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

The enjoyment of your pet turtle usually comes from simply observing its behavior. Careful responsible handling is critical to their fulfilling the promise of their expected longevity. If you’re bringing a pet turtle into a home with young children, make sure that they understand how to treat these interesting pets. With proper supervision, the turtle’s presence can offer a great opportunity to teach the children about responsibility.

Before you bring a turtle into your home, make sure that you can meet all of the turtle’s basic needs. Buy the biggest tank that you can afford (40 gallon minimum) to ensure that the turtle’s home is large enough. An aquatic turtle is going to want to spend most of its life in the water, along with a few hours each day basking in real or simulated sunlight. Make sure his habitat has enough swimming area and suitable land area to meet those needs. Ensure that the habitat provides enough light, shade, and clean water. A UV light is great; giving the turtle an opportunity to bask and absorb much needed vitamin D. A nice rock protruding above the waterline is great for basking in the light.

Because turtles are cold-blooded creatures, temperature control is very important. 80ºF is a good daytime temperature, which can be lowered by 10º at night. The turtle also needs a place to hide from your family’s well meaning intrusions, a little privacy. A small shelter can be purchased at a pet store, or you can easily make one yourself. Your turtle will occasionally go into the shelter for a little quiet meditation time.

Make sure you understand the turtle’s nutritional requirements. Most aquatic turtles are omnivores, land turtles tend to be strict vegans. You can check with your veterinarian for nutritional recommendations, which might include the regular administration of vitamin and mineral supplements.

Be a good housekeeper for your turtle. A clean habitat is a healthy one. Make sure that you clean out the tank at least once each week. This can be an excellent chore for the children once they learn to handle the pet responsibly.

When you remove the turtle from the tank, make sure that he is roaming in a safe place where he won’t get lost, trapped, injured, or harmed by other pets. With a little knowledge, regular care, good nutrition, and a comfortable healthy environment, your pet turtle can give you and your family virtual decades of pleasure.

Turtles live in fresh water, oceans, and marshes. Turtles spend most of their lives under water venturing out only to lay their eggs or bask for a while in the sun. When the weather becomes too cold they go into a state similar to hibernation. Turtles are omnivorous. They eat plants, insects, and fish. Turtles have light shells that are rather flat having only a slight crown, streamlined for efficient travel through water. Their feet are webbed for swimming. Although they are notoriously slow on land, they are very fast swimmers. Often kept as pets, turtles live to an average age of thirty years.

Tortoises spend most of their lives on land, venturing into water to drink or bathe. They are not good swimmers and can easily drown if caught in a swift current. Tortoises are, for the most part, vegetarians or herbivores eating plants with lots of moisture. Tortoise shells are heavy and dome shaped, providing excellent protection. Their feet are short and they have rugged legs. Some tortoises are quite fast on the ground, moving quickly when necessary. Tortoises have very long life expectancies, some living as long as 150 years. While some tortoises are kept as pets, they are not as popular as turtles.

If you are considering having a pet turtle, both land and aquatic turtles (tortoises and turtles) make interesting pets, but the aquatic turtles are generally more popular because their habitat is simpler to create and maintain, and the aquatic turtle’s space requirements are usually much less that a tortoise’s. It’s important that the pet turtle’s environment be as close to what he might experience in the wild as is possible.

If you have an aquatic turtle, a tank with both adequate water volume for swimming and eating and sufficient land area for resting is essential. The water is especially important, and should be filtered and maintained in the same manner as would be done for a goldfish aquarium. Land turtles will usually require a much larger area with access to enough water for occasional bathing. Smaller land turtles can manage is smaller terrariums, but many tortoises grow large enough to require a larger fenced in area outdoors.

As with any pets, clean water should always be available. Most aquatic turtles, being omnivores, will require both plants and animal protein from foods such as calcium-rich vegetables, snails, earthworms, and bugs. Tortoises, on the other hand, should be quite content with a purely vegan diet consisting of vegetables like carrots, berries, and leafy greens.

After some time, your turtle will begin to recognize you. After all you are the one bringing them food. It is very common for a turtle to get excited or come over to you when it sees you walk into a room. Although your turtle is excited to see you, keep in mind that he still does think of food. Try to keep your hands away from its head, it can still bite. If you do walk into the room and the turtle does not react, or you have noticed that it is not active, it may have gotten sick. Check the turtle for anything that doesn’t look right. Droopy eyes, bulging eyes, closed eyes, gunky eyes, can all be a sign of something is wrong. If you suspect your turtle is sick you should seek the help of a qualified reptile vet.

If you are going to have your turtle outside, it will begin to hibernate in the fall. Try not to disturb your turtle while it is hibernating, doing so can create health risks or may even be fatal. When a turtle is hibernating, you probably will not see it until about the end of April or so. Hibernation helps prevent liver disease among turtles and also helps create a healthier turtle for breeding. Try not to let your turtle hibernate if you do not want him to be gone that long. If you can keep your turtle inside around room temperature, the turtle will not hibernate. It is OK if your turtle does not hibernate; it just takes it out of a natural cycle and may be cause for liver problems later.

It is almost impossible to know the age of your turtle unless the place you got it from knows when they were born or you raised it yourself since birth. Often time’s people think that you can count the rings on the turtle to determine the age. However, this is not the case. Turtles can have growth spurts in their life and grow more than one ring. Turtles live a long time, so guessing is almost worthless. Some land tortoises have been known to live for more than 200 years (it would be hard to track down the original owner), box turtles have been known to live for 75 years, and water turtles around 20-30 years. Sometimes you can tell if your turtle has been around the block by looking at the shell, older turtles will have worn spots from digging holes over the years.

When you are ready to purchase your pet turtle you should only consider buying a turtle from a reputable pet store. When looking for a store to purchase from check the turtles living environment. Are the living areas clean? Are there too many turtles in one tank? Sometimes overpopulation can lead to health problems among reptiles. The next thing you will want to do is carefully examine the turtle. Check to see if the turtle resists you touching it. The turtle should withdraw his head if you make an attempt towards it. Caution: do not attempt to stick your finger in front of the turtles face, then can bite very easily.

If the turtle does not make any attempts to avoid you this could be signs that the turtle may be sick. You will also want to examine the turtle’s skin. If it is dry and cracked sometimes it can be a sign a shedding, but if you examine a little more closely you may be able to determine if the turtle may have a fungus. At times the cause of a fungus could be from a cut on the skin. Avoid purchasing a turtle if the shell is soft. Turtles can develop a condition called shell rot, and should be examined by a vet or reptile specialist.

You may also find turtles at your local animal or reptile rescue center. Because of the long life of turtles, some owners decide that caring for a turtle is too much responsibility and may take them to an animal shelter or reptile rescue center. Although at first thought it may sound like adopting a turtle from one of these places may sound a little out of the ordinary, however the care that these turtles can receive from such a center will usually be better than that of a pet store. At an animal shelter or rescue center all animals are carefully examined by a vet or specialist before letting someone adopt them. You may also receive better help for questions you may have about the pet’s health.

Last but certainly not least, you should have a home set up for the turtle before you bring it home. Often times a turtles new home may be an extensive project so you will want to take your time with it. Avoid bringing your turtle home and leaving it in the container from the pet store while you work on its new home. The turtle has probably endured some trauma in the past couple of weeks and will want a place to come home to and relax. With this being said, you should also avoid constant handling and attention at first. Let the turtle get used to his new home for a while and drop by only a few times a day.

When you are planning your turtle’s meal remember to maintain the wide variety of foods that they need to keep them healthy. The leading causes of problems that show up in a vet’s office are from malnutrition. Poor nutrition can be associated with milky eyes, and cloudy skin patches. However, if these symptoms do show up, it is best to have a veterinarian see your pet for proper diagnoses. Other problems associated with poor nutrition are fungus problems and parasites in the intestines. Additionally, any foods that are given to your turtle that are large or bigger than there head, should be cut up or shredded if possible. This will give the turtle a better eating experience and help them digest the food better.

A turtle’s diet should include the following:
• 25% formulated turtle diet food. This type of food can be found in any pet store that sells turtles.
• 25% animal protein. This can from a variety of sources such as meal worms, earthworms, goldfish, and others. Be sure to buy these things from the pet supply store as well. Digging up worms from your backyard could contain harmful pesticides or fertilizer.
• 50% dark leafy greens. These can be such things as spinach, dandelion leaves, and more. Do not feed your turtle iceberg lettuce; they have a poor nutrition level.
• Any foods that are given to your turtle that are large or bigger than there head, should be cut up or shredded if possible. This will give the turtle a better eating experience and help them digest the food better.

Turtles can also be messy when they eat. They may take their food off to another place or spread it around. Lingering food or animal carcasses can lead to disease, fungus, and a smelly, dirty tank environment. Often times when a turtle eats, it will defecate, or urinate as well. This is why it is a good idea to feed your turtle in a place other than its home. If you can use a tub that is separate it will make cleaning easier and is not stressful for the turtle.

Along with the feeding of your turtle, you should always provide clean drinking water. Even thought your turtle may have a nice little lagoon to swim around or soak in, it is also the same water they defecate, and urinate in. Providing clean water for them to drink form will help keep them healthy.

Red Eared Slider
The red eared slider turtle is perhaps the most popular of pet turtles. These are the most widely sold turtles in the US market. They are popular because they are both aquatic and love to bask in the sun on land. Although, these types of turtles prefer to be in the water most of time, they still need to have a place to come out and get warmed up. Sp provide a nice place for them by using a heat lamp for them to bask under. Sliders also like to hang out in muddy swampy water, so providing a place where your turtle can dig in the mud and feed on things like worms and goldfish are also ideal. Even though your turtle may like the dirty swampy water doesn’t mean that you don’t need to clean it. In nature these areas are naturally cycled, in captivity it is best to keep old food out and keep some kind of aeration. These turtles can grow up to about 11 inches.

Box Turtle
Box turtles have a big dome shaped shell, hence the name “box” turtle. They are land dwellers and love to hang out in humid mossy areas of the forest. They are a very strong turtle and can grow to be about 6 inches long. You will not catch them heading for the water too much. In fact, you can usually find them hanging out right in the same place they were born. That’s right, box turtles do not wander away very much and very territorial. They are omnivore creatures, which mean that they eat both greens and meat. It would be the perfect pet for those that have an area where a pen can be made outdoors. This would allow them to hang out in the spring and summer months, and dig a hole for hibernation in the winter fall through late spring.

Painted Turtle
The painted turtle is one of the most beautiful of the turtle family. They have colorful shells and markings throughout their bodies. You can definitely tell them form their other turtle relatives. These turtles do live in the water. The preferred method is to place this type of turtle in a tank because in fact they are in the water most of the time. However, you will still need to set up an area for the turtle to come out and bask in the “sun”. You should provide the turtle with the basics of heat lamp, UV light and a place to bask.

Mud turtle
Mud turtles are like the box turtles. They do not go in the water much, but you do want to provide a place where they can take a dip. You will however find them participating in their favorite activity given the chance, digging in the mud. That’s where they get their name, mud turtles.

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.

One of the most common problems that show up in a vet’s office is malnutrition. It is very crucial that your turtle receive the nutrients it gets from a balanced diet. For instance a turtle lacking vitamin a can develop abscessed areas usually in the ears. If a turtle does not receive enough calcium they can have an enormous amount of problems. This is why it is crucial to have a proper UV light in the tank with an indoor turtle. Also be sure to replace the light after about 6 months when they lose their effectiveness. You can even get a black sharpy marker and write the date of purchase on the light so that you know when to replace it.

You should take your turtle to the vet for annual exam. During this exam your vet can examine the overall health of your turtle and review with you its environment and eating habits. It is not uncommon for a vet to work with you on a change of diet or a little adjustment in their living area. Additionally, your vet may take a stool sample to check for parasites and may give your turtle a de-wormer.

Some symptoms to look out for can include:
Swollen or goopy eyes: This can be a sign of a lack of vitamins found in a balanced diet. This is a very serious problem for your turtle and should not be ignored. These problems can only be treated by antibiotics and if you do not treat it, your turtle will die. This will not go away on its own. You should seek the care a veterinarian at the first sign of this problem.

Fungus: This is sometimes caused when a wound has been left untreated. It will look white or grayish and a little gooey. Most of the time a fungus can be treated with salt being added to the tank (1/4 cup per 5 gallons), or even an over the counter powder available at some pet stores. If the problem persists seek the help of a qualified vet. Baby turtles do sometimes look like they have a fungus, but often times it is the skin shedding. This does happen often in a turtles first year.

Respiratory infection: This is also common for turtles to get if the water is not cleaned or if they are not in a proper environment. The symptoms of respiratory infection is, they will breath with their mouth open, their will be bubbles coming out of their nose, they can make a weasing sound and often breathe with their necks stretched out. Although this disease is often treatable, gone untreated can lead to more problems and eventually death. Your vet can often give you an antibiotic to give them at home and it should not return if the environment is ideal for the turtle.