Water Turtle Care Sheet Note: If there is anything you would to see added, drop me a line. email: vmh@intellicorp.com Note: This care sheet is put together from many sources: books, other care sheets, several people's personal experiences. Note: For box turtles, refer to the box turtle care sheet. For mud turtles, see the mud turtle notes below. For softshells, see the notes on softshells below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Is a Turtle Right for You ? •Turtles are not Ninja Turtles. They will not perform tricks, talk, or perform heroic deeds. They don't eat pizza either. •Turtles live 40 and more years. Are you willing to take on a long term commitment ? Some are claimed to be over a 100 years old! •Do you have time to take proper care of your turtle ? It takes about 1 hour a week to thoroughly clean the enclosure, and about 10 minutes a day to feed and observe your animal. •Are you willing to afford a turtle ? Food will come you to about 10-20 dollars a month, depending on what you are feeding. An initial setup will cost you at least 50.-, but probably more. (For an indoor setup most of this money goes to the VitaLite--the rest can be improvised). Budget about 1 dollar a day for one animal. This budget includes food, housing, veterinary bills, and miscellaneous expenses. •Turtles are not cuddly. If treated properly, they can become very tame and very attached to their owners, clearly distinguishing him/her from other people. Your turtle may also find ways to make known his needs to you. •Even though most turtles are cheap to buy, when they get sick, they can cost as much as a cat or dog to treat. Are you willing to pay veterinary bills for the animal ? Are you willing to give the animal all the medical and personal care it needs, when it gets sick ? Turtles feel pain, too, and if you are not willing or able to spend the money on a *cheap* pet, don't get one!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Before You Get a Water Turtle 1.Join or at least visit one of the herpetological societies in your area. 2.Read about your potential pet, talk to people who keep turtles, and get on rec.pets.herp or herpnet, if you have a computer. 3.Prepare a comfortable setup for your animal and buy some food. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some Water Turtle Species Red-eared slider The common green turtle with the red cheeks. Sliders are native to the United States and common in the South. Reeves turtle (Chinemys reevesi). This species is known in Southern China, southern Korea, and Japan. It is a small species and reaches maturity at around 5 inches. The carapace is parallel-sided, moderately domed, with three strong keels. The carapace scutes are usually brown.The plastron is generally yellow with brown blotches which can cover almost the whole belly. The head often has yellow or olive stripes which can fade in older specimens.- Reeves turtle make very good pets. They become quite tame, are good eaters, and have a friendly disposition. Several can be kept together without problems. Reeves turtles are susceptible to shell disease. They must be kept in very clean water. When you buy an animal, thoroughly check it for rot. Many imported specimens have the problem. Reeves turtles mostly are carnivorous, but they do take pellet food. Because of the susceptibility to shell problems, it is imperative that a good basking place with plenty of UV light is provided. Mata-mata This turtle gets large and spends its whole live in the water. It is not recommended for beginners. Softshell turtle Softshells spend their whole live in the water. They need room to swim and like to bury in gravel or sand. Softshells are carnivorous. They don't get very tame but are beautiful to watch swimming! Stinkpot Despite of its unfortunate name, this is a hardy, friendly turtle. It also won't get too big. This turtle has some musk glands, and if frightened, will release musk. Once tame, this rarely happens. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Basic Indoor Setup A large heated aquarium with a swimming area at least as deep as the turtle is wide (so it can flip back over if it fall upside down). Add a rock or shelf which allow the turtle to completely get out of the water. Add a heat lamp (most commonly a shop lamp with a 60W light bulb) above the basking area, and a fluorescent light with a VitaLite(tm) bulb to replace sunlight. (Setting the tank under a window will not do, because that light is filtered). Change the water at least once a week completely, and wash the tank out with a thin bleach solution a few times every year. Adding a strong aquarium filter will reduce the frequency of cleaning. Filters: A Fluval4(tm) submersible filter will keep a 20 gallon tank with 2 turtles clean for about 10 days. If you want more filter power, or your tank is larger, consider getting a power filter. Your local fish store will be able to help you. Get a filter 2-3 times as strong as for a fish tank of the same size. (More on filters below.) Keeping the bottom of the tank bare will not only help cleaning, it will also prevent turtles from swallowing sand and rocks, which can lead to problems (see below). Substrate in Tank There is some controversy about this subject. No substrate seems to be the best solution. Rock ingestion: Some turtles do ingest rocks, from sand grain size to whatever will fit into their mouth. Some turtles get intestinal blockage because of it. Even sand can accumulate and eventually turn into a plug that needs to be surgically removed. Turtles that do not have the opportunity to ingest sand and rocks live happily.No-one is sure, why turtles ingest the stuff. It does not seem essential to their digestion. They could even do it, because they are bored. Turtles with blockages are a lot of trouble (ever tried to give Castor Oil to a turtle?) Conclusion: In order to avoid trouble, use no substrate. If you are worried about the slipperiness of the glass bottom for turtles that "walk" on the bottom, you could try a piece of shower mat (the version with the suction cups). This works well, but debris tends to accumulate under the mat (and gets not washed through the filter, so you need more water changes). Water Quality, Waste Management, and Filters Water quality is the number one challenge when keeping water turtles. The ideal to strive for, is a lot of very clean water. Change the water as often. Imagine, you had to swim in and drink the water! Tab water is fine. If you are concerned about chlorine, let the water sit for 24 hours before using it. How often do you need to change the water? Well, it depends on the gallons of water per turtle, and whether you are using a filter. Give your turtle as much space as you can possibly afford. In this case, larger is always better. Custom made glass tanks are affordable. (Negotiate price and features, when you talk to a sales rep. Often extra features like screen tops, which you don't need for turtles, will make things a lot more expensive.) Turtles produce two kinds of waste: visible and invisible. The visible solids can (and should) be removed with a net (available at aquarium stores - don't use the same net for your fish!), especially larger pieces, before they fall apart. Invisible waste, must be dealt with by frequent walter changes or filtration. Disintegrating waste produces ammonia. Ammonia (the stuff that is in Ajax!) is bad for people, and it is bad for turtles. It makes them sick, and it can make their skin and shell root. Every turtle tank will have ammonia in it. You cannot avoid it, but you can deal with it. Note, that letting feeder fish swim (and eliminate) in the turtle tank, raises ammonia level. Also, common dechlorinators also increase ammonia levels. A filter that has settled in, i.e. has been running for 4-6 weeks will eventually harbor enough bacteria that like ammonia and the levels will go down. Unfortunately, most filters are dirty and beyond use, and therefore in need of replacement, before that equilibrium is ever reached. Filtering over carbon and other specialized filter media also helps. I you are using a large cannister filter get one about 4 times as powerful as you would for an aquarium the same size, you might get lucky. You will still have to clean/rinse the media more often than for a fish tank. Feeding your turtles outside the tank also reduces waste. Many turtles will eliminate shortly after eating. If you leave them in their feeding tub for a while after feeding, they will eliminate, and you get less waste in the tank. Not overfeeding will keep the waste down. Adding a teaspoon of non-iodized salt per gallon of water will reduce the level of "bad" bacteria and protect the turtles better from shell and skin diseases. A filter will not only reduce the frequency of water changes, it keeps the muck from floating around and being reingested by the animals. So, what filter should you use? 1.as powerful as possible 2.filter over mixed media (including carbon) 3.Filter media must not be accessible to turtles (they *will* eventually eat it). Here is a non-exhaustive list of filters. For more information, refer to an aquarium book or the rec.aquaria newsgroup. 1.Fluval submersible filters come in 4 sizes. The largest size is big enough for about 35 gallons of water with three turtles. Water changes every 7-10 days. Use the carbon cartridges. The Fluval 3 is ok for one turtle. 2.Eheim or Fluval Cannister filters. Get the largest size you can afford. Filter over ceramic, carbon, and sponge and rinse frequently. 3.Several brands of Power Filters. They are good, and easy to clean, but often they require a water level that is higher than you have in your turtle tank. 4.Undergravel filters. Basically good, except that I don`t recommend gravel in the tank. Also, a grid to fit a turtle tank can be hard to find. Large gravel will not work with an UGF. There is no need to dechlorinate the water. Anything suitable for human drinking is also suitable for turtles. (Turtles are quite different from amphibians or fish in this regard.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Heaters and Temperature You can either heat the tank from inside the water or outside the tank. Heating pads: They are available at drug stores. Put under the tank and adjust level. They don't usually have a thermostat, so check the water temperature daily, and turn the pad on or off, depending on the weather. Heating Strips: a variation on pads. Usually not powerful enough for a turtle tank. Basking lamp: If your apartment is always warm, and you have just one small turtle in a small tank, the basking lamp, usually a 60W bulb, can suffice to keep the water warm. Submersible heaters: They are very efficient and come with a thermostat. But, the are made of glass and any turtle can break it. So, you need to protect the heater, for example behind some bricks. If the glass heater breaks, both you and your turtle can get electrocuted. Check the literature for the correct temperature for your turtle. Lower 80's is a good general range. The warmer the water the more active the turtles, but also the more bacteria in the water. Be sure the temperature is not too low, because it will put the turtle into a state, where it is too warm for hibernation and too cold to eat and move, and it will die. Basic Outdoor Setup A children's wading pool in a yard or on a balcony makes a great home for a water turtle. Make sure it gets cleaned often enough, and has sun and shade throughout the day. Put some rocks or logs into the pool, so the animal can climb out and bask. This is a summer setup only. In winter, this pool is not deep enough. Make sure, the pool is high enough, so your turtle cannot escape. If you provide a land area outside the pool, fence it properly. If there are many cats and raccoons in the area, cover the pool, or your pet will get eaten. Insect screen is good. A pond of any size. Refer to a book on ponds to find out how to build a pond. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Food DO NOT FEED HAMBURGER. It is much to fatty! Water turtles need to be in the water to feed. If they find food on a land area, they will run to the closest water source, so they can swallow. Water turtles are predominantly carnivores, but often like to get some fruit and greens. Experiment with a good mix of food items and find out, what your turtle likes best. Don't just feed one kind of food. In the wild, turtles eat a very varied diet. It is difficult, to supply the right mix of food in captivity, so it is recommended that some extra vitamins are added to the food. (See vitamins). Good food: earthworms, nightcrawlers (make sure they are not raised on manure), redworms, mealworms (not very nutritious), tubifex (not much nutritional value), whole feeder goldfish (very good), canned cat food (don't feed too often), snails, crickets, occasional lettuce (wash well) or spinach, melon and other fruit (find out what your turtle likes), very lean beef as an occasional treat, tofu, banana, strawberries, peas ... As a nutritional staple, you can use trout chow (not all turtles like it), or Reptomin(tm) pellets. Feed your turtle every 2-3 days. If it gets too skinny, feed more, if it gets fat, feed less. Most likely your turtle will end up on the fat side, because it will learn to beg on no-feed days, and you will give in. All non-dry non-concentrated foods can be fed until the turtle is full. Full is, when the turtle slows down eating. Stuffed is, when the turtle cannot get any more food down, even if it tries. Vitamins If you are feeding a perfect diet, no supplements are necessary. In captivity, we can not easily reach perfection, therefore vitamin supplies should be given. Calcium Turtles need calcium to build healthy shells and bones. A cuttle fish bone in the tank will be nibbled on by most turtles and supplies extra calcium. Get a new bone, when the old one get slimy! There are also calcium supplements specially for reptiles. Vitamin D3 Synthesized in the turtle`s body using natural sunlight. A VitaLite(tm) is an acceptable substitute, or a supplement can be fed. Vitamin A If lacking, will cause loss of appetite and swollen, runny eyes. A common symptom in turtles not fed properly. Can be fixed using a varied diet. In severe cases, an injection or drops may be recommended by your vet. There are some products available now that are formulated for reptiles. Bird vitamins are also good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Light Turtles need several hours of exposure to natural sunlight every day. This helps them synthesize vitamin D3. If you keep your pet outdoors, and there is sun and shade available in the enclosure, you don't have to worry. If your turtle is indoors all the time, you have to provide a source of UV light. Most commonly people use full spectrum lights like VitaLite(tm). The bulbs are fairly expensive (and should be changed at least once a year), but mandatory to keep your animal healthy. There are all sorts of other brands of bulbs that claim to be full-spectrum. Most of them do not supply enough UV, or the wrong kind. Plant lights, like are not good enough. Black lights, on the other hand, produce too much UV for your turtle to be exposed to continuously. So do tanning lights. Some of my turtles enjoy a walk outdoors every once in a while. Watch your turtle at all times, so he won't get hurt or lost.Turtles can get lost very quickly, if they want to. Turtles need a basking light. The silvery shop lights from the hardware store are great. Place it on a screen top or hang if (high enough that the turtles cannot touch the bulb). I find that a 60W bulb is about the right strength. The lights should be on between 10 and 14 hours a day, depending whether you use a yearly cycle, or not. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hibernation If you keep your turtles indoors and are not breeding, you do not need to hibernate them. If your turtles live outside in the summer, you can take them in in winter and need not hibernate them. Sliders can be kept outdoors all year in the southern states and will hibernate on their own. Turtles from tropical areas do not hibernate. If you want to hibernate your turtles, refer to one of the books listed below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Health Problems Since this is a sheet for beginners, it does not explain fancy treatments and self-medication. ,p. If your animal gets sick and either gets worse fast, or does not get better after you made the environment perfect, see a veterinarian who has experience with turtles. Some are in the yellow pages, or ask your local animal hospital or Humane Society for a reference to a turtle vet. Your local herp society may also be able to help. If your turtle gets sick, make sure, you are keeping it in clean water, feed it the right foods, and keep it warm enough. These are the primary reasons for turtles getting sick. Fix the environment, or the turtle will not get better, even with expensive medication. The most common symptom is a turtle not eating. See next section. Swollen eyes Can be caused by lack of vitamin A (check diet) or can be the beginning of any kind of an infection. Do not just use eye drops. They ease the symptoms, and the turtle will be happier, but you need to treat the cause. Wounds in the skin and small rashes. You can treat these by disinfecting them with Betadine or Nolvosan solution (dilute with same amount of water) and keeping the turtle warm and dry. Soak it twice daily for 1/2 hour in warm water, separate from other turtles, and disinfect after each bath. If the condition does not improve, see a vet. Shell sores, hole in shell, bloody sores on shell. Immediately remove the turtle from the water and keep it in a dry environment. Give a 1/2 hour soak twice a day. Sponge it off with Betadine or Nolvosan several times a day, especially after the soak. See a veterinarian immediately. Shell diseases need much tender loving care to heal, and it takes months or years to clean it up. Prevent it, by feeding a proper diet and cleaning the water. Sneezing and gaping (occasionally) Like humans, reptiles occasionally sneeze or yawn. Turtles can get water in their nose and need to sneeze it out. If the sneezing happens only every once in a while, and if their is no mucus discharge, there is nothing to worry about. Sneezing (often), coughing, gaping Almost always a sign of respiratory infection, often pneumonia. This needs the immediate attention of a turtle veterinarian. The turtle will need antibiotics, X-rays, and a lot of care. One cause can be too low a water temperature. If Your Turtle Will Not Eat Is the turtle kept warm enough? If turtles get too cool, they will stop eating. Does the turtle like the food you offer? Try out different foods. Some turtles can be very finicky eaters, especially in the beginning. And they have definite likes and dislikes. Most turtles will eventually take small earthworms that are wiggling in front of their nose. Is your turtle exposed to too much stress? This is often a cause in new animals.Stress can be caused by handling, travelling, tank mates. Is your turtle healthy? Not eating can be a symptom of other problems. Don't panic! A turtle can go without food for weeks, even months, and when it feels well again, it will eat again. See a vet, if you thing you are doing everything right, and the animal does not eat for more than 2 weeks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sexing These are not clean-cut rules, and not all work for all turtles, but using a combination of them, will usually help you determine the gender of your turtle. •Males often have fatter, bigger tails than females. •Males have the vent (cloaca) about 2/3 from the shell towards the tip of the tail. Females have it closer to the shell. •Males have a flat or concave plastron (bottom shell) - so it will fit better on top of the female. Females have a flat or convex plastron - so there is more space for eggs. •Male sliders grow long claws on their front legs. Breeding This is an advanced feature and not covered here. Baby turtles Very young (small) turtles are no longer sold in the U.S.A. A turtle needs to have a 4" shell to be legally sold in the pet trade. Baby turtles need extra care to remain healthy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prolapses (Intestinal and others) A lot of turtles will at some point in time prolapse, i.e. turn inside out and outside of their body) their intestine or for males their penises (ovaries are possible, too, for females). Occasional prolapses are common and more annoying than dangerous if dealt with properly. To the best of my knowledge, there is little pain involved for the turtle (but we know little about pain in reptiles). It is not known for sure, what causes prolapses. Diet, stress, parasites and intestinal infections, general disease, obstructed intestinal tract, weak cloacal muscles have all been suggested, but there are no final conclusions. So, there are no known preventive measures, either. If your turtle seems otherwise healthy, an occasional prolapse is nothing to worry about. If the prolapses happen frequently and cause too much distress to you and your turtle, you might consider asking a herp vet to apply a purse string suture. If you catch your turtle in the act, watch and keep dirt away form the exposed parts. If they don't go back in immediately, make sure, they stay moist (water - you may even want to put the animal in a pan with a little luke warm water) and massage the surrounding area gently and make the turtle move. Other turtles might try to bite the prolapsed body part which can lead to heavy bleeding and ugly consequences. Land turtles may step on their intestine, or tear it with their hind feet when trying to remove the 'thing' extending from their body. The turtle is not aware, that this is a body part. Observe the turtle, until the prolapse has gone back inside. Purse String Suture: The suture basically keeps the cloaca from opening too wide, and so the intestine should stay in. The turtle can still pass feces, of course. If the intestine does dry off, usually, the vet will put a suture around it and eventually remove the dead part completely. This is done under anesthesia and can be more or less complicated, depending on the size of the dead parts. This operation has a guarded prognosis. Algae on Your Turtle If algae grow in your rocks and tank decorations, unless they disturb your sense of beauty, you can let them grow. An exception is the long, hairy kind which also makes the water slimy. Those, you should remove. Algae grow in healthy water with enough light. They are a sign, that you are doing something right. Do not use chemicals to kill algae!!! If you don't like the algae, brush them off every time you change the water, change the water more often, use a stronger filter, and add a little salt to the water (see further up). In the wild, it is normal for turtle to grow algae on their shells. It helps them camouflage! In captivity, the algae should be removed every once in a while, since they can encourage growth of fungus in a confined environment. To remove the algae, hold your turtle under warm tap water and gently brush it with a soft vegetable brush. Turtles Carrying Disease? Like other animals and people, turtles carry all sorts of bacteria on them. The same way that you should not let your dog lick your face, you should not kiss your turtle. Small children should not be allowed to put the turtle in their mouth. Always wash your hands after handling turtles. In rare cases a turtle may carry salmonella. Often, the disease is acquired, if the turtle is fed raw chicken. If you are worried about salmonella, you can have your vet test the turtle and treat it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sources of information The General Care and Maintenance of Red-eared Sliders and Other Popular Freshwater Turtles. P. deVosjoli, 1992, Advanced Vivarium Systems, around $8. Comprehensive and up to date. All you need to get started. Turtles. R.J. Church, 1963, TFH, ISBN 0-87666-226-2, around $10, a good introduction. In spite of its age a very useful book. Not enough by itself, though. Turtles. H. Wilke, 1979, Barron's, ISBN 0-8120-2631-4, priced around $12. Well structured introductory book with list of popular species and their requirements. A good book, but you'll want to know more. Encyclopedia of Turtles. Pritchard. Price varies from $40 to $80. The comprehensive listing and description of turtle and tortoise species. Turtles and Tortoises of the World. David Alderton, ISBN: 0-8160-1733-6, $22.95. This book discusses everything there is to know about turtles and tortoises. Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins. F.J. Obst, 1988, ISBN 0-312-82362-2, priced around $20. A wonderful book which covers the life of turtles. Emphasis on conservation issues; wonderful photographs and excellent drawings; small section on husbandry. Reptile & Amphibian. Bi-monthly magazine, $12 per year. For information, write to Reptile & Amphibian, RD3, Box 3709-A, Pottsville, PA 17901. The Tropical Fish Hobbyist. Primarily a magazine about tropical fish, a with a reptile section. Many topics relevant to water turtle keeping. The Vivarium. Published by the AFH (American Federation of Herpetoculturists. For membership and subscription information, write to AFH, P.O. Box 1131, Lakeside, CA 92040-0905, or call (619)-561-4948. TEAM: Turtle and Tortoise Education and Adoption Media. Monthly newsletter, $10 per year. For information, write to TEAM, 3245 Military Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034. Emphasis on tortoises and tortoise conservation efforts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright by Valerie Haecky. This document may be freely distributed for non-profit use, provided this notice is included. __ _______ /*_>-< Valerie Haecky _ ^---^ ___/ _____ \__/ / vmh@intellicorp.com <_|-----)> <____/ \____/ (415) 965-5617 x617 v---v ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Return to the herp page gecko@retina.net