TURTLE
CARE SHEET
New Owner
Checklist
 Suitable size tank and
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turtles.indd 1
foam base
Good size and quality filter
Water heater
UVB lights and fittings
Basking lights and fittings
Land area or basking dock
Coarse gravel
Gravel siphon
Plants
Thermometer
Wombaroo reptile
supplement
Calstron
Prime water conditioner
A range of food
Handling:
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You can handle your turtle, however we do not
recommend to do this until your turtle shell is about 10cm
across. When you do start to handle them, it is advised
to remove them from the tank for no more than 15 – 20
minutes, as this can stress and dehydrate them. If you
were to handle your turtle for this amount of time, we
would recommend to only do this once or twice a week
and gradually increase the amount of times you handle
the turtle as it grows.
Taking your pet outside is beneficial as they will receive
more UV from the sun than in their tank: when doing
so you must ensure that there are no predators around
(dogs, cats, birds), that you keep an eye on the turtle
the entire time and that the animal will not dehydrate.
A plastic container with a few centimeters of water
from the turtle’s tank will stop it from dehydrating and
putting it back in the tank after 15 minutes will stop it
from overheating. It is not recommended to do this with
hatchling turtles as it is too stressful for them.
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14/05/2012 5:02:38 PM
General
Information:
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A turtle will grow
to its natural
maximum size
regardless
of the size
of its tank as
long as it is
provided with
the correct nutrition.
For the species listed above this is a carapace (shell)
length between 25 – 30cm. “Penny Turtles” do not exist.
Turtles can live for well over 25 years.
They need heated water, a basking spot and ultraviolet
light.
A good filter is essential as they are very messy.
Water needs to be changed weekly, 20% - 25% of the
total tank volume is recommended.
Turtles are easy to overfeed. Young turtles should have
more protein than older animals as they are growing
more, try to only feed small amounts every 2 days and
provide them with live plants and live food. Hatchling
turtles should be fed small amounts daily.
If you want to keep multiple turtles in the same tank you
need to ensure that they are eating the same amount
and that one is not larger than the other. If one turtle is
larger it will often dominate the smaller turtle, even if you
don’t observe this behavior.
Tanks and Filtration:
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Start off with as big a tank as you can get: a good size
is 4’ x 2’ x2’ (120 x 60 x 60cm) as you will not have to
upgrade your tank as soon.
A good filter is one that can pump the entire volume
of the tank between 8 – 10 times every hour (i.e. if you
have 100 litres in your tank, you want a filter that moves
between 800 – 1000 litres every hour).
You will need a water heater: the water needs to be
between 24 – 27°C for the turtle to function normally.
Gravel is the best thing to put on the bottom of the tank:
the main requirement is that it is large so the turtle
cannot swallow it. If they swallow gravel, you will need to
take them to the vet.
Ideally, an adult turtle would either live in a pond outside
(this is suitable for them once they are approximately
15cm across). If this is not possible, a 6’ or 180cm tank (at
a minimum) will do.
Furnishings to provide hides. Be careful what you use
and where you place it. Turtles will drown if they become
wedged or pinned underwater.
Plants provide food and somewhere to hide and sleep in.
turtles.indd 2
Species sold in store:
Kreft’s Turtle (Emydura kreftii),
reftii),
Murray River Turtle (Emydura
dura macquarii ),
Saw-shelled Turtle (Elesya
a latisternum)
and Long-necked Turtle
(Chelodonia longicollis).
Heating and Lighting:
Recommended Reading:
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The tank needs to have at least one turtle dock; this not
only allows the animal to get out of the water, it also
means that you can set a basking spot up. A land-based
basking spot is essential for the proper digestion of
turtles. A 50W Swamp Bulb will do most tanks, with the
basking spot needing to be between 32 – 33°C.
Ultraviolet lighting is necessary for the correct growth of
a turtle’s carapace (shell. The bulbs that we recommend
are 5% UV and the length of the tank. Position it
approximately 6” (15 – 20cm) from the water and ensure
that it covers the basking spot. The UVB source needs to
be replaced every 6 months.
“ Keeping Short-Necked Turtles” by Darren Green
“Keeping Long-Necked Turtles” by Darren Green
“Caring for your Pet Tortoise” by David Griffiths
Feeding
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Overfeeding turtles is extremely easy: this can be detrimental in their early years as their body can grow too fast for
it to keep up with it’s self and also can establish patterns of behavior that make it increasing difficult to control the
amount of food the turtle consumes. Turtles that are used to being overfed will become a nuisance if they are fed a
smaller amount, leaving the turtle stressed and the owner feeling terrible. Overfeeding in the later years, once the
animal has reached its adult size, can lead to fatty liver disease and can decrease the lifespan of your pet.
Variety is of utmost importance in your turtles diet. They will eat everything form lean meat, to live food, to vegetables
and plants.
Feed your turtle every second or third day whilst ensuring they have access to suitable water plants. Plants that
you can feed your turtle include: Elodea, Vallisneria, Azolla, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, Duckweeds and Water
Lillies. You may find that as your turtle gets older it may start to increase the amount of vegetation that it eats: if this
happens, decrease the amount of protein that it receives from you.
In the wild, turtles feed on shrimp and fish. In captivity, feeding shrimp can enrich the environment for your turtle as
they will chase them to eat them. Giving them crickets as a treat is also beneficial.
Turtle pellets are a healthy and balanced part of your turtles diet. Try to find one that is calcium fortified.
Calcium supplements need to be added to their diet on a regular basis. You can achieve this by making your own
mix of lean red meat, vegetables, vitamin and mineral supplements, and a good calcium powder. Freeze the mix
into small balls and feed out accordingly. In addition to this you can add a calcium block to the tank: as the block
dissolves it increases the level of calcium in the water and promotes strong carapace growth.
14/05/2012 5:02:40 PM