What Should I Use for Turtle Cages?

Aquatic turtles, such as the gentle, colorful red ear sliders and painted turtles, can make rewarding pets, but they need more care than many people realize and have specific cage requirements. The cage needs to be large enough for a turtle to swim freely, and it has to be furnished with all the equipment needed to keep your turtles healthy. If you are willing to invest some time and money in your pet turtles, you will be rewarded by the sight of them paddling energetically, basking lazily and being the healthy, happy turtles they were meant to be.

  1. Aquatic Turtle Cages

    • For aquatic turtles, such as red ear sliders and painted turtles, a glass aquarium is the best choice. Aquariums are easily available, attractive and come with fixtures for the incandescent lighting your turtle needs. In addition, the hood on the aquarium reduces drafts. It's best if the hood doesn't completely occupy the top of the tank; you can then add the UVB lamp your turtle requires in order to metabolize calcium. If your tank doesn't have a hood, use a tight-fitting screen cover; some turtles are surprisingly good climbers, especially when they get a lift from climbing on a pal's back. A rubber storage container also can work well as a turtle habitat, but because it isn't meant to hold water, check it often for leaks and bowing, and it requires lights with clamps to hold the lights in place. A child's plastic swimming pool also can make a good turtle habitat, although you won't have the underwater visibility offered by the aquarium. Avoid tall aquariums--there's not enough room for horizontal swimming--and octagonal-shaped tanks, unless they are wider than they are deep.

    Size Requirements

    • Owners often underestimate the amount of room turtles need for free swimming in order to stay healthy and happy. Provide at least 10 gallons of size for each 1 inch of turtle shell length; a good-sized red ear slider needs about 90 gallons. These requirements pertain only to water; don't count land areas or air space. Larger turtles, such as softshells and snapping turtles, require about 300 gallons; for them, a plastic stock tank--used for watering livestock and available at feed stores--is a good choice.

    Furnishings

    • Because turtles are cold-blooded reptiles, they rely on external heat sources for warmth. They also need to get out of the water from time to time. So they must have a basking area with a consistent temperature of about 88 degrees F. Use large, smooth, gravel to make a slope leading to a stable platform of smooth rocks, glued together so they don't fall and crush the turtles. Use a heater with a good thermostat to maintain a water temperature of 75 to 78 degrees F, and provide both UVB lighting and incandescent lighting. You may need a heat lamp, as well, to warm the basking area and a thermometer to help you monitor temperatures. Ensure that the lights can't fall into the water and that the turtles cannot come in contact with the bulbs. The turtles' home also needs a filter to clean and aerate the water, and it needs a ground-fault interrupter (GFI) to reduce the risk of electrocution if the equipment malfunctions. To avoid water dripping on the GFI, place it well above the aquarium.