more details on lighting Setups.

6. Aquarium Filter Setup

The question comes up all the time if turtles need filters for their water. I highly advise using a filter just because the cleaner water gives your turtle a more healthy habitat to thrive in. Dirty waters can kill any aquarium species very fast. When buying a filter, always buy around 3-4 times the amount of water volume your aquarium actually is. Example, if your tank is 20 gallons .. You should buy a filter designed for 40 gallons. This will make your water more clean and save you hours of time cleaning the water by hand in your fish aquarium.

7. Heater for Water Temperature

A heater is needed for the water inside your aquarium. The water should be between 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Some think that turtles don’t need the water that warm but I would advise a heater just to make sure the levels don’t get too cold. Also, be aware of a heater that is not fully submersed under water. Sometimes they crack when not fully submersed under water.

8. Water Conditioner

Water that is used from a faucet should always be treated with a conditioner. What is harmful to fish and turtles is the chlorine in the water. You can either let the water sit by itself for 24 hours to dechlorinate itself or you can use conditioner to use the water right away.

9. Vitamins & Nutrients

They make different vitamins for turtles that are vital for them to have. The reason for needing vitamins is due to lacking certain variables that the turtle would get in natural habitat. Depending on what turtle species you have will depend on what nutrients and vitamins your turtle needs. They need certain vitamins for their skin and shell. Because without their shell stregth, they are very prone to further sickness.

10. Live Fish

I always urge people to put live fish in their turtle tanks just to give a real habitat feel to the turtles. If they want they can even take a bite at the fish and get some well needed nutrients of live food. Some persist not to use live fish in turtle tanks because it drives aggression to your pet turtles. I’m a believer in not running away from the idea of where your turtle came from… the wild. Totally your call on this one.

Dangers of Pet Reptiles

When doing some “pet turtle” research, you will find lots of warnings regarding salmonella. Younger turtles are actually more prone to this and its now illegal to sell turtles under 4 inches in diameter. There are precautions that need to be looked at but a person can safely have a pet turtle any day of the week.

Turtles are holders for salmonella at times and it is specifically dangerous to younger kids and weak immune systems. It is very important to keep everything as clean as possible for your turtle living habitat. After handling turtles, hands need to be washed immediately with soap and water. Salmonella can live on any surface for a given amount of time. Children can then touch that surface and become effected. This is the case with any real reptile kept in an aquarium.

In For the Long Haul

Turtles live long lives and having them as a pet entails a lot of commitment. It’s very common for a turtle owner to let their pet become “old news.” Lacking to add fresh water, not changing aquarium filters, forgetting to feed the turtle and so forth. Owning a turtle is not a 3 month hobby that you can just set aside. It’s important to take this idea into account. Lets get started on setting up your tank along with proper turtle care facts.

————–

Note: Image source is found at pawesome.com which is an awesome site for general pet information. You can click here to visit the site and go read some of their very valuable information. We are supporters of their content and want to thank them for letting us use this cool image. In return, we linked to their awesome network.