Turtle

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Why would you consider buying a turtle? 

• Fun to watch ‘em swim

• Easy to take care of

• Can recognize owners and fun to watch ‘em begging for food

• Harmless & happy creatures

 

How much does it cost at a minimum?

• Pet $20-$30

• Tank $150-$200 minimum, but as turtles grow this expense will go up a lot (a 50-gallon tank can easily cost around $400 or more!)

• Additional tank requirements like basking lamp, uvb, ramp in & out of the water, filtration system, thermometer, tank heater $150-$200

 

Minimum space requirements 

Minimum 30-gallon tank, but know that you have to get a larger tank as the turtle grows up as turtles need all the space to swim they being active swimmers. So as turtles grow, you would end up having to buy a 50-120 gallon tank.

 

What does it like to eat?

• Pet store food

• Small fish & insects and even snails

• Fruits like apple & strawberry, vegetables like carrots, zucchini & squash

• Earthworms

 

How much does it cost on a regular basis? 

Food $50-$70

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Is it a lot of work to maintain this pet? 

• Easy to take care of on a daily basis, especially if you get a filter that you can replace whenever needed without having to manually clean it once a week

• Ensure you get a good basking lamp

• Don’t have to bathe it or walk it

 

  Do a full tank clean every week, and replace water every week.

 

Does it get stinky? 

• Wet turtles can produce a little unpleasant smell

• Water if not changed for a long time can get smelly

 

Needs in the tank

• Water

• Basking lamp & UVB

• Rocks

• Ramp to go in and out of water

• Filtration system 

• Thermometer

• Water  heater

 

Fun things to know

• Not all turtles swim!

• You can leave turtles inside your house as long as you keep an eye on ‘em

• You can train your turtles to feed out of your hand

• Fun to see them swim underwater

 

Useful tips

• Do not handle your turtle too often as they may carry a disease called salmonella

• Ensure you take turtles to a vet before you get them into your house

• They would be with you for a long time (15-30 years), so ensure you have the right commitment for this long-term relationship

• Keep decorations to a minimum so you can pour more water thus giving turtles more space to swim around

• Don't leave kids unsupervised with a turtle

• The water depth for turtles should be 75% of it's tank, but for babies, it should be only 2 to 4 inches.