A Detailed Guide to Raising Turtles for Beginners and Three Major Benefits

These days keeping pets is in fashion, and the most common ones are cats and dogs, but keeping these is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. As a beginner who has a lot of work to do every day, you just want something easy to raise, such as a turtle. So, as a beginner, how should you raise a turtle? What are the benefits of raising one?

I. How should a beginner raise a turtle?

1. Preparation before raising

There are some necessary things to do before raising a turtle, and these determine whether the turtle can survive and whether it can be raised well. First, you need to know what kind of turtle you want to raise: a red-eared slider, a golden coin turtle, a Chinese pond turtle, or a Burmese turtle. Second, you need to understand the living habits of the turtle you are raising: whether it is an aquatic turtle, a semi-aquatic turtle, or a tortoise, and what suitable temperature and humidity range and diet it has. Third, you need to learn about some common diseases and their prevention and treatment methods.

2. Preparing tools

Turtles are generally kept in a water tank, so you need to prepare a tank, with sand, potting soil, and leaves placed at the bottom, and with a box, tree stump, and stones placed inside, as well as a food dish and a water dispenser. Prepare a net for scooping out turtle droppings and leftover bait; prepare a plastic tube for siphoning off debris at the bottom of the tank; prepare a thermometer and a water temperature gauge for measuring water temperature and air temperature; prepare a cleaning brush for washing the tank; prepare a disinfectant for disinfection.

3. Soaking in water to rehydrate

Whether it is an aquatic turtle, a semi-aquatic turtle, or a tortoise, after choosing the turtle you should give it a bath to rehydrate for the first two days. Glucose and electrolytes can be added to the water, mainly to replenish the moisture lost during transport, regulate the body's electrolyte balance, and make it defecate, so as to observe whether the turtle's intestinal digestive function is good and whether its body has parasites.

4. Disinfection and adding water

Before raising the turtle, disinfect the tools used for raising it. Things like the water tank must be thoroughly disinfected, scrubbed clean with a cleaning brush, and the purchased turtle must also be disinfected. Set up the tank in a water-and-land style, with 2/3 of the area as the water area and 1/3 as land. Water should be added to the water part, with the water level just above the turtle's shell; for the land part, you can place sand, potting soil, leaves, a box, a tree stump, stones, pebbles, and artificial rockery stones, and a ramp should be set up between the water and the land.

5. Daily care

Note that the surrounding air temperature and the water temperature in the tank must be suitable for the turtle's normal life. 20°C-33°C is best for activity and foraging, above 34°C it moves less, and below 10°C it enters shallow hibernation, so beware of large temperature changes. Their diet must be reasonable: aquatic turtles are generally fed fish and shrimp, tortoises can be fed vegetables, pasture grass, and tortoise food, and semi-aquatic turtles can be fed melons and fruits, so try to make the food as varied as possible. Change the water, clean, disinfect, and deworm frequently, and beware of illness.

6. Points to note

Do not let it gorge itself in one meal and then starve for several days afterward, as this is bad for the turtle's health. Impurities at the bottom of the tank and leftover bait in the water should be cleaned up promptly; when changing the water, do not use tap water of different temperatures that has not been left to stand and been aerated, to avoid illness or skin rot; when feeding or playing with the turtle, handle it gently to avoid startling it.

II. Three major benefits of raising turtles!

1. Very good symbolism: The turtle is an auspicious animal that wards off evil, brings peace, good fortune, and longevity. It belongs to the fire element in the five elements and can drive away evil and dissolve negative energy, ensuring the safety of the whole family; its appearance is calm, peaceful, and leisurely, making people feel comfortable when they look at it; a female turtle brings wealth, and a male turtle guards the home, with the effect of improving fortune and bringing in wealth; its lifespan is very long, so it can stay by our side for a long time.

2. Regulating mood: The turtle is basically in a “still” state, and looking at it every day can steady body and mind and soothe our restless mood; its movements are slow, and watching it naively beg for food every day, you can enjoy it when you are in a good mood, and watching it when you are feeling low can relieve your worries; swimming back and forth in the lively water can help us recover from a lifeless state of mind.

3. Very easy to raise: Raising a turtle does not take up space, and cleaning it is not troublesome; you do not need to feed it all the time, and the water does not need to be changed frequently; it has very tenacious vitality, and can grow healthily without special care; it absorbs microorganisms from the air and improves the feng shui of the home.

The above is an introduction to the methods for beginners to raise turtles and the three major benefits. We hope it is useful to everyone.