Habitat for Baby Turtles

When raising baby turtles, it's important not only to provide a healthy and safe environment but also an enjoyable and interactive one. Whether raising land or water turtles, you can have a good pet for a long time by creating the right environment.

  1. Aquarium Size

    • Choosing an appropriately sized tank is the most important step. It should be a minimum of 20 gallons but bigger if you have several turtles or a larger breed. The setup should include a land area for the turtle to escape water if you plan to breed your turtle.

    Plants

    • Plants are not necessary, but they can increase the attractiveness of the habitat. Tropical moss, club moss, ivies and ferns are all good choices for your land turtle. Water turtles do well with water plants.

    Lighting

    • A plant-growing bulb will help plants grow, but remember that most turtles spend the first few years of their lives under deep cover and thus may overheat easily. Turn the bulb off frequently and choose a low-level bulb.

    Climate

    • Keep the tank at around 70 to 75 degrees. If you use a heating lamp for this, be careful not to overheat. For water turtles, the water should also maintain that temperature.

    Diet

    • Baby turtles need fresh water each day. This is also true for water turtles, which need to be in a water depth of 3 to 4 inches. Both water and land turtles need a balanced diet with plants such as collard greens, turnip greens and mustard greens and insects such as earthworms and crickets.