Should a terrapins tank have a lid?

Question

we are getting a terrapin this week. we have a tank with the light attached to the lid but I'm not sure if the lid should be on or not. thanks to anyone who answers. i have looked at lots of web sites to find as much info as we can but no where says about a lid. thanks again

Answer 1

yes you should have a lid on. Here is a video about terrapins if you have a phone,psp.or ipod you can download the video.

Answer 2

Yes the lid should be on.

Terrapins can fly (a little known fact).

Answer 3

Yes and No. Air will get in just fine.

...if the turtle dock is low enough that they cannot climb out,,yes they climb out then no lid.  You need as much water as possible for them to swim and get exercise while chasing the feeder fish that you feed them.

I have a an no lid and they cannot climb out so no top needed.  

Did you know that they need to bask under a reptile light for  8 to 10 hrs a day for the vitamin D that  they need to grow.

Leave the heater on 75 to 78 degrees always.

Their water needs to be clean otherwise they get sick easily from dirty water cause they p**p allot.

You need a good filter system!

You need to feed them feeder guppies, goldfish or minnows for protein and calcium daily drop 20 or so in the tanks and watch them disappear!

They need leafy greens for vitamins at least 3 to 4 times a week.

And a big tank 55 gallons or more..

Sickness to look for are respitory sickness , 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  

Answer 4

you dont have to put a lid if you dont want to ( by the way it is called a fresh air screen, not a lid) personally my turtle tank doesnt have a screen, Here is a care sheet just inn case... first read all of this and see if you have this setup, it costs at least $300, and is a regular setup. All the stuff is expensive!- 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 she eats all of it, then get another. Once all of these things are done your turtle will be pretty happy!