Things You'll Need
- aquarium
- floating fake log, or floating turtle island
- turtle food
- UVB bulb (reptile bulb at pet shops)
- UVA bulb, or a combo of the two
- turtle sticks
- plenty of water
- worms, crickets, insects, krill, shrimp, and or other snacks/ meal enhancers that offer nutritional value.
Instructions
Have your turtle a decent sized tank that it can splash around in and swim a bit. Give it enough room to get some exercise so it doesn't become obese.
Make sure the water is plenty deep enough. Water turtles (red eared sliders in particular to this article) CANNOT SWALLOW UNLESS THEY ARE UNDER WATER! They WILL DIE if they do not have enough water. They are called water turtles for a reason :) Try to make sure they have at least enough to cover their entire body and have to stretch their neck out to be above water. Don't worry they can breathe. Mine sleep under water.
Along plenty of water comes the need for land. You can pile up rocks, or even buy a turtle island (pet stores) that will suction to the side of the tank. This is much easier to maintain, and gives the little guys more room to swim. Get a reptile lamp or you can find the EXACT same thing as a "reptile" lamp at Lowes in the auto section. They are simply conical shaped lamps with an arm on them, and a rubber triangular section at the bottom of the arm for fastening. If you get confused, look at them at the pet store or online first before going to Lowes, or any other place with auto lamps. The price for Lowes is about 4 dollars, for the pet store it is AT LEAST 20. Get them a heat bulb, so they can get out of the water and bask like they would in the sun if they lived outside. This is very important so that their shell can dry out every now and then. Kind of like getting your fingers un-pruny after a long bath.
Feed your turtle AT LEAST a couple of times a week. Wild turtles can go as long as two weeks without eating, and they survive, but try to give yours enough food to keep it happy and healthy.
If your turtle does not automatically eat give it some time, it may be stressed, and this is normal behavior. Just keep offering it food. Turtles have different tastes, so if you are offering it bits of fruit it doesn't like, that could be it as well. Just stick with the turtle sticks, and offer worms, and other nutritious bugs for them to eat, they'll come around.
Speaking of nutrition, make SURE you get a combination OR two bulbs one UVA and one UVB. I recommend the combo bulb. It is found at pet stores, and it is VITAL to your turtles health. Without this your turtles shell cannot grow properly and neither can he or she! Many turtles can end up with "soft shell" or other horrible consequences because of lack of natural sunlight. Putting the turtle up to the window DOES NOT do it. They need to be in direct sunlight, or under a lamp. This gives them the vitamin D they need as well as other nutrients that their body needs to convert the sunlight into healthy growth.
Clean their tank once in a while. While turtles are naturally found in more "mucky" water, and sometimes in lakes, etc. It is not pleasant for them to sit in their own feces, nor do they smell good for it. I recommend cleaning the "bowl" or aquarium often, or investing in a water filter that is higher powered. It is FAR easier on everyone to invest in the filter as you do not have to change all the water out as often.
Enjoy your turtle, and know that you are giving him an excellent home, as well as all the tlc he needs!