We first have to understand that a fish tank and a turtle tank are two different things. Fish needs only water to survive. This is why fish tanks are completely inundated with water. On the other hand, the turtles are amphibians. They need land as well as water. It is imperative to provide them with some kind of dry surface they can cling to, when they want to come to land. For fulfilling this prerogative, the turtle tanks are provided with a rock that is only half submerged in water. Moreover, even the tank should be only half filled by water. The rock can be substituted with worn driftwood or cork bark floats as well.

It is important to provide the turtle with sufficient space to extend itself; both in terms of length sand height. This is why perhaps a 20 gallon tank is considered optimum. This again is optimum for a very young turtle but soon their limbs and body outgrow the tank. This is why it is important to buy a tank that is far bigger than the stipulated requirement. Why don’t we plan it this way that we do not have to buy a tank ever again?

It is paramount to keep the water level greater than the width of the turtle. In the event of the water level being thinner, the turtle may drown if it lands upside down. Again, it is important not to have clustered spaces underwater. The turtle might get wedged there and hence get suffocated.

While setting up a turtle tank, it is better to avoid any unnecessary adornment and even sand and gravel content. Turtles can easily live on water plants and there must not be a dearth of such plants ideally. This was about food. Next essential component is sunlight. For this reason, it is advisable to place a spotlight above the dry rock that we had talked about. Such spotlight can mimic the sun and thus the turtle fancies basking under it just as it would have done in an outdoor environment.

When you set up your first turtle tank, you should focus on the land area if you have a will to breed your turtles. A land area is paramount for the function of keeping buried eggs dry. If a female turtle does not find a land area, she tends to keep the egg inside the womb. Long retention can cause injuries to the female and also create grounds for huge infections in the female turtle.

If you would like to explore or find more useful information about Pet Turtles please visit our Pet Turtle Care Site. Also, check out our Turtle Guide Book.