Elmer' Aquarium:         Care Tips for Slider Turtles (and other semi-aquatic turtles)

  20 Gallon Tank Checklist- our staff can help you select the right equipment for your turtle.
       * Aquarium - A minimum of 20 gal (for small turtles is required.)  Many of our customers us larger tanks such as 30, 50, 75 or even 125 gallon tanks.
       * Tetra ReptoMin turtle food sticks
       * Submersible Filter - Supreme Ovation Filter, or AquaClear Powerhead with foam filter cartridge
       * Floating  Turtle Platform, or turtle ramp for them to dry their shell
       * Net- to remove uneaten food or waste.
       * Submersible Thermostatic Heater (about 75-100  watts) 
       * Thermometer- water temperature should be around 80 degrees.
       * Basking Light with incandescent basking bulb.- so they can dry their shell.  It can be turned of at night
       * Screen cover- this is optional, but it will keep other pets out.
       * Book on turtle care.

How To Set Up Your Tank
Water turtles are sometimes called semi-aquatic turtles because they live on both land and water. They must have room to swim, and also a dry area to bask in.   Fill your aquarium about 1/3 full with water (minimum 3 inches of water). Make an area that the turtle can climb out on by using either a Tetra Floating Platform (see picture), or stack some flat rocks high enough that your turtle can climb out of the water. If your turtle cannot dry its shell completely, it may get fungus. It is a good idea to add 1 tablespoon of non-iodized salt to every 5 gallons of water. This will help prevent fungus. Replace the salt when you change water.

Heat:  Proper temperature is crucial to the well being of your turtle. Room temperature may be sufficient during the summer months, but a heat source must be provided at other times of the year. Keep the temperature in your tank between 80 and 86 degrees. If your turtle is too cold, it will not eat and will get sick. You can heat your tank with an incandescent light or a submergible heater. The best way is to use both. Leave the incandescent light on for about 8 hours a day, and set the thermostat on the heater to 80 degrees.    Night time temperatures as low as 65 degrees are safe. If you use an incandescent light, you can turn it off at night.

Sunlight:  Sunlight is very good for your turtles shell. So during warm weather let your turtle bask in the sun (not filtered through glass) whenever possible. When the turtle is basking in direct sunlight make sure it also has access to a cooler shaded area.

Filters:  Turtles must have clean water in order to stay healthy. If you don't have a filter change the water twice a week (or whenever it looks dirty). With a filter you won't have to clean the tank nearly as often.

Maintenance:  Remove wastes or uneaten food from your tank with a net. Clean your filter once a week.  Twice a month do a partial water change by siphoning from the bottom of the tank. Change all of the water if the water is cloudy, or if an odor is present.

Feeding: Tetra ReptoMin is an excellent basic diet for water turtles. ReptoMin is floating food sticks made from a variety of natural ingredients, and is eagerly eaten. An average turtle will eat about 2-4  Tetra ReptoMin food sticks per day.   You can also feed your turtle frozen or freeze-dried krill,  mealworms, crickets, or earthworms.   Offer your turtle food once a day. Feed it a small amount. If it eats it all give it some more. Feed it as much as it wants, and remove any food that it does not eat after 10 minutes. Never let decaying food lay in the bottom of the tank.    Semi-aquatic turtles must be in water in order to swallow, therefore always drop the food in the water.   A healthy turtle can go weeks without food, so don't worry if your turtle does not eat sometimes. Turtles often lose their appetites during the fall and winter, or when they first arrive at a new home. If your turtle goes a long time without eating, increase the temperature in the tank to stimulate its appetite.

Book: A reference book is essential for proper care.  We carry several books for under $10.00.
 
Turtles and Federal Law: All turtles sold in the U.S. must have a shell size of at least 4" to comply with Federal Law.

Elmer’s Aquarium Pet Center    4005 Wm Penn Hwy. Monroeville, Pa. 15146    (412) 372-6535
Daily 10-9:30, Sunday 12:00- 5:00    Aquarium Specialist Since 1969