Turtles! anyone know anything..?

Question

Hey everyone
I have two rats, two hamsters and a small dog. I love them all very much. Now I want a turtle as well. i was just wondering how much attention they need, what the cost would be, what kind of housing and things for fun that they need, also what kind of pets do they make.
Thanks. :)

Answer 1

Alot of turtles exceed 20 years of life so you are making a commitment. They need a basking dock, water (if your getting a aquatic), a spacey cage,uvb lights, basking lights, substrate, filter (if aquatic), a couple of caves, Alot of turtles need a 75gallon tank or plus you can use a tubbaware for that, tubbaware is cheaper. You really should get a box turtle because they are easier to maintain. They wouldv'e been my fisrt turtle to pick but they didn't have them back then very often. Good luck. Be sure to do alot of research, don't just follow everything someone says on Y!A.

Answer 2

1. In general, reptiles need different kinds of attention than mammals do. With reptiles, you rarely touch or handle them and it is stressful the times you do. Instead, the cares are mostly feeding and making sure the habitat is good- which can be quite time consuming.

2. The cost of a typical aquatic turtle set up will be pushing $200, mostly the tank and a big filter.

3. Reptiles do not need 'things' for fun and do not really play.

I've had turtles or tortoises for nearly 40 years. Unless you are into reptiles as pets, or into things like fish, etc., then I would skip the turtles for now. Have you tried a Chinchilla? I loved mine dearly! Guinea Pigs are also great!

Answer 3

omg turtles are awesome. I have three of them and still have a dog a gerbil and 2 birds.

They need at least a 20 gallon long aquarium, or an old fish tank, easy to find at a pet store or garage sale. they also need some gravel and a filter (I use the whisper filters, they are really strong) and they love live plants, beware, they will eat the plants. thats not bad, just make sure the plants u get r safe

u need to change the filter once a week and do a full tank cleaning every month or so. For fun, you can put some feeder guppies in the tank, they love chasing them around and snacking on them.

good luck!

Answer 4

I'd have to agree with Animal lover and Austin s. Water turtles fowl they're water quite quickly which is both unpleasant to smell and to change. Land turtles such as box turtles are a lot less trouble to maintain. They're more like an inexpensive tortoise.

Answer 5

Hi!
I have 3 magnificent turtles myself, since 18 years now! They make loving and quiet friends if you give them a stable and happy home. I have one, Lily, she loves sleeping in my bed, with me( we make good heating pillows for turtles...) As for my biggest one, Charlotte, she was abandonned by her previous family and it took her 2 years to trust me. When I brought her home, she was very agressive and she was clearly traumatised. Now, she is calm, regal, happy and spoiled! The little male, Ming, is quite a charmer. They all understand everything we say to them, they respond to their name and to the commands we give them, they are highly intelligent and they will reward your respect for them by their affection. Of course, it's not the same cuddling affection as dogs or cats, but they have this way of letting you know they are happy with you. All you have to do really, is to be open minded. As for the care, well, it depends on the type of turtle you have. You could start by a visit at a pet store near you and ask.
The housing, well, if you have a red ear slider, you need a tank with water. I keep mine in a plastic storage container, I change the water every day, sometimes two or three times, depending on the needs. I let them walk around in the house when they let me know they'd like to do so, and in the summer, I make them a safe enclosure on the porch, where they can bask in the sun and have shade and fresh air. For fun, well, they are not all that playful, but they like it when you pet their neck gently and the palm of the hand or foot, the top of the nose.Go slowly when you take them, so they don't get scared, they get used to us faster when we are slow with them! ( LOL) Most of all, love your turtle and I'm sure you do, it will live a very long life and get really attached to you. One thing is for sure, 18 years ago, I found Lily abandonned on a sidewalk, downtown Montreal and the way I see it, she is the greatest present I ever had! ( same for Ming and Charlotte.)

Answer 6

You dont say what kind of turtle. I've only had box turtles, have you tryed can dog food or soaking then in the tub. Sometimes they get constipated

Answer 7

i love turtles! they are so much to watch especially when they are swimming around and catching the fishes. hehe. well, my first turtle setup cost me almost $130. but as they get bigger you have to pay almost as twice as before. to care for your aquatic turtles, you will need to provide a good tank/container. a 20 gallon is good for now, but later on you would want to upgrade bigger. you need to provide them with a water heater with the temperature of 75-80 degrees, a good filter, a ramp/dock and a UV light for basking. you can feed your turtle a variety of food such as pellets, vegetables/fruits, and live food (minnows/crickets). you need to feed your turtle a good amount according to the size of their head. if they are babies feed everyday and if their about 4 inches, feed other day. don't feed too much because they will start to pyramid. so, i say about 4-5 pellets each day would be fine. it be best if you feed your turtles in a separate container than eating from their tank/container. it will help your tank/container be cleaner. hope this helps =)

Answer 8

THEY MAKE GREAT PETS!!!!!! i have two box turtles they are ver easy to care for, you need any size tank ranging from 30 to 100 gal. i personally like to give my turtles room to roam so i have a 100 gal. you need tree bark on the bottom (sold at any petstore) some places for them to hide and food and water, its easy to feed them dry food but the prefer fresh salads and the salads are healthier for them, when i say salad i mean cut up lettuce, tomato, bell pepers, ect. they also enjoy fruit. they will need a heat lamp and a UVB lamp both sold at most petstores, once a week you will need to soak them in a tub of water because although thier not aquatic they still need the moistier. all this is just for a box turtle although they are the easiest there are many kinds of turtle some harder to care for than others but they make a great pet! Other species include, RES (or Red Eared Sliders)
jappenese flathead, ect. i would suggest either RES or a Box Turtle they both do not require much attention and make great pets. For RES care you need a fairly large aquaruim these RES are aquatic and unlike Box Turtles, require acess to water, it depends on how big the tank should be, take the length of your turtles shell and multiply it by 5 that should be the Length of you tank, for the width take the width of you turtles shell and multiply it by 1.5 that is the width of you tank, for depth also take the width of you turtle and multiply it by 2 this will be the depth of the water in your tank, but when purchesing a RES for a pet you need to be aware that they can grow up to tan inches long and will require muh more care, the will need a UVB lamp and a heat lamp, the UVB should be over the entire tank and the heat lamp should be over the bascing area, RES need a bascing area to heat up thier bodies as they are cold blooded, they sell floating ones with suction cups for it to stick to the wall of you tank, you will also need a filter and heater the same as a fish tank would anyone at a pet store can help you get the size fliter for the size tank that you have, as for food they need (these are just options) krill, shrimp, ect (seafood) although they do sell food pellets that are much easier, to clean the tank i would say you should have a syphon to clean it, on the bottom of the tank you should have gravel again the sam e as a fish tank, HOPE I HELPED and good luck with your new pet!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

the aquarium for 1 adult Red eared slider 55 gallon or more. filters, pumps, etc., $100 or more.

Turtles can live in aquariums or ponds.
they need regular water changes, food pellets, veggies, etc.
they are alot of work, and aren't "snuggly" animals but are intresting.Try redearedslider.com I'm not sure on land turtles if that's what you were thinking. Hope I helped

Answer 10

you should give the turtle and the hamsters more attention that you give the rats because rats are usally wild and they usally get killed so they don't need alot of attention.