Some general common sense rules will help to make the task simpler and ensure the safety of the turtle in the new redecorated environment. Thoroughly clean every item that you place into the tank. Ensure that there are no pesticides on these items. Never use sharp items or items that the turtle can swallow. Place every item in such a manner that the turtle cannot get stuck on or near it.

It’s fairly certain that your turtle has no decorative style preferences, so those aesthetic choices will be left up to you. Regardless of what you add, it is possible that the turtle may decide to do some minor redecorating when you are finished, such as moving things around, or taking a chomp on a newly introduced plant.

Keep in mind; turtles love plants, not for decoration but for food. Plan on having most plants eaten or dug up over the long term. Don’t despair, however, you can keep plants growing in a separate tank and simply replace those that have been destroyed. Some turtle owners use the separate plant-growing tank to raise live turtle food like snails and small fish. Fake plants are also an option. They last for a long time. Safe artificial plants, made especially for aquariums, are available at most pet stores.

Never line the bottom of the tank with gravel. The turtle will swallow any pieces that will fit into his mouth. If a piece of gravel becomes lodged in the turtle’s digestive tract, he could die. Make sure that any rocks placed into the tank are no smaller than two times the size of the turtle’s head.

Shells add a nice touch, but keep in mind the turtle will most probably eat them. It’s alright to use durable plastics and ceramics in the tank, but avoid using anything made from glass as the turtles will undoubtedly break it. Remember, that you don’t want get so carried away with your decorative skills that the turtle no longer has room to swim easily around without bumping into something.

Don’t forget the land area when you redecorate. A few colorful large rocks add a nice touch. You can even paint them if you want to. Use epoxy paint to ensure that it is sealed to the rock. Don’t overdo the additions to the land area; this is the turtle’s Club Med. He needs room to enjoy basking in the light.

Most pet shops sell figurines that are suitable for placement in an aquarium. Some are cute, but my experience tells me that most people get a little carried away with them. I don’t ever want to see a two-inch tall deep sea diver at the bottom of my turtle’s tank, but then that’s just me. If you’re into figurines, there is varied selection waiting for you

If you are planning to keep your turtle in a tank there are some things you will want to consider. First thing is the size of the tank. Of course you should provide the turtle with an area as big as possible, however reality says that is not always possible. You should have at least a 40 gallon tank for your turtle as this will provide enough room for it to swim or walk around and feel comfortable. If you turtle is a water turtle, you should fill the tank about half way to provide enough water for the turtle to dive down and enjoy his swim. The water in a turtle tank should be kept at about 75 degrees and should be filtered through a commercial filtration system. Be careful not to have a big enough hole for the turtle to get caught in the filter system. If your turtle is a land dwelling turtle, a mix of soils and rocks/logs for him to enjoy will be good.

Water turtles will spend most of their time in the water. However, they will still need to come out of their water pond and eat and or get some “sun”. You will need to provide a place for them to get out of the water and rest. This can be a floating log, a couple of rocks, or even a commercially made ramp. As far as creating the sun for the turtle you’re going to need a heat lamp and a UV light. The UV light is to give the turtle its natural sun rays and the heat for obvious reasons. Even though your UV light will still be working after 6 months, you will want to change it. The lights will start to loose their UV effectiveness at this time and will no longer be beneficial to the turtle.

Keeping you turtle’s environment clean is crucial for their health. Even though a turtle can be a little messy doesn’t mean their tanks should be. If you are keeping a desert type of tortoise, you should clean the sand by sifting it through a screen to get rid of the waste. Then replace the sand about every 10 months or so. If you are keeping a water turtle, a clean tank is more vital. It is very crucial that you clean the filtration system often. It is quite common for the filtration system to get plugged up form feces and food particles. You should watch this at least once a week until you can determine the habits of your turtle. You should clean your turtle’s tank every time you start to see algae forming. You can clean the tank with some Clorox bleach diluted with water.