To make a suitable home for your turtle you will need:
* Light Unit + UVB Globe * Water conditioners * Heater
* Turtle dock * Filter * Clamp Lamp + Infrared Globe
* Gravel * Calcium Block * Food
* Gravel siphon * Live Plants
Setting up your tank:
1. Rinse gravel in bucket to remove dust and dirt
2. Place gravel in bottom of tank
3. Position turtle dock
4. Position the clamp lamp with infrared lamp over the turtle dock
5. Place the UV light unit over the back of the tank ensuring there is no coverglass under it
6. Fill your tank two thirds (2/3) full
7. Add water treatments
8. Position the heater and filter so they are both fully submerged and turn them on, setting the heater to 24 degrees.
9. Allow about 2 hours for the water to warm up before putting your turtle in
Your turtle will be more likely to get sick if the environment is unclean. We recommend a weekly to fortnightly partial water change to ensure the health of your turtle, and a larger monthly change.
Feeding:
When feeding your turtle, we recommend removing them from the tank to reduce waste going into your tank. Place your turtle in a small container, and fill with about 3cm of water from their tank. Put in one block of frozen turtle dinner per turtle, and allow about an hour for them to eat and go to the toilet. Be sure to keep the container in a warm area, your turtle won’t eat if he is cold!
A Few Pointers
Your aquarium should have gravel which is large enough that your turtle won’t accidentally swallow it. You will need a layer about 3cm thick.
A turtle dock is essential so that your turtle can get out of the water to dry off it’s shell and get the UV it needs. The UVB won’t penetrate glass, so make sure there is no glass between the UV globe and the turtle dock. Ensure the UV light is on for 8 – 12 hours a day. You also need an infrared basking lamp, positioned over the turtle dock. This stays on all the time to ensure the air temperature stays warm in the tank.
The UV globe will need to be replaced every 12 months, as it will lose it’s strength.
You must ensure your turtle has a balanced diet. Frozen Turtle Diet is a good staple, with frozen bloodworm occasionally as a treat. As your turtle grows, provide some small live fish as this will encourage natural hunting behaviour. Packaged turtle pellets are also a well balanced food.
Make sure your turtle also has access to fresh plants to eat, such as Elodea. They need this for extra Vitamin A.
When your turtle is very small the sides of their shell are delicate, so handle with care.
Be sure to check your turtle’s shell regularly to ensure it is firm. Ensuring you always have a turtle calcium block in the water will help with this.
Test your water regularly to ensure good conditions. You can either buy your own master test kit, or bring about a cup of water into Pets Wonderland for free testing.