What Type of Water Is Needed for Floating Turtles?

Floating turtles include a variety of freshwater turtles living in the United States. The most common floating turtles kept as pets include sliders, painted turtles and cooters. All of these turtle species require good water husbandry in order to remain healthy. If you're not sure what species of turtle you have and need further information on aspects of care not related to water quality, see the Resources section for a turtle identification guide.

  1. Freshwater

    • All floating turtle species kept as pets in the United States are freshwater turtles, which means they should never be placed in a saltwater aquarium or brackish tank. Instead, bottled water or the water that comes out of your tap is the perfect water for them.

    Chemical-Free Water

    • Tapwater and some bottled water contains chlorine and fluoride, which can be dangerous for turtles. Use a water dechlorinator to prevent your turtles from being poisoned. Pet and pond stores sell these chemicals; follow the label instructions. Pour the amount of dechlorinator prescribed by the label into your pond or aquarium after you have filled it with water. Wait at least 12 hours before putting your turtles in the water.

    Clean Water

    • Though the water in which turtles swim in the wild can look dirty, it's actually very clean. Similarly, your turtle will need sparkling clean water in captivity. Use a water filter to keep water clean. Many turtle owners use double filtration, because they find that their turtles are quite messy. This means that if you have a 50-gallon tank, install enough filtration for 100 gallons of water.

    Warm Water

    • Cold water will prevent floating turtles from eating, so it's important to keep their water warm. The exact temperature will vary among turtle species, but as a general rule, keep the water slightly above room temperature -- somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees F. Check the care information for your particular species of turtle in order to learn the precise temperature you need. Turtles will stop eating if their water is below 62 degrees F, so never allow the temperature to fall below this number.

    Amount of Water

    • All species of floating and swimming turtles need lots of room in which to swim. Provide 10 gallons of water for every 1 inch of length on your turtle. If you have two 5-inch turtles, for example, this is 10 inches and you will need 100 gallons.