Question about a baby turtle?

Question

I received a turtle as a birthday present about a week ago. He's very small, only 1-1.5 inches in diameter. I'm not sure exactly what type of turtle he is but I think he's technically illegal. My friend told me that i have to fill his tank with purified water everytime I change the water...but this is a hassle and is getting to be expensive. Is there something I can get, like drops or a dissolvable tab that will make tap water inhabitable for my turtle? I don't want to hurt him, but I don't have a water purifier and buying bottled water will be expensive. Help please.

I asked my friend and he is a red eared slider. Thank you all so much for the information!!

Answer 1

The water issue is chlorine, and chlorine really does not bother turtles too much- they do not 'breath' it like fish do, or absorb it in their skin like amphibians do.

The quickest, easiest way to remove chlorine is to just let the water sit for about 24 hours in an open container. Unless there is other stuff in your water, this will be just fine. (Quite honestly, most of the other stuff that can be in your water is really not too big a deal for turtles either.)



OK, so you have a 1" or so baby turtle- apparently a 'pond turtle', like a Painted turtle or Red-ear slider (RES)... probably a RES based on sheer odds. Congratulations! I hope you are taking good care of it. Baby turtles, while cute, are not easy pets, and there is a LOT of misinformation out there about them.

For example, a turtle tank should have AT LEAST 5 gallons of water per inch of turtle, with 10 being far better, so your little guy or gal should have between 7.5 and 15 gallons of water. Considering that it wil hit 4-5" pretty soon (with good care), you may want to go ahead and start with 25-50 gallons.

This does not have to be an expensive glass tank- Rubbermaid-type tubs, kiddie pools, and so forth all work great as well.

The water should be kept mildly warm, 65-70 degrees and very clean- which takes some combination of filters, water changes, live plants, scavenger fish, or using a seperate 'feeding tank'.

It needs at least one good basking site, somewhere it can totally pull out of the water to 'sun' itself. The site should be smooth enough to not injure the shell, but coarse enough to climb. The basking sites should be nice and warm- 90'ish, with lighting that simulates sunlight- intensity, duration, and color. Real sunlight has UV-B rays which reptiles need to help make vitamins in their body- unfortunately, UV-B does not penetrate most glass or plastic.

A good baby RES diet is a little tricky at first, but is not that bad. They mostly eat meat when young, and add veggies as they age. most good pet shops now carry a great line of pelleted or semi-moist pond or aqautic turtle foods or trout chows that work nicely as the main food item. Supplement this with live or frozen (thawed before serving) fish, worms, bugs, etc. and some dark green leafy greens. Any good fish pet store will have a TON fo good foods for the baby- just remember that its mouth and tummy are small right now.

There are several good sites on-line you can use for more info. My favorites are listed below.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I have been using tap water without a problem for many years for all sorts of turtles. If you can drink the water, the turtle can swim and live in it. The thing is you have to keep the water clean with a filter or do regular water changes (every 2-3 days). Even with a filter, you would change 33-50% of the water each week.

Turtles are not fish and so they do not need the water to breathe nor are they so sensitive. Turtles conditioners and fish treatments aremoney makers and not needed nor helpful for turtles. Turtles are quite tough and only a few exotic species would require specific water conditions (pH). Most of these exotic turtles are not available to common folks.

Your turtle is not illegal. The FDA has imposed the 4" law where turtles under 4" can only be sold for educational, scientific and export purposes. However, this law is difficult to enforce and many people still sell turtles under 4". You may own one, but you just can't sell it. Many places 'adopt out' turtles under 4" if you buy a turtle death bowl. You did not break, nor are you breaking any laws. Just the person selling is breaking laws. The law was created b/c in the 60-70s there was an increase in salmonellosis and the health experts believed it was caused by turtles as pets. They claimed that young children often put things in their mouths and this caused the increase in salmonella poisoning cases. So, a turtle 4" or larger was deemed too big for a young child to put in their mouth and there you have your 4" law.

It's a good and bad law. It limits turtle sales, which slows the sales ever so slightly and yet still gives hobbyiest a chance to own them. Turtles are not the best pets for most people b/c they live for 20 years or more and they can get to the size of dinner plates.

I suspect you bought a RES (red eared slider) which grows to 7-12". Here is a caresheet for you:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm

Answer 3

whats the turtle look like? maybe i can tell you what it is, the water doesnt need to be purified either, ive had 2 turtles for 21+ years now and they live in tap water, just get a really good filter system and you wont have to change the water as much, also do some research online to learn more about it

Answer 4

How many minerals or amount of chlorine from tap water is the least of your worries....i have had turtles for over 15 years....i have had them in "city water"....if its safe for you to drink, its safe for them. Your biggest concern is the filtering of the HUGE amount of waste turtles can create.....they are not like a few tropical fish! Your turtle is most likely a red eared slider as these are commonly sold under 4 inches now....they can grow very large...I had a female that was well over a foot long in shell length....get a good filter and a large aquarium....do not listen to anyone that tells you aquatic turtles need shallow water.....go in the wild and you will see them in deep water! They need to swim in as much area as possible...Pet stores will tell you to put them in shallow water so its easier to clean, not because its healthier....but buying purified water is a waste of time and money

Answer 5

Make certain that you just wash your arms, relatively good. That you can get ailing from dealing with turtles. The food, is determined by, what type of turtle you might have found. Go to a neighborhood pet store and ask questions, about retaining a child turtle.

Answer 6

You need to find out what kind of turtle he is. Take a picture and do some research.
I have never heard of a turtle needing purified water for their tank. They can become extremely dirty and cleaning their cage should be done at least twice a week.
Maybe use filtered water. By a good tank filter for your turtle. Make sure he has land to relax and eat. His food should be changed daily and offer various different kinds of food for him.

Answer 7

Hello
You can/should get a filtering system for its tank. Its like a motor, just like the ones they use for fishes, then you dont have to change the water so often.
Go to a pet shop and ask them everything. The turtle needs also a dry resting place AND, very important, to get some sunshine OR special light you can buy for it, else it will get sick, the shell will get soft. Good luck

Answer 8

Most turtles don't need any special water. We use tap water for our turtle and he's been just fine. My science teeacher uses tap as well. But if you can't help but use tap water, just but a cheap water purifier for your sink. They are like an investment because you only have to change the cartrige like once a month, and its healthier water for you AND your turtle. (It only cost like 3 bucks to get extra cartriges for it.)

Answer 9

u can buy distilled water the store brand and it is only about 60-70 cents for a gallon!!

Answer 10

They make water conditioner for turtles. You should be able to find it at any pet store. http://www.zoomed.com/html/reptisafe.php