does a painted turtle need to live in water?

Question

in other words - do they need to have a tank full of water and just a few rocks to sit on or can it live in a tank full of rocks with only a little "tub" of water to bathe in?

also - what about a green turtle?

Answer 1

i know that painted turtles live in ponds so i guess u could fill the tank up but not all the way up about half way and put some floating rocks in there too, if its just a green turtle u need about 1 inch of water and maybe a rock for it to sit on or osmething just dont drown in with water they only like little bit of water. =)

Answer 2

I had a painted turtle for 10 years...my turtle lived in a large fish tank on its own, with water filling about 30-40% of the tank and tiny coloured stones at the bottom. I did not put any plastic figurines or plants as you would find in a fish tank. I gathered some very large sturdy real rocks, and set up a sunning area for the turtle in the middle of the tank, with the flattest rocks at the top. I would make sure that your turtle gets lots of light each day - my turtle liked to sit on the rock for hours in the sunlight, and that you are changing the water on a regular basis, and scrubbing the rocks and the tank with a suitable cleaning solution...

I found this link which seems quite helpful:

http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/turtles/painted-turtle.php

Answer 3

Alrighty, with painted turtles they are mostly found in "swampy" lakes or ponds. Notice how their shells are 'flatter' then your average box turtle which enables them to move quickly through water and through mush. So what i reccomend, is if you have them in a fish tank(preffered size 20 gal.) fill it so thats its about three inches from the top. Some people i know have put cleanes gravel on one side or large rocks work well also, just as long as they have a part to where they are able to soak and swim a bit in the water and they once ready lay out or bathe. I woulr reccomend getting one of those clamp lamps putting a 50-65 watt bulb in it and place it a good foot over the rocks.

They LOVE water but at the same times like to soak up the heat on some rocks or land! Ever now and then if you want to take them outside to run in the grass, when I had my two red ear sliders I would but three helium balloons and tie them good around their shells and let them run through the grass. Since they are aquatic turtles and if you have ever been fishing in a lake or pond through a boat, as you drive you will notice most of them shoot into the water, hence the balloons! They are fast and it's a GREAT way to monitor where they are!

Answer 4

They need water to swim and eat in. Rule of thumb is 10 gallons for every 1 inch of shell length. Depth of water 1.5 times shell length at least. They need a place to climb out and bask. They need a heat lamp set to correct temperatures, a source of UVB lighting on all day, water heater and strong water filter system. Correct diet for age. Turtles are a lot of work and expense. Check out www.austinsturtlepage.com for more info.

Answer 5

While chrys. picta likes to be under water, I think a small bowl would suffice. The heat from a lamp aids in their digestion so a sunbathing rock is a real necessity. They hear well, so sudden and loud noises s/b avoided. Don't know about green t's, but I suspect it's the same.

Answer 6

YES that's all they live in. unless they are sun bathing out of the water.And its illegal to keep a painted turtle as a pet in Michigan because its the state reptile.

Answer 7

i would get a tank and put half water with a little dirt like a beach and some rocks but yes teh have to have lots of water

Answer 8

Painted turtles are aquatic, but need a basking site.

A green turtle is a type of sea turtle & I kind of doubt that you have one.

Answer 9

Of course yes they have to it's life or death the need a tank w/a basking area that's all

Answer 10

painted turtles need alot of space to swim, and basking area.