Just use a thorough scrub brush to scrape off any algae or other growth from the sides of the tank. you'll also have to provide them a basking spot. With proper care (which is not always easy to provide), box turtles can live up to 50 years. Tip: Buy a bigger tank than you need at first, even if not all turtles reach huge dimensions they usually grow really fast and you will need to change the aquarium quite a bit in the beginning if you always go with the smallest one possible. Baby aquatic turtles are very active so your decorations must have a little weight otherwise they will be thrown from one corner to another constantly and I don’t think that is what you had in mind when you chose them. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. [1] When they are babies they can leave peacefully together but as they reach adulthood this will change, so they will need more space so they don’t have to interact with each other all the time. Make sure your terrarium’s water and air temperature is about 86 degrees Fahrenheit and that your baby turtle has access to both land and water. As soon as you see that one of the baby turtles get out of the egg, you should put some water in the container with the paper towels in it, the water shouldn’t be overflowing, just put enough to get the towels wet. I have a baby snapping turtle ,it is very cute but hard to take care of ,pet helpful.com is actually very helpful thanks. If it doesn't, it probably doesn't need water. After you are done with the process remember to disinfect your hands as well. In this article I pointed out some of the things that you have to different when you take care of a baby turtle compared to an adult turtle. Choosing to feed your baby turtles in the tank is not wrong at all, the only drawback is that you will have to clean the tank more often. In the wild water plants are sometimes one of their main sources of food, and even if baby turtles need more protein than adult turtles that won’t stop them from eating the plants. On this site you will find articles that cover every basic thing that a turtle owner needs to know, as well as all the advanced stuff. Painted turtles are semi-aquatic pets, meaning they live both in the water and on land, explains Aquaworld Aquarium 3. If the temperature of your room is already relatively warm (75 F), you can warm your turtle’s living area with a simple reflector-type light fixture fitted with a 60-watt, 75-watt, or 100-watt ultraviolet-B (UVB) bulb. Your baby turtle is learning to swim, after all. Some turtles will like to spend most of their time doing nothing while other turtles will be more active. This is a crucial part of how to take care of a turtle properly. This turtle care guide can help you figure out how to take care of your new pet. Some turtles will be more aggressive toward other turtles, some turtles will get scared when you pick them up and they will retreat to their shell and other turtles will try to bite you when you pick them up. Provide at least a 40-gallon fish tank that has a land half and a water half. If by any chance one of the plants grows too big you should remove it from the terrarium and place it elsewhere, you don’t want it to take up too much of your turtles space. Ready for a personal style upgrade? It’s recommended to occasionally take your baby land turtles outside, of course as long as the weather is good. How to Take Care of a Turtle. Aquatic turtles aren’t such big diggers as land turtles but they can still digg and they will do it if they have the chance. Well, if you feed them in the aquarium all the time you will have to clean the aquarium a lot more frequently. The first thing to know about bringing baby box turtle care is that you should absolutely wait until your hatchling is bright and active and eating heartily on its own before you take your new pet home (which will mean it is at least 30 days old).. All animals can go blind depending on the circumstances they are exposed to or living in. Your email address will not be published. Make sure the heater covering is plastic or metal, not glass, which turtles may break. If you have two turtles and each of them have a shell that is 3 inches you should have a tank that has 60 gallons. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. And you should occasionally change the soil when it starts to stink. A turtle can cost anywhere between $10 and $100... Do Turtles Smell? My kids got baby land turtles for B-Day, How do I take care of these little guys?? Do some research on the particular type of turtle you're looking to buy, so you know what you're getting into. ( with Videos and Statistics). wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. It all depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put to take care of them and the space that you have at your disposal. But if they show aggressive behavior toward each other than you should place them in different tanks. The fresh foods include leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, romaine, carrots, mustard greens, collard, kales, zucchini. And of you want to get more than one turtle because you don’t want your turtle to be lonely you shouldn’t bother. If you want to know more about the diet of a certain species look for the article dedicated o that species on the site and if you want to know more about what turtles eat in general check out this article: What to turtles eat ? From what I gathered from most land turtle owners it’s a good idea to keep the dept of the soil about the same as the length of the baby turtle. We are a passionate group of writers and researchers who write about pet turtles and turtles in general. You Can Help Us Keep TurtleOwner.com Alive, Guide for Lighting and Heating a Turtle Tank and Basking Area, How Fast or Slow Are Turtles ? It usually takes me around 10-15 minutes to feed my turtles when I am moving them to a container, so it doesn’t take too much even if it seems a little complex at first. Or you could move the entire tank but that can be a little problematic considering all the equipment and the fact that it’s usually pretty heavy. The water should be at least as deep as their shell's wide but be careful not to be deeper that they can reach the surface easily. Required fields are marked *. After that you should pick up the baby turtle and put it in that container. The only things that a basking area is a UV light and a heat lamp. ", "It helped me know what food to get for a turtle and how to make a turtle happy. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Replace the water, the light, other supplies, and the thermometer, and return the turtle to the freshly cleaned habitat. The turtles will take care of their needs on the soil of the aquarium which will absorb the smell and over time it will become unbearable. In fact they prefer it that way, if you want to know more about the social life turtles check out this article on our blog: Are Turtles Social Animals ? Turtles are one of the most popular house pets in the world. There are basically two ways in which you can feed your turtle, one is in the aquarium/tank and the other is in a separate container. This will be mostly up to your imagination, all I can do si to tell you to check out our recommended accessories section, you can find a link to it and even more in the Recommended Gear Page. A very good general rule is that there should be at least 10 gallons of water per inch of shell. Research source. A standard tank that can hold 15 gallons, and measures 24 inches in length, 12 inches in width and 12 inches in height is ideal for this reptile. Aquatic baby turtles will actually eat the same things as adult turtles so there is not much difference here. This is where it will spend the next few days, until the yolk sack is completely absorbed ( you can see the yolk sack if you look under the turtle ). Aquatic baby turtles will require a higher water temperature than aquatic adult turtles. Now let’s talk about the things that you have to do to make sure that your baby turtles will grow up into big and healthy turtles. How Much Do Turtles Cost? Just like all animals turtles are able to form habits, and if you make them establish some good habits in the beginning it will save you a lot of time in the future. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. This is very easy compared to the options that you have with the aquatic baby turtles. The first thing to keep in mint is that you should never mix baby turtles with adult turtles. I now know how to take care of a turtle.". Box turtles are omnivores, so you should feed it slugs, snails, crickets, and other animal matter twice a week. What is the difference? Build up smooth In the wild some baby turtles will only eat meat in their first years. We have a guide on the Best UVB bulbs for turtles you can check out for some additional help. Two, or more, turtles will definitely make more mess in the terrarium or aquarium than one turtle so you will have to clean it a little more often. Pet stores recommend for owners to use a lamp or a bulb lighted and put above the aquarium or enclosure to make the pet home warm for these baby turtles. After they are done eating you can let them in then in the container for another few minutes and then you can put them back in the aquarium. Aquatic turtles are fun pets to own and watch, but not everyone has room for the large enclosures that bigger water turtles, like red eared sliders, require. Recreate a turtle's natural habitat in the tank or wading pool. but pleaser have in mind that a baby turtle it's a little more delicate that a mature turtle so there are specific turtle care aspects that you mustn't forget. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Take-Care-of-a-Land-Turtle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Take-Care-of-a-Land-Turtle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Take-Care-of-a-Land-Turtle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid868305-v4-728px-Take-Care-of-a-Land-Turtle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"