How to Set Up a Turtle Tank | Beginner’s Guide
It’s important to provide the right habitat for any animal, including turtles! Turtles require a few things in their cage to live a happy and enjoyable life.
This article will go over the appropriate tank size, equipment, filtration, substrate, and more!
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Tank Size and Structure
The first question you may ask is how big does the tank have to be. A common guideline is 10 gallons per inch of their shell. Basically what this rule states is that for every inch on their shell you should provide 10 gallons of water volume. For example, if your turtle’s shell is about 3 inches long, then you would need to provide about 30 gallons of water.
*If you have a juvenile turtle, it’s a good idea to base the size off the average size of an adult (of your turtles species). This way you won’t have to keep upgrading their enclosure and you’ll save a bunch of money.
The glass used for turtle tanks should be at least 0.4 inches thick. Don’t use tanks made for land reptiles because the glass is too thin and may break due to the water pressure. Keep in mind that the tank should be deeper than it is wide. Otherwise, your turtle may not have enough room to flip itself upright if it accidentally turns upside-down.
- ❤Terrapin tank with built in platform and ramp for basking.(Contains only without accessories turtle tank）
- ❤The ramp has a non slip strip to aid the terrapin climbing.
- ❤Durable, strong plastic construction in kidney shape.Access ramp leading to an elevated lounging and feeding area.
Substrate
Turtles have a lot of options for substrate. Some safe options include tile, bare bottom, sand, and river rocks/pebbles that are larger than the turtles head. If you’re using sand as a substrate make sure you go outside and rinse it with a hose until the water runs clear because if you don’t the water in your tank will be cloudy for a few days.
*It’s recommended to NOT use gravel because there is a risk of impaction (if your turtle eats the gravel but isn’t able to digest it)
Decorations
First fill the tank about halfway with water so that you can begin to add in decorations.- Tip put a plate or something similar to prevent substrate from getting disturbed.
When it comes to decorations, there are several options to choose from. However, there are somethings you should avoid. You’ll need to avoid is anything that your turtle could accidentally eat and anything where your turtle might wedge themselves in between and get stuck. (Turtles breath air, so if they get stuck somewhere under water for a long period of time, they could potentially drown.)
Keep in mind that your turtle will probably rearrange somethings in the tank. If you decide to put live plants inside of the tank, make sure it is safe for your turtle in case they try to eat it.
Basking Areas
Basking areas are SUPER important for semi-aquatic turtles. Basking is when they get out of the water to go absorb the suns rays. Turtles may do this on a log, on a beach, or pretty much where ever.
There are several options when choosing a basking area. There are floating docks, above tank basking areas and DIY basking areas. The turtle topper is one of the most popular choices for the basking area. It has a ramp to get up and then the rest of the area is used for basking, this also allows you to fill the tank with water and maximize swim space.
Here’s a video about the different types of basking areas to help you decide which one is best for you…
Basking Lighting and Heating
Basking lights and heating are a NECESSITY not a “treat”. They are very important for their shell and if you don’t provide it they can even pass away. A lot of health and shell issues are directly related to whether or not you have the proper basking area lighting so make sure this is a priority in your tank.
As mentioned earlier basking is when your turtle comes up to soak in the suns rays. Basking does two things…
- It warms them up
- It provides them UVB in order to process calcium and other vitamins.
(The basking light and heat basically mimics what the sun would do if they were in the wild.)
You’ll need two different types of lights. It’s a good idea to consider getting a double dome, so that you can put the heat light on one side and the UVB light on the other. The UVB bulb will need to be replaced every 6-9 months.
- Polished aluminum dome increases light and UV output up to 30%
- Dual ceramic sockets for use with lamps up to 100 watts (each socket)
- Deep dome extends beyond the face of the lamp preventing the lamp from "sticking out"
Heating and Lighting (for the rest of the tank)
Most people just use an LED and attach it to the side of the tank to provide a better view of your turtle. You can really decide what kind of light you prefer though.
Heating isn’t technically necessary because most species of adult turtles can survive in room temperature water. Heating the water does have its benefits though and it is good for juvenile turtles. Warmer water can help them with their metabolism. If your turtle isn’t eating, sometimes warming up the temperature a bit will help them as well. The temperature you set the water too may vary depending on the species but it is usually somewhere in between 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Just a little warning: because of your turtles size you’ll need to be careful with glass heaters because they can accidentally break them. To prevent that from happening you can either buy a plastic heater or get heater guards.
Filtration
Filtration is very important for turtles because they poop in the water. It makes sure their water is staying clean and the waste is being processed. There are many different filters you can buy and you don’t need to buy one specifically made for turtles. Because turtles produce so much waste, you’re going to want to provide extra filtration. Some people use twice the amount of filtration you normally would for a fish tank. (ex:with a 30 gallon tank you may want to buy a 60 gallon tank filtration system.
- WITH ROTATING BIO-WHEEL: Patented Bio-Wheel technology provides excellent wet/dry biological filtration.
- MULTI-STAGE FILTRATION: Delivers mechanical, chemical and biological aquarium filtration to maintain a clean aquatic environment.
- COMPATIBILITY: Use with Marineland Rite-Size Filter Cartridges (see individual filter for sizing recommendations).
Once you have added the filtration system you can fill up the rest of the tank with water (depending on what type of basking area you have). Afterwards, make sure everything is plugged in and then finally place your turtle in their tank.
