Turtle care?????? 1st turtle.......?

Question

okay im getting a turtle . what kind should i get? what do i need to get for it???? plz help with any turtle in fo

Answer 1

you should probably get a red ear slider, and this following equipment

-20 gallon aquarium
-a rock with a flat surface completely out of water.
-fill the aquarium with roughly 5-6 inches of water.
-inch of gravel that is larger than the turtles mouth on the bottom
-and a decent filter that is designated for aquariums that aren't completely filled

and for food just get turtle pellets. and remember to clean the tank and filter out about every 2-3 weeks (depending and build up of gunk)

good luck

Answer 2

Both of the first 2 advice is good except that a rock is not a good thing for a turtle to be climbing out on. Pet stores sell a type of floating raft that would be much better. The rock is too hard and the turtle can wear holes in their shells dragging over it.
You could also offer it fresh well washed lettuce and the odd small live goldfish for treats.
Also, I would like to add that a turtle can live a long time and its a life long commitment so please think carefully about this before getting one. A turtle will also grow and as it grows, will need a bigger space. Mine has outgrown a 30 gallon tank at 10 years of age.

Answer 3

You should got to a reputable Reptile store and do some research. You should read up on different turtles and tortoises. There should be different variates for you to look at and ask questions about. You should stay away from general pet stores when purchasing reptiles. The stores that deal specifically with reptiles have better information and animals than your general pet store. There are some really good book put out by Advanced Vivarium Systems. The books from AVS will be able to tell you the general care and maintenance for the turtle or tortoise that you get.

Answer 4

You will also need full spectrum lighting whether you get a red eared slider or ANY other type of turtle. A 20 gallon would be a good start, but won't be nearly big enough for a full-grown slider.

I suggest you look at http://www.chelonia.org/ and get a feel for what kinds of turtles are out there and what you need to take care of them. Common "pet" turtles are red eared sliders, box turtles, map turtles, red/yellow bellied sliders. Tortoises are usually available as pets, but I do not suggest them for first time owners. You may also be able to find baby snapping turtles, mud turtles, and soft shelled turtles for sale, but because of size potential and aggressiveness, I do not suggest these species either. PLEASE do your research on your new pet BEFORE you get it.

Thank you.

Answer 5

Red eared sliders are a good first turtle and you can find them in many pet stores. A good site for information about the care for this (and other species) is http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/

When you are looking up info about any turtle you might want to get, make sure you note the adult size, because this will decide how big of a tank you are going to have to provide for it.