Need Help on Caring for a Turtle

[LosC]

MY friend has a turtle, not sure what kind, it's getting big and has outgrown its 5 or 10g nonfiltered, nonheated tank. I'm not sure what kind of turtle it is but it seems to be your common turtle that start out tiny and get huge. It's tank is set up with rocks and water filled halfway so the turtle can be out of the water completely if it wants to. I'm wondering what kind of conditions this turtle needs to be healthy.

[invadertoast]

Does it have a basking lamp? Having a warm spot to go to is a vital part of keeping almost any reptile. They are also messy and need to have a filter. I'm not a turtle expert by any means, but I know those two an absolute must.

Any idea what species? It would be easier to find answers.

[LosC]

I looked up some common kept turtles in Canada and to me it seems like it is a Common Map Turtle. The lamp on the tank has been broken for a couple days. The turtle seems to be trying to escape the tank, climbing up the wall. My friend does care for it by changing its water when needed but I dont think she knows how to properly care for the turtle. I'm wondering what kind of diet the turtle needs, water treatment, heating, etc?

[angelcakes]

heres a link that might help on the common map turtle
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[houie925]

water 70-80F, land area with temp 70-80F, basking area around 85-90F, heavy filtration, frequent water changes, much larger tank(water should be at least as deep as the carapace length of the turtle, twice as wide, 4 times as long), feed protein and a variety of veggies. I think that about covers it. really that will suit just about any semi aquatic turtle.

[LosC]

Do they prefer a substrate? Is gravel ok for them?

[Ark6ie]

i have a bare-bottom tank for mine with access to a land area made of sand. i find that keeoing the water section just glass with no substrate is heaps easier to clean, and i know that they arent going to accidently ingest gravel while they are eating.

[houie925]

I agree 100% with no substrate for turtles. I could never keep my loggerhead clean when I had gravel with him. now it takes me a few seconds every couple days and a few minutes once a week to keep his tank spotless

[LosC]

I'm not sure what to feed it for protein. Would fish pellets be ok? Shrimp pellets? Along with some frozen foods like brine shrimp and bloodworms. What do you feed your turtle?

[Lady Hobbs]

I was just reading today to pick dandelions for your turtles and lizards leaving the flowers on.

[Ark6ie]

i feed mine earthworms mostly, maybe once or twice a fortnight they get bloodworms, and im sure they are snacking on the flakes im feeding my fish that are in there as well lol. very rarely they will get some raw lean mince or some raw chicken breast. i dont want to feed to much protein or fat as their body will grow to fast and they wont be able to withdraw themselves into their shell. i have feeder fish in there for them to eat if they are hungry they would rather swim harmlessly next to them) aswell as a healthy snail population.
im also going to start to feed some turtle pellets this friday.

[Lady Hobbs]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Here's where I saw dandelions being fed. This site is awesome and has information about just everything! It's probably my favorite site.

[LosC]

I have that website bookmarked but have never really looked into it. I want that monkey, wondering if they're legal in Canada.

K so they like fish, snails, worms and veggies. I'll be over their tommorrow getting em settled into his new spacious loft. Are turtles aware of backgrounds? Wondering if I should include the background for my friends tank.

[Ark6ie]

i dont know bout backgrounds as to whether or not a turtle would notice. mine dont have one, they seem happy enough (so happy i caught them doing an adults only show the other week if you get my meaning lol). add one if you want to, after all it wouldnt hurt :19:

[LosC]

Are crayfish good turtle tankmates?

[houie925]

probably not. crays and tend to be pretty posessive of the tank bottom so small turtles may be killed and eaten by the cray. larger turtles there will just be agression and if they are evenly matched, multiple injuries. if not one will likely kill the other. turtles don't go well with much of anything, especially if it's agressive and territorial like a cray.

[Ark6ie]

if you dont mind them possibly becoming lunch...... i had 8 in my turtle tank, i have none left now lol

[LosC]

My friend already put "Sebastien" the crayfish in with "Patricia" the turtle. I will let her now they dont make good tankmates and injuries and eventually death will occur. The turtle is maxed out I believe in size. The crayfish is a good 3 inches long. I'm taking my friend to buy a filter for the new tank, will be getting a 40g rated filter. Will also get some water conditioner as she would like to keep some fish in the tank. I suggested Goldfish and mentioned how the turtle will eventually eat the goldfish one by one.