If you are concerned about the happiness of your little turtle friend then you should always start with the turtle tank. There is a deep connection between a turtle’s happiness and the environment in which it lives. In this detailed guide I will share what are the key factors to setting up the perfect turtle tank for your beloved lifelong pet turtle.
You need to understand that the tank dimension and size matters a lot when it comes to the well being of your turtle. This is because turtles need enough space to swim and exercise a little. Not only that turtles urinate and move their bowels in the same space where they live and eat so the more water the volume of the water the less concentrated the water will be.
One other important factor is the growth of your turtle. If they don’t have enough space it is unlikely that your turtle will grow as much as it is supposed to.
So, please follow the universal thumb rule for setting up your turtle tank which is for every inch of the shell length your turtle needs 10 gallons of water. Be mindful that your turtle friend will be growing from a small size to a large size in years of time so, you better research the size of your preferred species and get yourself a turtle tank accordingly.
When it comes to purchasing a tank, there are variations of glass and acrylic tanks. Well, both the tanks have their very own pros and cons. If you are looking for clarity, scratch resistant and have an aesthetic appeal glass tanks are your go to option while acrylics are lightweight, customizable and low cost but attract a lot of scratch very easily however, they are more durable than glass. However, if you get tempered glass setup then that’s a different story as they are a lot more robust and versatile compared to the usual glass material.
Basking Platform
Next comes the platform for basking and heating or lighting. Your turtle tank must consist of a basking platform with proper basking lights hanging ideally 6-7 inches on top of the platform.
Basking platforms can be bought from Amazon or you can make yourself some top notch DIY stuff using Egg crates, or disposing plastics left at some corner of your house. You can also learn how to build your own using our Step-by-Step Guide to making your own DIY basking platform.
Heating & Lighting
A combination of heat lamp and UVB + UVA light is essential for your turtle tank unless you can provide regular exposure to the sun light. We suggest that you get a Double socket Simple Deluxe dome combo lighting kit. The lights need to be placed exactly the way it is shown in the image below.
Turtles are ectothermic creatures and which is why they depend on the external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature. Metabolic functions like digestion, immune health and their overall function needs to be regulated. We have a complete guide on the importance of Heating and Lighting for your turtle friend in this blog.
Decor
Introduce interactive decor for your turtle as it is directly connected to your turtle’s happiness. A well-decorated turtle tank with interactive bits and bobs can help your turtle to not go through boredom and spend time all by themselves. Rocks and stones larger than the head of your turtle with some natural low tech plants can be introduced to the tank with sand and aqua soil as the substrate.
You can also check out some cool stuff that Amazon has in store for your terrarium or aquarium decoration. Plants can help to take in some amount of the nitrate and ammonia that the turtle feces carry which actually helps the growth of the plants. But make sure not to make it too congested with plants, do the necessary trimming and cleaning from time to time. But keeping the bottom bare is also okay as it takes less time to clean the tank.
Whatever you introduce to your aquarium please do not forget to sterilize them before you put them in the tank otherwise your tank will get intoxicated resulting in unwanted infections to your turtles.
Heater and Temperature controller
Turtles are cold blooded creatures and they need their temperature to be steady which falls under your duty as well. Told ya, it’s not an easy job to get yourself a pet turtle – you need a healthy commitment before you get one into your life, haha.
Anyways, a water heater is necessary during the cold days because each species of turtle has different water temperature requirements. Make sure you have a temperature gradient as well to identify the warmer and the cooler spots in the tank.
Ideally, the warmer spot needs to have a temperature ranging from 85 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (29 to 35 degrees Celsius) and the water temperature should be maintained between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 27 degrees Celsius) which is why a submersible water heater needs to be there in case the temperature fluctuates. Our suggestion would be to get a Submersible Tetra 26445 Fauna Aquatic Reptile Heater as it is the best seller in the market at the best price. To keep your temperatures in observation, you can get a Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro temperature controller from Amazon or your nearest local store if available.
Filters
Your pet turtle will get you frustrated by making you clean the tank every now and then if you don’t get a filter to keep the water clean. Turtles are messy and they will make the water dirty with their poop. Remember they are eating, urinating, pooping and living in the same tank and they are quite messy so the importance of a water filter is needless to be explained. We would suggest you get a Canister filter based on the size of your tank. They are named as Cascade 500, 700, 1000, 1200 and 1500 based on their capacity and they are the best in the market out of them all.
Tank mates
Lastly, it all comes down to the tank mates, turtles like to live alone but adding a few tank mates who might help to keep the tank clean 24/7 will be much appreciated by your turtle tank. You can get Cherry shrimps, Apple snails and a gang of Siamese Algae Eaters. They are harmless and they will try their best to help you keep the tank clean as much as possible.
Remember, your turtle’s mood is based on the environment that you will put your turtle to live in. So, please make sure that your little friend has the perfect home.