Thursday, April 2, 2009

Pet Turtle Care : Top Tips on Choosing the Right Turtle Tanks

Pet Turtle Care

When you decide to keep a turtle as a pet, you have to invest in turtle tanks to put the turtles in. Turtles are low maintenance creatures and once they have settled down in their tanks, they really require nothing much except clean, fresh, bacteria-free water that is aerated.

In terms of maintenance, they are as demanding as fishes - meaning, they are not demanding at all. Give your turtle its freedom in the turtle tanks and it will be more than happy, paddling by itself and sometimes looking out for its owner or following simple commands.

Turtles are extremely hassle-free pets.

Necessity of turtle tanks

Even before you buy your favorite species of turtle, you need to decide on the tank as a turtle requires a proper natural habitat to survive.

A spacious roomy turtle tank with clean, fresh, bacteria-free, aerated water is necessary to prevent the development of skin and shell disease and ear abscess which are results of poor hygiene. It may even turn fatal. You should also never overcrowd the tank with more turtles than it can fit.

Set up a turtle tank outside the home, close to nature, in a corner of your yard where the turtle will feel happiest. Your yard should be a safe place, short of predators or environmental concerns.

Don't keep your turtle tank out in the yard if you spray pesticides on your plants. It will be harmful for your turtle.

Living outside in the open, in harmony with nature will ensure that a turtle knows when it's time to go into hibernation. A proper hibernation ensures a healthy liver. If you keep the turtle inside your home, it won't be able to determine the right time to hibernate and may fall prey to liver damage.

Size of turtle tanks

40-gallon turtle tanks should be the minimum size. You may want to go for a bigger tank (as needed), but it should certainly not be smaller than this as turtles require roomy habitats.

Features of turtle tanks

Must haves in a turtle tanks are:

• A dry land area

• A bit of marshy region

• Water area

Most turtles that are kept as pets are amphibians that paddle about in the water and love to bask in the sun on a dry piece of land. They should be able to submerge themselves completely in the water and at the same time stick their heads out of their shells comfortably. Water depth can't be more than 2 feet. Appetite-whetting plants should be planted in the marsh.

For tips on box turtle care and turtle breeding, visit the Turtle Facts website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_J_Lee

0 comments: