Pet Turtle Care : A Quick Guide to Turtle Care

Pet Turtle Care

Proper and adequate turtle care is an essential part of keeping a turtle as a pet. It will look up to you from now on for subsistence. If you don't take good care of your turtle, it will be unhappy and moody. One good thing about turtle care is that turtles are low maintenance, hassle-free creatures that don't demand attention constantly, nor do they require much exercise and are happiest when left to play on their own.

The 3 most important aspects of turtle care are proper feeding, having good quality water, and keeping an ideal temperature in the turtle tank.

Items required for proper turtle care

• Ultra violet lights

• Turtle food

• Terrapin and turtle aquariums

• Aquarium heaters

• Terrapin food

• Aquarium filters

Instructions on proper turtle care

# 1

Your turtle should have a special terrapin or turtle diet as recommended by experts and vets, and in the right proportions.

# 2

The turtle diet should be supplemented with suitable snacks such as fruits, leafy green plants and stems, algae, mouse pups, small fish, crustaceans, earthworms, etc. If you purchased your turtle from a pet store, make sure to ask them if your turtle is herbivorous, carnivorous or omnivorous. Younger turtles of some species are carnivorous, but when they grow up, they turn herbivorous.

# 3

Your turtle should be fed twice or three times a week. Feed it in a separate tiny holding tank that is not connected in any way to the main enclosure. You have to take this precaution because diseases tend to result from the uneaten food. The uneaten food will rot, decompose, and lead to the growth of microorganisms.

# 4

After your turtle has finished off his dinner, use luke warm water to rinse him off and then release him in to his tank.

# 5

Instead of a multi-purpose vet, go for a specialist vet who deals with exotic creatures, amphibians and reptiles exclusively. This will ensure proper treatment, medication, and quick healing for your pet.

# 6

Water temperature inside the turtle tank should be 77 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining the correct water temperature is very important.

More tips on turtle care

• Turtles suffer from common medical complications like excessive protein levels, deficiency of vitamin and imbalance in mineral content in the body.

• Turtles also suffer from skin and shell diseases and ear abscess because of poor water hygiene.

• The biggest threat for turtles is posed by MBD or metabolic bone disease. This is a result of lack of exercise, lighting and improper feeding.

• Remember not to introduce a turtle directly to new water in the turtle tank as it will receive a thermal shock. Give it some time to habituate and acclimatize.

Learn about turtle care and turtle pictures at the Turtle Facts site

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