I want to buy a pet turtle.Help me!?

Question

I really need help with this cuz I must buy my turtle from the store and get it to settle in my appartement in 2 days.Tell me how to take care of it,what it eats,what it needs and other important things you can tell me about it.The most SCIENTIFIC and CORRECT answer gets 10 points!!!

Answer 1

2 days? It takes them over a week to get settled in a habitat (if they are RES) so good luck with that one.

Answer 2

1. Be aware that turtles are not easy pets- you must provide a complete habitat- temps, lighting, diet, water quality, etc.

2. I assume that you are talking about a Red-ear slider (RES) or Painted turtle- two common pet species. Neither is especially easy as a pet, so will take some effort on your part. You can change the equation a bit by choosing a land species- box turtles or tortoises. Also some difficulties, but no aquarium issues.

3. Housing: Aquatic species need about10 gallons of swimming space per inch of turtle, and it is best to plan a year or more ahead, so figure on a 5" turtle minimum- 50 gallons of swimming space. Tubs and baby pools are common, cheap solutions to expensive fish tanks. Basking is important- rocks, driftwood, rafts, or whatever. Must let the turtle get totally out of the water without being too abrasive, and be able to be climbed fairly easily.

4. Water quality: Mix and match lots of small filters (the cheap 'corner filter' is actually pretty good for turtles); live plants, scavenger fish, using a seperate 'feeding tank' to feed the turtle, and a program of changing some of the water daily or so to keep the water clean. If the room smells 'turtley', the water needs work.

5. Light and heat: Aim for water temps around 65-70- maybe a little warmer in the daytime. use thermometers instead of guessing. Basking sites should hit about 90 during the day. Lighting should simulate sunlight in intensity, spectrum, and duration. Good daylight bulbs with UV-B are great! Remember to keep some cooler, shadier hiding places as well.

6. Diet is a big key issue. Young pond turtles are mostly carnivorous, adding more vegetables as they age. Variety is also useful to help make sure you are not miossing anything in the diet. Try good quality turtle or fish pellets (like trout chow), live or thawed frozen fish and worms, dark leafy greens, etc.

7. Other key points:
- Noises and vibrations stress turtles, as does the sensation of being watched by giants. Minimize those details for happier turtles.
- For the most part, turtles don't like being handled, but often like being stroked on the head or neck.
- Turtles live a long time. Are you ready to care for this same pet potentially 10 years from now?
- The 'traditional' way of keeping turtles kills them in a few months. Small tanks or, even worse, bowls do not offer them exercise or swimming space. No lighting or heating stresses their systems. Lack of vitamin D via UV light hurts them. Cheap or inappropriate diets kill them off (the WORST are iceberg lettuce, hamburger, and cheap turtle food consisting of dried ant or fly parts)
- Most turtle issues are caused by problems in the basic cares.

This brief list will not replace real research. Try these sites for more:

Answer 3

Fist of all, do not buy an aquatic turtle, they are messy and do not make good indoor pets. You will want a tortise, buy a 20 gal long aquarium and screen lid. Buy a 100 watt ceramic heat bulb and holder. Buy an ultraviolet for desert species and a holder, the smaller size should do. Next you will need a very shallow water bowl the turtle can fit into for poopy. He eats dark leafy greens, mustard, kale, spinach, and fresh chopped veggies, zucchini, bock choy, califlour, carrots, broccli, and so on. Fruits are not necessary. I like to feed on a paper plate, when they are done you throw it away and its much easier. Dust all food with 2:1 calcium/phosphorus and add water to the food for extra hydration. I like to use paper towel as substrate. It is very safe and clean, bark just makes a mess. I would pick up the paper towel and replace it each day. Paper towel is the best substrate and also very cheap. Feed your little buddy 1-2 X a day and if you insist he have fruit, feed very small amounts. A strawberry a day makes a good treat. I like to feed treats from my hand. If you want to spend some extra money, you can get him a 50 gal short, runs about $100. 20 gals are around $50. Reptiles are not cheap. Good luck, and if you have any more questions you can e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

I assume you have the common Red Eared Slider, aka RES, (Trachemys scripta elegans). This turtle requires clean water, which can be achieved by regular water changes or the use of a filter. Even with a filter, you need to do a partial water change each week (50%).

Regular tap water works well, since turtles are not fish and do not need the water to breathe in. Regular water changes is key.

This turtle can start out with a 20 gallon tank, but in a few years, it will need a 50-75 gallon tank. It will reach 7-12" when full grown, but that will take many years.

The water should be deep with lots of rocks and floating plants (artificial is fine) to crawl and hang of off. You should provide a cave under water (flower pot on the side) and a basking area where it can haul itself out of the water to completely dry. The basking area can be drift wood or a large rock. The basking area will need heated to 90F, a 60-75 watt bulb at 10-12" on a clamp lamp will work well. Shallow water increases the chances of drowning when the turtle is flipped over.

Try feeding it tiny pieces of fish, shrimp or chicken to start it feeding. When it starts feeding, buy small pellets, which are more nutritionally complete than the proetiened foods Imentioned. They prefer the proteined foods, but they should be snacks only once every 2 weeks. Pellets is the staple diet and leave a piece of romaine or dandelion leaf for it to nibble on. Turtles are like kids and do not like veggies when they are young. By leaving a piece of leafy green in the water, they will be curious and nibble it more and more. Remove it after a few days and put in a new piece.

Check out a caresheet from ATP:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm

Answer 5

Don't stress out...yeah the turtle will be unhappy in a small enviorment but it will live through the two day trip. I recently moved and in the transition we stayed in a motel for two few days. Since I could not move the entire tank into the hotel, I kept the turtles in their carrier (about the size of a shoe box & has some water and rocks in it) and they did just fine. Since the carrier was not heated I was sure to leave the tank where it would get warmth from the sunlight. I fed them regular turtle food from the pet store and they are alive and well today! So don't let yourself get stressed out, just keep their basic needs in mind and you'll be fine.

Answer 6

Having a turtle in an apartment might not be the best idea! turtles need a large envirement complete with water! The water has to be cleaned regularly. they also need sunlight or a good uv bulb.
These cost alot of money. turtles need a varied diet, just crickets or just lettuce won't do it! they will need various types of food. If your really serious about owning a turtle or any other reptile, go to kingsnake.com It has a plethora (thousands) of sites, forums, classifieds, etc on all reptiles! Perhaps a tortois would be a better pick for you, or some other reptile. Also, there are many different types of turtles, each one needing a different type of set-up and care!

Answer 7

It really all depends on what species of turtle you are wanting. I recommend a tortoise. A tortoise does not live in water. It lives on land. They mostly eat vegetables (leafy green lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, etc.) They are easier to take care of and they don't smell as bad. It takes any reptile time to adjust to its new surrounding or habitat. Basically it can take up to 2 to 3 weeks to become adjusted. I have 2 Russian tortoises and they both began eating after 10 days or so of being in the house. A tortoise is best kept in an outdoor enclosure, however mine are kept indoors. Pet-smart or Petco, Petland sale them. They range from 59.99 to $79.99. The actual life span of a Russian tortoise is 50 years! They grow to be between 5 and 8 inches in length.
I hope that this helps! Email me with more questions. Thanks!

Joe

Answer 8

I got my pet turtle 5 years ago, when it was as small as a quater. They are really easy to take care of. I put it in a tank, and bought one of the desk Put the the tank on the floor and the lamp right next to it. It lived in the tank for 3 years, then i started to ecperiment and took it it out. It started to walk around the house, when it got hungry it would usually chase me until i put it in the tank to feed. After it fed, it would bang on the tank glass with its shell until i let it out. Turtles are very smart. I feed it 3 times a day and keep it in the water more when its hot. I suggest getting a small turtle.

Answer 9

How can you call a turtle a "pet"? You can't cuddle it, walk it, run with it. They don't sleep on the bed at night. You can watch it (for awhile) but then become bored with it and it will end up in the nearby swamp or field like most do. My advice is don't get a turtle to begin with.

Answer 10

It depends what kind of turtle your getting. They need different things.
Here is a care sheet for a painted turtle.

http://www.reptileforums.com/care_sheets/turtles/painted_turtle.htm

Here is a care sheet for a Red Eared Slider
http://www.reptileforums.com/care_sheets/turtles/red-eared_slider.htm

Those are the two most common turtles sold in pet shops.