How to Take Care of a Baby Turtle

Turtles are becoming very popular as pets nowadays. That is because of the impressive appearance and quality companionship of the animal. Usually, baby turtles are more preferred as pets than the adult turtle. The baby turtles require special care as they are prone to disease and other issues. You must know how to take care of a baby turtle to ensure the well-being and long lifespan. Keep reading the below write-up to know the correct way of handling and caring for a baby turtle.

How to Take Care of a Baby Turtle – Must Follow The 3 Steps

# Preferring Baby Turtle Habitat ( For Take Care)

Turtles have been a wild animal for thousands of years. It is incredibly crucial to ensure a proper habitat for the turtle in captivity that will resemble its wild environment. Before we drive, let me tell you that you will need to give a lot of effort to prefer the turtle habitat. Here is the stuff that you will need to do:

Go for a Bigger Tank

The smaller tanks are cheaper than, the bigger ones. But buying the smaller containers for the baby turtles will be a dumb idea. Turtles can grow bigger quickly within a short time, and you must offer them a bigger tank with an adequate room when they become adults. So, it will be better and more cost-effective to go for a bigger aquarium or tank. The width of the turtle tank will be two times bigger than the turtle size.

You should acknowledge how much the turtle can become when it is fully grown. Then purchase a tank depending on the size. As an example, turtles around 4 to 6 inches need 30 gallons tank. Size between 6 to 8 inches will require at least. Turtles bigger than 8 inches will require around 75 to 125-gallon tanks.

Install Water Filter

Turtles are pretty messy, and they can make the water dirty within a short time. That’s why you will require an appropriate water filter to keep the water fresh. Go for a filter rated three to four times volume of the water tank. A water filter will make your job easier as you will not need to change the water every day. Without a filter, you will need to replace the water daily.

However, even when a water filter is installed, you will need to change the water once in a while. You will need to change some water amount once a week and replace the water once in two weeks. There are different types of water filters out there, including canister filer, internal aquarium filter, Hang on Back filters, and Under gravel filters. The canister filters are most suitable for turtle tanks.

Add UVB Lights and Heater

Turtles cannot operate their body temperature, and they depend on an external source for maintaining the temperature. You will need to add a water heater to keep the water temperature as per the species of the turtle. Most baby turtle species require a temperature around 78 to 82 degrees F. Make sure to select the proper heater depending on the size of the tank.

Turtles also require UVB rays, which they usually get from the sun in the wild. You will need to add UVB lights above the turtle tank to ensure proper UVB rays in its captive habitat. It is quite vital for shell development and resists different bone diseases. Usually, the UVB light needs to be installed on the basking area of the turtle.

Add a Basking Area

Turtles require basking for a while every day. There should be a dry area on the tank where the turtle can rest comfortably. Besides, the basking area should occupy around 25% of the aquarium. You can use rock, floating turtle dock, or gravel built up to prepare the basking area. There should be a slope so that the turtle can easily reach the basking area using it. The basking area should at least two times bigger than the turtle’s size.

# Diet and Nutrition of Baby Turtle Care

Unlike the other pets, the turtles are omnivores, and they can eat a variety of foods. More so, they are opportunist eaters and love to eat a lot of meals even when in full stomach. You will need to offer the proper nourishment to the turtle in the appropriate amount to ensure an appropriate diet and nutrition.

Offer the Correct Foods

The baby turtles require a variety of foods to grow. They also require a lot of time to eat. However, you need to careful as overfeeding the turtle will not be a good idea. As a general rule of thumb, you will need to feed the turtle for around 20 to 30 minutes. The pellets are considered as the ideal food for the turtle. However, that is not enough. The pellets contain only 25% of the total nutrition of the turtle.

You should offer incest like worms, crickets, small fish or shrimp, etc. to ensure the protein source. You will also need to provide different types of dark leafy green vegetables. Moreover, you may offer chopped meats or fruits to the baby pet on special occasions.

 Feed turtle in a Separate Tanker

As we said earlier, the turtles are pretty messy, and they can make the tanked dirty after eating. They will also leave a lot of leftovers. It is better to feed the turtle in a separate tanker. Turtles usually eat foods swallowed in the water. So, remember to add water in the container while feeding it.

# Maintaining the Environment For Special Care

You will need to clean the turtle tank once in a while to ensure a healthier environment. Apart from cleaning the tank, we will also need to change the filter media regularly. Make sure to disinfectant the tank when you are changing the water. Here is how to clean the tank.

Cleaning the Tank

You may use a siphon-type aquarium vacuum cleaner to substrate the bottom of the tank, including the rocks and gravels, once in 4 to 5 days. To make sure that the turtle tank water is in the right shape, you can do a pH test. Using a pH meter to check the pH of the water in the tank. The water pH should be around 5.5 to 7. If it is not at the right level, change the water in quick order.

Disinfecting the Turtle Tank

First, remove the turtle from the tank and place it in a sperate tanker or sink filled with water. Now remove all the electrical components from the container. Make sure to unplug the outlets before removing the device. Now clean the bottom surface of the tank with soaping water. Then remove the basking area and clean it thoroughly using soap water. Do the same for the substrate and other attachments.

Make sure to spray disinfectant after cleaning with soap water. Rub the entire surface using a sponge and then use fresh water to rinse away the excess solution. Make sure to use gloves while cleaning the surface to resist any disease like salmonella and others.

Conclusion

The baby turtles require additional care and maintenance to ensure proper health and well-being. However, make sure that you are not touching the turtle too much as it contains different salmonella and parasite. A turtle can be a lifelong friend of you if appropriately maintained.

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