How can I make my turtles' new tank suitable?

Question

I have two baby map turtle hatchlings. They are currently in a round tank. It is too small for them (5 gallons, maybe). The tank I want to move them into is 15 gallons. I don't have anything for the tank. What things do I need?

Answer 1

The 15 gallons is a good improvement, but if you can return it, and get a 25 or 30G, it will last a couple of years. The two maps will outgrow the 15G in a year.

What you NEED:

1.) Basking Area, can be a rock, floating drift wood, etc., as long as the turtle can be out of the water completely

2.) Heat Lamp, turtles are cold blooded and need external heat. A 75 watt bulb suspended 10" from the basking area will suffice.

3.) A submerged cave where the turtle can hide and feel unde water. You can use a small clay pot laid on the side or anything similar.

4.) Syphon and Bucket to clean out your water each week. Change 50% each week and vaccuum it out with the syphon.

What is NICE:

1.) A filter would make life easier, but you still need to syphon each week.

2.) Artifical UV light is good to provide it with vitamin D synthesis and psychological benefits. Although, 20 minutes a week of natural sunlight outside is better than the strongest UV exposure for a week. UV penetates glass poorly, so putting it by a window is not effective.

What is OPTIONAL:

1.) A water heater is optional, but some recommend it for hatchlings. If your room temp is in the 70s F range, there is no need.

2.) Plants are cool, but turtles dig them up. You can buy artificial plants and glue them to rocks.

3.) Gravel may be swallowed by the turtles, which may cause impaction, but it does look nicer to have it. I suggest using larger round river rocks which you can buy at garden centres. These the turtles won't be able to swallow.

4.) Put a few guppies in for decoration. They will last for a while, since map turtles are not very good at hunting. However, sliders (RES) are excellent hunters. But don't be surprised f you map does catch a guppie one day.

Here is a caresheet for a Mississippi Map, which is the most common map turtle in the hobby and the care is similar to all other map turtles:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-mississippi_map.htm

Answer 2

1. The standard amount of water you need is 10 gallons per inch of turtle shell, so for two babies, you'd need at least 20 gallons o water, which usually means a 35-40 gallon tank. Most of us use plastic tubs or kiddie pools instead. The right sized tank is one of the Big Three Issues for turtle keepers.

A too-small tank will get dirty quickly, promote fighting and territoriality, induce stress, and limit the chances to exercise and play.

2. Make sure you can heat the water adequately (80 is a good target) and keep it really clean- usually with lots of filtration, partial water changes, etc. proper temps is another of the Three Big Issues for us.

3. It is important to provide good lighting. Lighting should be 'full spectrum' and include some Infrared and UV-B rays. I combine several different kinds of lamps to accomplish this- flourescent, incandescent, infrared heating, and a blacklight.

4. A good basking surface will be critical- several are better. Keep them warm (90ish) and clean. A beach is nice if you can rig it.

5. Diet is the last of the Three Big Issues. To start with, use a high-quality carnivorous turtle or fish pellet. I offer insect treats to supplement this. As you learn more about the turtles you can add other variety to the diet. Feed the babies every day, but remove uneaten food after about 30-60 minutes. Make sure BOTH get their fair share! (Especially in smaller tanks, one will usually eat everything!)

The site below, while designed for Red ears, works well for most pond turtles.

Answer 3

No turtles additionally require mild and a dock so as that they stumble on a thank you to bask,even for a toddler a 2gal is to small to no longer point out they're going to strengthen!! so in case you desire to homestead turtles i could say get atleast a fifteen-20 gallon tank,p.s some say turtles desire uv mild for wholesome strengthen this isnt real turtles could have a typical mild its for basking reasons no longer for a wholesome shell as long as they indulge in any style of warmth mild they are going to be nice!!

Answer 4

Here are a couple links that will prove helpful rather than writing a long response:

http://www.wnyherp.org/

http://www.petlibrary.com/

Most importantly is that you have a light fixture that simulates the UVB rays of sunlight. If you don't, they will develop soft shells and die.