Aquatic turtles need to maneuver freely in the water.
Aquatic turtles are unique in their housing requirements. The perfect arrangement for an aquatic turtle takes fine tuning based on individual species. Several aspects of tank setup will be standard regardless of the type of turtle you are housing. Selecting the right tank and setup really allows the turtle to thrive, making them far more enjoyable pets.
Selecting an Aquarium
Each turtle will have the desire to bask, swim and roam freely in its environment. When selecting a tank to accommodate an aquatic turtle look for a long, shallow container. Choose the tank size by considering the size of turtle and number of turtles that will occupy the tank. Keep in mind what the adult size of the turtle will be if you are selecting the aquarium for a turtle that is not yet full grown. Some measurements to keep in mind are a 20 gallon tank for an 8-inch carapace and 10 extra gallons for each additional turtle. The appropriate lid for an aquatic turtle container is wide spaced mesh lid.
Arranging the Aquarium
Most aquatic turtles will require at least 75 percent of the tank area to be water filled space. The remaining area should be a land space where the turtle can bask and can be constructed with a variety of substrates including soil, sand and gravel. When selecting a substrate for the land area of the container, select one which the turtle cannot easily digest, this avoids compaction. Water level is important and a good measurement rule is to keep the water level deeper than the width of the turtle's shell. The turtle needs to be able to swim and maneuver freely in this space to maintain its health. The water will need a filter for keeping it clean.
Plants and Accessories
Most turtles will not need any additional tank accessories aside from their water and land areas. Some turtles enjoy the sense of security that can be attained by creating a cover in the water or the land area. To do this, use terrestrial or aquatic plants to create hiding spaces for the turtle. Live plants need to be researched to determine potential toxicity to turtle, as turtles will often eat the vegetation in their tank. If you notice that turtles are snacking on the artificial plants, remove them and replace them with real ones
Tank Environment
When establishing the temperature of the aquarium there are two separate temperatures which you need to maintain. The water temperature should be a relatively steady 78 F though some species may vary slightly from this. Maintain water temperature using either an under tank or submersible tank or aquarium heater. For the basking area use overhead 60 watt basking lamps with reflectors to heat the land space to a temperature between 80 F and 85 F.
