At home, some families keep European freshwater turtles, which spend most of their time in the aquatic environment. To keep such a pet you need a spacious aquaterrarium.
In the article we will look at the main criteria for choosing an aquaterrarium for turtles, the optimal size and shape, material, lighting and heating, ventilation, decoration features, what the water should be, how much to pour and how to clean it, what the land area should be like, how and with what to wash the aquarium .
Choosing the size and volume of the aquarium
There are both land and aquatic turtles. The most common breed is the red-eared one. Any type of reptile is kept in an aquarium, which is a rectangular or square container of small height.
The size of the dwelling depends on the size and number of animals. Its length should be 4-5 times the diameter of the reptile's shell. The recommended wall height is 45 cm.
Habitat parameters depend on the breed of animal:
- The land turtle is constantly moving, so choose a terrarium that does not limit the pet. To keep 1 individual, a container measuring 60x50x50 cm is required. The length of the aquarium for 2 turtles is 100-120 cm.
- The size of an aquarium for aquatic reptiles is also selected taking into account the diameter of their shell. For a turtle with a small shell, a 50-liter container is sufficient. For a comfortable stay for an animal measuring 15-20 cm, 100-120 liters of water will be required. When keeping 2 turtles, an aquarium with a volume of 200 liters is made.
- For a red-eared reptile up to 10 cm in size, a 40 liter terrarium is required. If the diameter of the shell is 10-20 cm, the volume of the dwelling is increased to 80 liters. To keep 2 animals you will need an aquarium with a capacity of 150 liters.
The housing for the aquatic turtle is made rectangular. Animals swim horizontally rather than vertically. For land breeds, a square container is also suitable.
Island
An aquarium complex for a red-eared turtle must necessarily include land areas. Reptiles spend part of their time every day on the shore, basking under lamps - this is how the process of digesting food occurs. To properly equip an aquarium, you will need to purchase a special island or attach a shelf with a gentle slope to the water.
These devices must be installed so that there is at least 25-30 cm left to the edge of the sides, then the animal will not be able to get out.
The size of the land depends on the number of individuals kept, but the minimum volume should be 25-30% of the total area of the aquarium. It is better to place several islands, make them different in height, place one under a lamp and the other in the shade. The surface of the islands must be rough, with irregularities, otherwise the turtles will slide and will not be able to rise from the water.
Homemade terrarium for a red-eared turtle
You can make an aquarium for reptiles with your own hands. The assembly process does not require the use of complex devices and technologies.
Necessary materials
To make an aquarium you will need sheets of glass of the required size. You can cut parts in a workshop or at home. The cuts are made even, otherwise the seal of the container is broken. The thickness of the glass walls must be at least 6 mm.
During the assembly process you will need the following materials and devices:
glass cutter
sealant
ruler, square
adhesive tape
sandpaper
It is worth paying attention to preparing the workplace. A large table or free space on the floor will do. After assembly, the aquarium should not be touched for 3-5 days.
When working with glass, use protective gloves and a respirator.
Construction adhesive should not contain toxic components that penetrate into water.
Preference is given to silicone compounds.
Assembling the container
When making a terrarium for a red-eared turtle with your own hands, perform the following steps:
- Process the sections of glass sheets with sandpaper. When grinding, glass particles rise into the air, so you need to wear a mask when working.
- Place adhesive tape on the side wall so that the strip extends over the edge. The next part is placed on the sticky side of the tape. Both parts are installed at right angles with tape inward.
- Using adhesive tape, assemble all sides of the terrarium. The glass sheets are pressed tightly against each other. The sides are aligned parallel.
- Degrease the joints with alcohol and coat them twice with sealant. Each layer is leveled. To prevent glue from getting on the glass, areas adjacent to the joint are covered with masking tape. The sealant should completely fill the joints. Better connections are obtained when using a special gun.
- Install the bottom, securing it with drops of sealant. After checking the evenness, treat the joints with silicone.
- Leave the aquarium until the glue dries, then carefully turn it over. Remove the tape, erasing traces of glue. Treat all seams with a second layer of sealant and allow the composition to dry.
Checking the quality of work
After the joints have hardened, the container is filled with water and left for 2-3 days. If leaks are detected, the seams are treated with another layer of silicone.
A large-volume terrarium is reinforced with stiffening ribs. To do this, install horizontal plastic strips 4 cm wide in the corners. Glue is used for fastening.
Photos of homemade products
A homemade aquaterrarium for turtles is not much different from one bought in a store. You can see what these homemade products look like in the photo.
External
In order to circumvent all these disadvantages, aquatic animal lovers should acquire an external device. They are especially suitable for owners of large turtles with a shell length of 10–15 centimeters.
For such amphibians, a container with a volume of more than 120 liters is required. When purchasing an external filter for red-eared turtles, you should take into account that its output should be at least 8–10 aquarium volumes per hour. Externally, the device resembles a canister. Water purification is carried out in a container that looks like a tank, and it is attached to the outside of the aquarium. Water is pumped from the terrarium to the filter and back thanks to a pump, as well as outlet and intake plastic tubes.
Inside the external filter for the red-eared turtle there are several compartments for various types of fillers, which perform the cleaning function. Bacteria also multiply in them, providing biological purification of water. Through the intake tube, water is drawn from the container. Then it is passed through the filter itself with the appropriate fillers, and the already oxygenated and purified liquid is poured back into the aquarium.
Interior arrangement of the aquarium
After making the container, it is supplied with all the elements necessary for a comfortable living for the reptile.
Lighting and heating systems
Warming up the turtle's body helps produce vitamin D3, which is necessary for shell growth.
Instead of sunbathing, terrariums use ultraviolet radiation and incandescent lamps.
The latter are classic and halogen. The second type is considered more effective due to the high temperature of the coil.
The power of a classic lamp is 40-60 W. The turtle shell requires heating to 30 °C, so the distance between the island and the light source is calculated empirically.
Aquariums are equipped with lamps with built-in or external reflectors. The beam opening angle should cover the entire surface of the animal's shell.
When installing lighting fixtures, consider the following points:
- When splashes hit the flask, the glass breaks. Incandescent lamps last no more than 1000 hours. It is recommended to replace standard lighting fixtures with ceramic ones that do not have these disadvantages.
- The terrarium must have areas inaccessible to radiation.
- When installing ultraviolet lamps, take into account the recommended wavelength of 280-315 nm. The recommended illumination level is 7-9 thousand lux.
- LEDs are used as an ultraviolet source. They are characterized by a long service life and high energy efficiency.
- Lighting devices should work 8-10 hours a day.
Filtration and ventilation
The health of a pet depends on the cleanliness of the environment in which it lives. Therefore, when setting up a turtle aquarium, filters are installed.
The devices keep the water clean, allowing you to change it less often.
Aquariums for turtles are equipped with external filtration systems. Internal devices quickly become dirty and fail.
For normal life, an aquatic turtle needs air. Small aquariums are naturally ventilated. If the amount of water exceeds 800 l, a blowdown or exhaust device must be installed.
In hot weather, forced ventilation helps maintain a comfortable water temperature.
Chemical composition and amount of water
The volume of liquid in the aquarium depends on the size of the animal. The water level is chosen so that it allows the turtle to easily roll over. If the diameter of the shell is 10 cm, the depth of the pool is 15 cm.
The aquarium is filled with tap water, standing for 5 days. Do not pour the liquid straight away: the chlorine it contains causes allergic reactions.
Water must have the following qualities:
- acidity within 6-8;
- any hardness (however, liquid with a high concentration of carbonate is considered more beneficial for the turtle);
- temperature +26…+30 °C (as this indicator decreases, the reptile becomes less mobile and refuses food).
sushi island
The presence of an area deprived of water is mandatory. The red-eared turtle spends most of the day in the pool, but needs dry land to warm up and rest.
When arranging an island, the following nuances are taken into account:
- Make sure that the surface of the land is not slippery.
- It is desirable that its size is 3-4 times larger than the diameter of the reptile’s shell (if there are several individuals, leave 2 turtle dimensions for each pet).
- Provides shaded and illuminated areas.
- The land is located above the water level.
- The beach is secured so that it can support the weight of the reptile.
- When making the shore, no materials that emit toxic substances are used.
If you don’t have time to assemble an island at home, you can equip the terrarium with a ready-made element.
Soil and decoration of the aquarium
Decorating an aquarium for a red-eared slider is a process in which the pet owner can be creative.
However, when decorating, follow the rules to help create comfortable conditions for the reptile:
- To decorate the aquaterrarium, use products made from safe materials. It is not recommended to install plastic decorative elements. The same goes for objects with sharp edges. Stones, grottoes, and driftwood help give the aquarium an attractive appearance.
- To decorate the bottom, medium fraction soil is used. Turtles can eat shallow substrate. In addition, such soil quickly becomes contaminated and is difficult to clean.
Aquatic vegetation
Live plants are placed in aquariums with young turtles.
Adults eat algae, so artificial decorative elements are installed in the aquarium with them.
Sexually mature reptiles do not require soil or plants.
Lighting installation
It is impossible to properly set up an aquarium for a red-eared turtle without installing two types of lighting. The main function of an incandescent lamp is to heat an area of land (island) where the animal goes after eating. For the digestion process of a reptile, an air temperature of at least 28-33 degrees is required, otherwise the metabolism slows down. When the temperature drops below 20 degrees, the animal can become seriously ill. To ensure suitable conditions, you will need a 60-75 W incandescent lamp, which must be placed directly above the island. Clothes-pin lamps, which are conveniently attached to the side of the aquarium, work well.
To keep a turtle at home, the presence of an ultraviolet lamp is crucial. Without the opportunity to bask in the sun, the reptile quickly weakens and becomes vulnerable to disease, and the inability to absorb calcium due to a lack of vitamin D leads to the development of rickets. To avoid these consequences, you need to install a special UV lamp, which is turned on daily for several hours
It is important to remember that reptiles quickly overheat, so the aquaterrarium must have a shaded corner where the temperature does not exceed 25 degrees
IMPORTANT: When purchasing a UV lamp, you need to pay attention to the type of radiation. Only UVB and UVA rays are suitable for reptiles; a lamp labeled UVC can cause a burn on the retina of the turtle's eye, which will make it blind
Briefly about the conditions of keeping red-eared turtles
The animal lives a long time and remains healthy only with appropriate care and proper nutrition.
Meat is used to feed turtles under 3 years of age. After puberty, half of the diet consists of plant foods.
You can feed your reptile:
- beef, poultry, offal;
- insects (worms, cockroaches without legs, grasshoppers);
- aquarium snails;
- sea fish, seafood;
- aquarium or indoor plants (except for poisonous ones);
- beet or carrot tops, nettles;
- vegetables, berries, fruits;
- pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
What not to use
It is not recommended to feed the turtle peas, cabbage and spinach, which interfere with the absorption of calcium. It is undesirable to introduce tomatoes into the diet, which disrupt phosphorus metabolism. Nuts and berry seeds negatively affect the functioning of the digestive system.
Sour fruits contribute to stomach ulcers. A plastic bowl decorated with palm trees, which may be called a “turtle bowl,” should not be used to keep the animal.
Aquarium location
It is recommended to place the aquaterrarium in places located away from household appliances and heat sources. The equipment near or inside the container is placed so that the pet cannot reach the electrical wires and bite them.
Cohabitation of reptiles with other creatures
The red-eared turtle is a predatory animal, so living in the same aquarium with fish is impossible.
The reptile first eats small individuals, after which it moves on to larger ones. The aquatic turtle does not get along well with snails.
She easily chews their shells, eating the contents. It is not recommended for males of the same species to live together. However, they are able to get along with the female. The turtle does not need company: its favorite pastime is searching for food.
Should turtles stay in the aquarium overnight?
Reptiles can spend the night in water, but they do not swim deep. The turtle can be left overnight in the aquarium if it is equipped with an island and a water heater.
If maintaining the desired water temperature is impossible, the pet is transferred to a box with a lamp or heating pad.
Where is it more comfortable for a land dweller?
The debate about where it is best for a pet turtle to live continues to this day. There is an opinion that the reptile feels best on free grazing. Indeed, this option has a number of certain advantages:
- the pet can move freely and independently choose a suitable place to rest;
- he is not threatened by the negative influence of a confined space.
However, upon closer examination it turns out that there are much more negative aspects in this case:
- The reptile is not provided with proper humidity. In addition, in such conditions, other necessary parameters are not maintained - illumination and air temperature.
- The turtle will often climb into secluded corners where it is difficult to detect, and, naturally, it will not receive ultraviolet radiation. She is not protected from cold and drafts and can get injured.
- The pet will be deprived of one of the main joys - digging soil. Where in the apartment can she find soil or sand to bury herself in?
- Adaptation in conditions of such freedom can be significantly delayed. As practice shows, reptiles do not care where they crawl. She feels uncomfortable in the new environment. She is frightened by sharp sounds, unknown routes, and the absence of a house.
- Reptiles are quite curious; they can chew and even swallow small inedible objects. If in nature they often turn out to be pieces of limestone and pebbles, then in apartment conditions these pets often gorge themselves on garbage.
So, if you weigh all the pros and cons, it turns out that caring for a reptile includes creating a convenient and comfortable terrarium.
