When it comes to pet turtles, there are a lot of things you should know. If you do not know most of these things, you might have a little bit of a problem taking proper care of your turtle. This is why it is important to be well prepared whenever you want to get a turtle.
Before you get a turtle, you should be well acquainted with the things needed for a turtle to live comfortably. You should also know things such as how to take care of your turtle, the diet pattern of your turtle, and a lot more. All of these things and more are going to be discussed in this article.
What Do Turtles Need to Live?
There are a couple of things a turtle need for them to live healthily and happily. Below are a few of those things.
1. A good Natural Habitat
This is the first thing you should keep in mind if you are thinking about the things a turtle needs to live. You need to ensure you have a good natural habitat on the ground before you go ahead and get a pet turtle.
The reason is relatively simple. The habitat of a turtle will determine if it can live healthily and the health of the turtle is what determines if it can be disease resistant. You need to ensure you build a big natural habitant with enough space for it to move around and get sunlight. There should also be soil and water.
2. A good Diet
This is another thing that affects the life of a turtle. If you do not feel your turtle well, the chances of your turtle dying due to a health factor are relatively high. The feeding pattern influences the immune system.
If you feed your turtle well and regularly, you have nothing to worry about as your turtle will have a strong immune system thereby reducing the chances of your turtle dying from an illness. You also need to ensure that you feed your turtle with various turtle canned turtle foods, earthworms, and a lot more. All these things affect the lifespan of your turtle.
3. Regular Exercise
This is another thing you need to keep in mind if you are thinking about things Turtle needs to live. You need to know that turtles, just like other animals, need exercise to keep healthy and fit. Without proper exercise, your turtle might fall sick.
This is why it is very important to build a cage or habitant that is relatively big. That way, there will be enough room for your turtle to do exercise and play around. This will help its health and will help your turtle to live longer and better.
How Can I Provide the Right Shelter for my Turtle?
There are a lot of things you need to do if you are looking to provide the right shelter for your turtle. Below are some of the things you should do.
– Build a Large Cage and Add Peat Moss or Soil
This is the first thing you need to do if you are looking to build a good habitat for your turtle. You need to take your time to build a large cage. This cage or tank should be able to house at least 159 liters of water comfortably.
The moment you do this, the next thing you should do is add peat moss or soil to the cage. Turtle needs things like these to feel comfortable. However, you do not need to add too much soil as you only need just enough to cover the entire bottom of the tank.
– Make a Basking Area and Add Water to the Tank
This is the next thing you need to do the moment you add moss or soil to the cage. You need to make use of the peat moss or soil to make a basking area for your turtle. This is very important as turtles love to bask. This allows them to keep their body healthy
Once the basking area is done, you need to add clean or good water to the tank. You should know that it is not advisable to add water that isn’t clean or healthy as it might make your turtle sick. Make sure you had water that is relatively clean and healthy as it influences the health of your turtle.
– Add a Lamp and Install a Filter
The moment water has been added to the tank, the next thing that should be on your mind is building a filter for the water in the tank. This filter will help remove the dirt inside the water. Once you do this, you do not have to worry about changing the water every day.
Once the filter is installed, you can then move on to building a lamp for the turtle. The light of the lamp should be focused on the basking area of the turtle. This will help the turtle whenever it wants to bask in the cage.
How Do I Feed my Turtle
Feeding your turtle is the easiest part of raising a turtle. This is because turtle meals are relatively affordable and you don’t have to spend as much money as you would spend feeding a dog or a cat.
Here are the tips you need when it comes to feeding your turtle.
Step 1: Purchase the Right Turtle Food for your Turtle
This is the first thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to feeding your turtle. There are different types of turtle food available in the supermarket store. However, these food are unique as they are not meant for just any type of turtle species.
This is why you need to buy the one that is meant for the specie of your pet turtle. This will make your turtle grow faster and a whole lot stronger. So, next time you get to the store in search of turtle food, ensure you are buying the one that is the perfect taste for your turtle.
Step 2: Give your Turtle Vegetables and Fish
This is another thing that will accelerate the growth of your turtle. You need to feed your turtle enough vegetables and small fish as it would help with the immune system of your turtle.
People tend to make the mistake of assuming canned turtle food and earthworms or insects are good enough for your turtle. This is wrong. Your turtle needs just as many vegetables and fruits as it needs canned food. Do well to ensure you feed your turtle with vegetables and possibly carrots at least once a week.
Step 3: Feed your Turtle 3 to 4 times Weekly
It is wrong to feed your turtle every day. It is also wrong to feed your turtle just once or twice weekly. You need to make out time to feed your turtle at least 3 to 4 times weekly. This will help your turtle to be much healthier and grow a lot better.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things you should keep in mind when it comes to things a turtle needs to live. We have discussed the various things ranging from a good habitant to a proper diet and more.
We have also touched on things you should know when it comes to giving your turtle a good diet system and a proper habitat. With this, you will get all the information you need on turtle habitats and feeding.