Caring for Turtles
If you consider a turtle as a pet it is important to know the right information about caring for turtles. As many would think, turtle care may not seem very difficult as the first task of obtaining a turtle is very easy. However, this is only the beginning and people’s ignorance and lack of care causes many of these creatures to die. The following information provides some basic guidelines on how to keep these creatures alive and happy.
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Caring for Turtles Guidelines:
Housing
The first consideration is housing. Small turtles can remain indoors for fear of predators and can be kept in an aquarium. Regarding the turtle aquarium setup: the floor must be filled with gravel and its should be accommodating for the turtle to come up for air and come out of the water when it feels like. The water must be free from chlorine and a heater and water filter must be inserted also.
Water Quality
In terms of the quality of water, the temperature should be between the range of 18 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius. A quarter of the water should be changed each week and special attention should be paid to the acidity of the water. If the water is high in acidity one teaspoon of marine salt should be added per ten liters to avoid Turtle Health Problems.
Light
Turtles need to be exposed to light as without heat they will die. A light bulb which is recommended is the UVB/UVA lamp. One acts as sunlight while the other acts as moonlight. The reason why these artificial lights are used is due to the fact that turtles don’t receive the normal sunlight if they live inside.
Food
Turtles should be fed three to five times for the week and the amount which is given to them should be between five to ten pieces of food. Pay careful attention to the turtle food found in your local supermarket as sometimes they are for tortoises or even turtles in different countries. There are also carnivorous turtles which only eat in the water but the meat which they eat can cause deformities in them due to the lack of certain nutrients. Therefore foods which can be fed to turtles are:
- Bloodworms
- Small crustaceans
- Feeder fish
Health
Before embarking on having a turtle being aware of the responsibilities and information regarding the overall health of the turtle should be learned. Many of the problems found with turtles can be traced back to management problems in terms of not caring for turtles properly.
Some of the disease problems encountered when caring for turtles are:
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Reproductive disorders
- Skin conditions
- Parasitism
Taking care of a turtle can be easy once the basic information and the determination are there.
Remember these few additional tips when caring for turtles:
- Salmonella can easily be given to children who touches the turtles and don’t wash their hands
- Turtles cannot survive on hot dogs or cat foods but require specific eating requirements.
- An overhead light on your room or the night lamp is not going to be sufficient to keep the turtle warm
- Turtles do not like to be walked as it stresses them out and can lead to health problems. They will be happier if left in their habitat. Keep this in mind when caring for turtles.
>>> Learn How to Give Your Turtle a Happy, Fun and Long Life – Click Here <<<
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