is it difficult to take care of a small turtle?

Question

well, i saw a shop selling these unbearably cute little turtles.
my father says that turtles are quite smelly and difficult to take care of. but he wouldn't mind if i really want to.

if you have any experience on taking care of turtles, please share with me.

thank you!

Answer 1

They are not really hard ot care for, but take some knowledge and a good habitat.

You are probably talking about Red-Ear Sliders- which are cute as babies and can grow to about 10" and live for 20 years.

They need space- aim for about 10 gallons of water for every inch of turtle shell- so the baby can be OK in a 10 gallon tank mostly full, but they will need a bigger space pretty soon. You can use a big plastic tub instead of an aquarium- cheaper and easier to clean. Also- translucent plastic is less stressful than clear glass.

They need water that is clean and warm. A big filter and a good water heater is helpful. Aim for 75-80F.

Basking and lighting. Use a good dock or ramp, and heat the basking site to about 90F. Lighting should illuminate the tank, heat the basking site, and whenever possible offer UVB lighting.

The right food is important. Try a mix of good quality pellets and live or frozen/thawed 'fish food' like bugs, worms, shrimp, krill, etc.

You can learn more at these sites:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
http://www.redearslider.com

Here is an article just for your first baby turtle- http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/newhatchling.htm

Answer 2

ive had many of them. Keep in mind they come from a warm climate and need a filter in their tank along with a heater. MAy turtles die of pneumonia so make sure they have plenty of fresh clean warmer water. They also do better in pairs like anything they crave the company of another of their kind, and it is very unlikely they would have babies, so dont worry about that. They do need to have an area where they can come up out of they water and bask in a sunlamp, the vitamin d is very important to maintain good health.

Answer 3

we have a turtle but we're still learning about caring for it. He seems fairly easy to care for ...and I did a little research about them and yes they can be smelly but as a means of self protection.

As the first person answered .. you have to keep his home clean .. and they ONLY eat under water.( least this is what all the sites have told me and the local wildlife carers)

If you have him in a small enclosure PLEASE make sure you let him out for exercise. We let ours wander around the loungeroom in the evenings and occassionally he is allowed out on the front lawn .. he ends up walking over to the fish pond and swimming around.

I am concerned with the cooler weather though and if Billabong has any advice for me I'd appreciate that . Our turtle lives in an aquarium outside ,, and I am worried about when it gets REALLY cold.

Answer 4

Not really. I have one for a bout a year and a couple months. first thing you should know is, turtles are really, really SMART!
I set up a little fence in the back yard where I left quite a lot of room for her, with flowers and plants and she ran away uptil now , about 13 times.
Turtles need a lot of shade or else they could die. You don't need to feed your turtle, but you need to make sure there are plants where you are putting her. And make sure there are places for her to hide. if you want to feed your turtle, give her qucumbers (cut into small peices), letice and other green leaves but make sure they are wet with water.

Answer 5

i have a turtle ( a red slider) they are not really hard to take care of It you should keep in mind these things

~ they can carry desised so wear gloves when you touch them
~you have to clean the water every 1 or 2 weeks
~you have to buy food not only dry but real live fish
~they can get sick and die because of the cold (in the winter)
~they can hurt if they bite you
~ they have to have a tank that is big with big rocks because they go on land and water
~they need a light so they can take a sun bath
~do not let them get away
~some times they can be nosey
~ they can be smell if you don not take care of them

but they make a great pet

Answer 6

i have a baby river murray turtle and they are not smelly but you need to take very good care of it and clean the tank once or twice a week and feed it everyday until he's an adult then u need to feed him 3 times a week!!! GOOD-LUCK BRIBING UR DAD!!!

Answer 7

careing is difficult but through my vast experiences with turtles i have found must help through search engines and finding FAQs. typing questions or the species and care sheet or care like "painted turtle care sheet"

also one of the best websites i've found in http://www.turtlecare.net/