How to Take Care of Baby Painted Turtle

Painted turtles can be found throughout the lakes, rivers and streams of North America. Female painted turtles can grow to be 11 to 12 inches, while the diminutive males generally only reach lengths of 5 to 6 inches. The ideal time to catch a baby painted turtle is in the morning when the cold-blooded aquatic creatures are more sluggish and cannot run away as quickly. Check with your state's department of natural resources to ensure it is legal to catch a painted turtle in a local stream.

Things You'll Need

  • 20 gallon aquarium
  • Filtration system
  • 250 watt submersible heater
  • Airstone
  • Pump
  • Gravel
  • Aquatic plants
  • Deck or ramp
  • Fish
  • Earthworms
  • Crickets
  • Soap
  • Bathtub
  • Soft cloth
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Place the baby painted turtle into an aquarium that is at least 20 gallons in size. The turtle will require water that is as deep as the turtle is wide. The aquarium should also come equipped with a filtration system, a 250-watt submersible heater, an airstone and pump, gravel, aquatic plants and a deck or ramp to allow the turtle time outside of the water. An ideal water temperature for the turtles would be 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 2

      Feed the turtle once a day. Baby painted turtles are carnivores and will eat small fish, earthworms and crickets. The tank should be cleaned once a day if the turtle is fed fish, as the turtle will leave the inedible parts behind. As the pets become older, they will begin to feed on leaves and aquatic plants.

    • 3

      Grab the turtle from the behind, never by the sides or legs. The baby painted turtle can tear a human's skin with its claws. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the turtle as it can harbor salmonella, a potentially dangerous bacteria.

    • 4

      Clean the entirety of the tank out once a week. Remove the turtle and place it into a bathtub filled with 2 to 3 inches of water during this cleaning. Remove the rocks, flush them out and clean out any algae that has formed on the walls of the aquarium with a soft cloth. Do not place a bottom feeder in the aquarium, such as a sucker fish, to consume any algae. The painted turtle will eat the fish. Refill the tank with cool, not cold, water and place the turtle onto the ramp and allow it to enter the water on its own.

    • 5

      Avoid placing more than one painted turtle into the tank. Painted turtles, even as babies, are highly territorial animals and may attack one another. If there are two or more painted turtles in the tank, separate the babies during feeding time, as they will become even more aggressive if a food source is threatened.