How to Estimate Tank Size for a Turtle

Turtles, such as red-eared sliders and cooters, are frequently sold when they are young and small. These turtles grow quickly, and owners must have a plan for housing them when they are full grown. Water turtles frequently grow to be 12 to 15 inches long, so plan to save enough money and set aside enough space for a turtle that will ultimately be quite large. Turtle health is directly affected by the size of the enclosure and turtles in cramped tanks will quickly become ill. To estimate the necessary tank size for your turtle, you need to know how large your turtle is.

Things You'll Need

  • Ruler or tape measure
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure your turtle's shell vertically across the top of the middle of the shell. Start at the point where the turtle's head meets the shell and stop where the tail meets the shell.

    • 2

      Round up to the nearest inch. If your turtle is, for example, 2.25 inches, round up to 3 inches.

    • 3

      Multiply the number of inches by 10. This is the minimum number of gallons the turtle's tank should be. If you have a 9-inch turtle, you will need at least 90 gallons of water.

    • 4

      Repeat this process for each turtle that will be living in the enclosure, and then add the total number of gallons together. Multiple turtles need more space than one turtle. For example, if you have two 9-inch turtles that both need 90 gallons of water, you need a 180-gallon tank if you plan to house them together.