Pet turtles, unlike their ninja counterparts, are slow and hide at the hint of danger. But pet turtles are relatively easy to care for. They need food and space to move around. Creating space for a turtle to live is your job, and there are many ways to do this.
Things to Consider for a Turtle Home
Before creating a turtle home for your pet, here are some things to consider. How big is your turtle? If you have a baby turtle, how big will it grow? Your turtle home needs to give your turtle plenty of room to move. A baby turtle can live in an aquarium of at least ten gallons or larger, but a full-grown turtle will need a home at least twice that size.
Is your turtle aquatic or semi-aquatic? Aquatic turtles spend the vast majority of their time either in or near the water. Semi-aquatic turtles spend much more time on land, but periodically will go into the water. Semi-aquatic turtles need a larger land area in their turtle tank.
Once you know the type of your turtle and how big it is likely to get, you can start creating a home for your pet.
Making a Turtle Home
Turtle owners can build a custom-made aquarium out of acrylic or glass. You can find on the Internet many instructions on how to construct an acrylic or glass container to house your turtle.
Some turtle owners use plastic storage tubs as a turtle home.
Plastic tubs range in size from two gallons up to 50 gallons, and are priced anywhere from $3 to $25. If you use a plastic tub, measure it first to determine if it’s the right size for your turtle. Examine the tub to make sure there are no holes or cracks where water can leak.
Some turtle owners use stock tanks as a turtle home. Stock tanks can hold up to 300 gallons of water, cost less than a glass aquarium, and give your turtle plenty of room to move and to grow.
No matter what materials you decide to use for your turtle home, there are certain things it will need. All turtle homes need a filtration system to keep the tank clean. It’s recommended to get a filter that’s rated for a larger size tank than you actually have. A tiny fish tank filtering system is not going to keep a turtle home clean.
Turtles also need a basking area, a place for them to sit outside of the water. You can make these from cork bark or driftwood and wedge it into the tank. Or, place it atop PVC pipe or rocks located at one side of the tank.
Turtles also need an appropriate heating/lightning system. Use UVA and UVB lighting for your turtle’s home. A heat lamp over the basking area will give the heat your turtle needs.
These ideas should give you a start on creating a home for your turtle.
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