How to Have Water Turtles as Pets

Baby water turtles are lively, entertaining pets for adults and older children. In a properly set-up environment, they aren't very demanding and they often become tame enough to accept food from your hand. Be ready to adjust their habitat as they grow.

Things You'll Need

  • Main tank or container
  • Small feeding tank or container
  • Underwater aquarium filter
  • Water thermometer
  • basking and hiding rocks
  • basking lamp and bulb
  • UV light bulb or natural sunlight source
  • Raw food and pellets
  • Pet-safe disinfectant or chlorine bleach
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Instructions

  1. How to Have Water Turtles as Pets

    • 1

      Get the biggest tank you can afford, or use a large plastic tub. Turtles are best viewed from the top anyway. They'll need at least a water depth of six times their shell length and enough space to swim, dive, and sit on the bottom. Keep the water level several inches below the top of the container, so they can't climb out.

    • 2

      Water turtles eat a lot and create a lot of waste, so the more filtration you can provide, the better. Be prepared to completely replace the water once a week. A submersible filter will give you more flexibility in water depth; change the carbon filters every one to two weeks.

    • 3

      Arrange rocks or flat, floating objects the turtles can climb out on and hide under. A floating piece of wood will work as a basking and hiding raft, but they also need a stable basking area where they can get completely dry. Don't put gravel or sand on the bottom of the tank, because it will be hard to clean.

    • 4

      Water turtles need ultraviolet light and basking light. Use goose-neck lamps equipped with ordinary incandescent bulbs, or with natural-sunlight bulbs available at pet stores, for basking; use a hanging fluorescent-type fixture with a UV light tube for UV rays. Natural sunlight works for basking, but UV rays will not penetrate glass. Sunlight basking on a screened-in porch is ideal and will provide both. Situate the tank so the basking light and UV light touch the basking area for 12 hours a day, and leave a place where they can get some shade. Monitor the water temperature so it stays at 80 to 82 degrees. Bring the basking light closer (but not closer than 6 inches) to help warm the water.

    • 5

      Put baby turtles in a separate, small feeding tank to eat their fill at least twice a day; empty and disinfect the small tank after each feeding. In addition to floating pellets, they need fresh food such as raw fish or beef heart (available at pet stores). Only feed earthworms from an organic source. Float a leaf of romaine for them to nibble.

    • 6

      Periodically remove the turtles to their feeding tank and dump and scrub out the main tank and all accessories. Use a pet-safe disinfectant, available at pet stores, or a solution of chlorine bleach. Let everything air-dry in the sun, if possible. Don't wash turtle items in your food preparation area.