Fresh Water Aquariums
Helping Animals One Life at a Time
Share our site with Friends
Turtle Faqs
When people walk into a pet store and see baby turtles, most of the time they buy on impulse because they are cute. Many are misinformed on the realistic facts of being a turtle owner and what they all require. Turtles are amazing pets, but you have to know what you're getting into when you buy them because there is a chance that they will outlive you. It's so important to think before making a decision to buy a turtle. If you decide you'd like a pet turtle, adopt one. There are so many people who purchase a turtle are unaware of a lot of things and when it turns out the turtle is not what they expected, they get rid of it. So many turtles are left without homes and rescues are overflowing with them.
Here are some turtle facts that everyone should know.
Size
Feeding
Many people are misinformed about the size a baby turtle will grow to. Here is a shining example of the size of a baby bought at a petstore and a female Red Eared Slider. This adult female is still not the max size, she still has about 3" to grow.
Male red eared sliders grow 7"-8" long and female red eared sliders grow 12"-14" long.
Tank Requirements
This is an example of an inapropriate turtle setup. The general rule of thumb is 10 gallons per 1 inch of turtle. There have been cases of turtles growing deformed due to the size of the tank. Turtles need their space.
Feed your turtle(s) the commercial pellets about twice a week with veggies inbetween pellet feedings. It is ultimately better to feed your turtle(s) in a separate bin to avoid getting a messy tank. Becareful of overfeeding, feed your turtle(s) as much as they will eat in about 5 minutes. If you want to feed your turtle insects, feed them as a treat about once a week, you can calcium dust the insects. There is a feeding guide above with a list of fruits and veggies they can have.
