I want to purchase a turtle, but i have a few questions....?

Question

1. What kind of turtles are best to have as pets?

2. I dont want it to be too big

3. I have a cute small tankish thing....so a small turtle that is both good for land and sea

4. Where can I get one?

5. Do all turtles need filtration?

Answer 1

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilest...

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilest...

http://www.petturtle.com/

There's a few websites for you to look into.

We have 2 turtles. A red-eared slider and a baby alligator snapper. (Kept in seperate tanks of course) If you need any more info feel free to email me for pictures or info. Hope this helps! And good luck!

EDIT: As far as where to get one...pet stores usually have them if not, if you live near a creek or river or some source of water you can usually find them near there. Filtration I would say is a must. Both of our turtles have filtration systems. These are not expensive at all and well worth it. They keep the water cleaner and reduce the risk of harmfull build up of bacteria that may cause the turtle to become sick.

Answer 2

perfectp... and guagna, are absolutely correct. But i have to say that no turtle can live inside of a small container, if you can not fit inside it yourself then it is not big enough at all.First read all of this and see if you can create this setup, it costs at least $250, and is a regular setup. All the stuff is expensive!- but it is soooooooooooooooooo worth it, i love my turtle! And why are you getting a turtle and you dont know how much all of the supplies cost? Really, you have to be very responsible to own a pet turtle, because they are a huge responsibility. You have to be a loving, caring person who is willing to care for a turtle every single day! Really it is a big job for some people, but if you are willing to accept the challenge then go for it.

************ This is a setup for a red eared slider the most common type of turtle, they get up to 12 inches, but you will see them as babies at a store commonly, so know that they will grow very big**************

You will need to get a 50 gallon starter tank and upgrade to a 75 gallon later on when your turtle is over 6 inches...If you can not get that big of a tank right now then for now you can use a huge rubbermaid container filled up with clean warm water 5/6 of the way. The water should be 75-82F, that can be achieved by buying a water heater at the petstore, along with a water filter. Water filters that are best are canister filters, like the Rena xp3 filter which costs $200, but filters very well. Do buy a filter please, even a cheap one at $25, is better then none at all, since turtles are extremely messy and p**p-ful (haha). The bottom of the tank should be bare, no gravel because they could choke on that mistaking it for food. On top of the water you need 3 things, 1. a basking dock ( buy a large size zoomed basking dock). 2. you 100% need to buy a basking lamp+bulb, you buy them separatly, then s***w the bulb in ( 50 watts) and shine it on the basking dock over a mesh hood( cut a hole out of it and place the light there!). 3. This is very important, you need a uvb light. It is a long thin light, you need to get the actual lamp+ the long skinny bulb. Reptosun 5.0 is the best bulb( together costs $55). Shine that onto the basking dock as well. Turtles need these together because they use the uva for heat, so they stay warm ( the basking site should be 90-95F, not colder) and they need the uvb rays to metabolize calcium and vitamin d3 for a stronger shell ( like you need it for your bones!) The diet for the turtle should be reptomin pellets ( and other nutricuos pellets!) crickets, mealworms, bloodworms, shrimp, and krill. All of this is found dead at the petstore!;) They also need vegetation, get kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, and collard greens. Drop all of the food in the tank once a day, and remove any leftover bits after a few hours. By the way ALL of the protien food ( dead food, that was alive once) should be dusted with a calcium supplement ( powder) and you need to get a cuttlebone found in the bird aisle of the petstore and drop it in the water for him to knaw on, keep it there for a while (month) until he eats all of it, then get another. Once all of these things are done your turtle will be pretty happy!

Answer 3

sorry, I don´t know

bye

Answer 4

1 - The ones that are trained as ninjas who love eating pizza

2 - This is not a question...

3 - Again, no question...but  I think they prefer sewers.

4 - Pet store

5 - Maybe

Answer 5

1. I have a Red Eared Slider which is an aquatic turtle. They are fun to watch swim around and bask.

2. They get to be 7-9 inches for males and 10-12 inches for females.

3. They require 10 gallons of water for each inch of shell. So if you get a 4 inch (the smallest legal size you can get) then you would need at least 40 gallons of water.

4. You can get one at any good pet store or from a breeder.

5. aquatic turtles need filtration. they are very messy eaters and need good filtration.

Answer 6

Sliders, Cooters , painted ,map and yellow bellied are require the same care and feeding..and lots of $$$$$

I have had two Sliders for 36 yrs now plus a 8 yr old and a 5 yr old..

I have had them in a 150gal pond for about 6 yrs now..

**Here is some important and a lot of info. If he or she is small get feeder guppies or small feeder goldfish, frozen brown worms ..even meal worms. For the lil guys you may have to cut up there food.

**Red-eared sliders, Gender especially juveniles, can be difficult to s*x. Gender in adults is determined by external physical characteristics and behavior. Males have longer fore claws (which are use in courtship), a longer tail length. Males are smaller in  size and shell length.  Turtles are considered juveniles till after 5 yrs old.

Their Home **The tank  size for small  2” re-eared slider should be a 20-gallon aquarium minimum. As a general rule, the water depth should be at least 2 times the turtle's length, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. So if your turtle is 4” around  he needs at least 10 to 12” of water to swim. For ONE 4 to 5 inch long sliders, the recommended minimum enclosure surface area is 50 gal plus tank with an extra square foot for each additional turtle.

What they EAT. ****In the wild, re-eared sliders eat both fish, crickets, worms basically anything that moves and  plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters but still love the greens. The  diet for the lil guys \s should consist  of a commercial aquatic turtle pellets and small feeders guppies or goldfish or minows. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex cubed worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of  leafy greens or finely chopped mixed vegetables romaine and butter lettuce, can be offered once weekly.

Fill tank with approx 20 feeder guppies and or 10 to 15 small goldfish. you’ll know when to replenish the live food supply. just count what’s left and then fill it up again. Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept and drop in the water for added calcium. Hopefully they may eat it and that’s what you want. They need the calcium for shell growth and a good healthy turtle. Adults diet may consist of some commercial turtle pellets. Plus 80% of their diet is fresh alive fish to catch in their water which also gives them exercise when trying to catch to eat. Adults should be fed greens , romaine, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, dandelion, watercress, parsley. Swiss chard, shredded carrots, shredded squash, thawed frozen mixed vegetables and miscellaneous fruits. Adults can be fed every two to three days. NO iceberg or cabbage!!

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max. Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer foreclaws..

Water quality and Filtration ***Sliders are voracious feeders and tend to foul the water real quickly with their messy eating habits and frequent pooping.  You need a  filter for good water quality. Partial to full water changes can be performed. Many different filter systems are available.

*** Health Problems.  If you take proper care of your red-eared slider by providing excellent housing, nutrition, lighting, and heating, it is unlikely to ever become ill or injured. However, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with ailments common to sliders so that you can quickly identify them in your own slider, should it become ill. The following are some of the most common medical problems among red-eared sliders.

“Fungal infections” are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions. You can also treat patches of fungus with topical applications of a mild antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine. As long as the problem isn’t severe, you should notice signs of recovery within a day or two, and a full recovery in about 10–14 days.

If your turtle has a persistent fungal infection that home treatment isn’t curing, take it to the vet for treatment. Several medications are available that can address a fungal infection if it hasn’t spread too far.”

**Shell Rot. *** First make a dry box to keep the turtle in, shell rot needs water to grow.

Keep it warm and give it plenty of light. Scrub the shell gently with a toothbrush and water. Let the turtle swim for about 20 minutes a day in something other than his pond or tank that has real  clean water. 1-2 times a day take a cotton ball apply Hydrogen Peroxide to it then to his shell. It'll start bubbling which means its cleaning it. it. DO NOT get it in his eyes. Then clean the shell and apply providone-iodine solution to the shell, coat the shell and don't clean it off until he is ready to swim the next day.** Keep this up for several weeks and it should go away. . MOST important !!! TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

Respiratory Infections *****Sliders, cooter, map, painted, yellow bellied and other aquatic species are susceptible to respiratory infections. Many respiratory infections that can affect sliders are mild and easily treatable in their EARLY  stages, but there are also some particularly virulent infections that can kill a turtle very quickly without veterinary attention. Sliders usually develop respiratory infections when their tank is too cold. **Symptoms of an infection include a runny nose, wheezing, lopsided swimming (an ailing lung changes the turtle’s buoyancy), lethargy, and a refusal to eat. If you identify the illness in its early stages, you may be able to treat it by removing the sick slider from its quarters into a new, clean tank (especially if you keep multiple sliders, since the majority of respiratory infections are contagious) and keeping it a few degrees warmer than normal. Warmth is the most crucial factor in treating respiratory infections in the home. If the condition persists for more than a few days or worsens, bring your slider to your veterinarian, who will treat the infection with antibiotics.”

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com, for a turtle vet in your city and state.

Answer 7

Red Ear Sliders are popular as pets, and easiest to find, but painteds are good too (I have a painted).

They can grow to the size of a dinner plate if you give it the space and proper care.

A ten gallon tank is a minimum for a baby turtle, and RES are semi aquatic, requiring water to swim in and a basking area where they can completely dry off. Figure about at least 5 gallons per inch of shell length, but 10 is better.

They are available in many pet stores, as boardwalk prizes, and I have a friend who bought some in China Town, NYC.

Yes, if it is in a proper semi-aquatic set up, it needs a filter.

To make a proper set up, you need a well sized tank, filled with water anywhere from just deep enough for them to stand on their back legs and have their head out (for young turtles until they are stronger swimmers) to around 2/3 of the tank. I suggest a floating backing dock, but be careful because there are stories of turtles biting at them, trying to eat them. You also need a UVA/UVB bulb above the basking area, because they need UV rays to process certain nutrients. Don't just put it near a window, the glass filters out most of the rays. If you live in a cold area, you'll need a heater for the tank as well. For substrate I suggest river rocks, but anything larger than your turtles head (so that they don't try to ingest it) is fine. You can decorate however you want, try some live plants, logs, broken flower pots (they like to hide in them), etc.

They are omnivorous, meaning they eat plants and meat. Commercial turtle foods are sold at most pet and grocery stores, try Tetra's Reptomin. You can also give them treats of lettuce, grapes, cooked meat (mine likes chicken, shred it and hand feed), freeze dried shrimp (availible at your local pet store), etc. You can buy goldfish or ruby reds as feeder fish, and if they don't eat them, they make cute tank mates. While we're on the topic of fish, I suggest getting an algae eater as well, they really help keep the tank clean and reduce how often you have to scrub.

The tank should be cleaned every few months or sooner, depending on your filtration system. Go by your nose. Remove everything, scrub down any objects, soak the rocks, wash the tank. I like letting my turtle swim in the bathtub while I'm doing this (good exercise), and my fish stay in a Tupperware. Be sure to rinse everything thouroughly, especially if you used bleach.

Turtles are great, and they're a lot of fun. They are a long term commitment though, as they can live 20 years easily in captivity. I'm also obligated to tell you that they can carry salmonella (even though you're more likely to get it from raw chicken than a turtle), so wash your hands after handling the turtle or anything from the tank.

If you have any more questions, I suggest the message board and caresheets at allturtles.com, they really are a life saver for new turtle owners, or google Austin's Turtle Page, he has great caresheets too.

Best of Luck!

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