How to Keep a Turtle? A Detailed Guide to Its Diet and Care Requirements

The turtle belongs to the family Testudinidae (tortoises) and the genus Mauremys (pond turtles). It is one of the common animals of the order Testudines. Nowadays many people like to keep turtles at home as pets, so do you know how turtles are kept? What food do they eat? What are the care requirements? Only if you understand all of these can you truly be a keeper.

How are turtles kept?

1. Choose a fish tank suitable for the turtle.

2. Avoid buying a fish tank that is too small for keeping a turtle; the size of the tank should be at least 5 times larger than the turtle.

3. Water level: do not let it soak in water all the time; the water only needs to reach half of its body height.

4. Place some sand or stones in the fish tank, which helps the turtle bask and get ventilation. This can prevent shell rot. Change the water every week.

5. Lighting: place the turtle where sunlight can reach it, but avoid exposing the turtle to scorching sun. There should be a shady spot and a pool or basin of water for resting and playing. Turtles are quite active, so letting them move around appropriately is good for bone development.

What food do turtles eat?

Turtles are omnivorous animals. They eat both animal-based feed, such as small fish, small shrimp, snails, mussels, earthworms, maggots, and slaughterhouse trimmings from poultry and livestock, and plant-based feed, such as tubers, vegetables, grains, and aquatic plants. Under artificial keeping, they also eat peanut cake, soybean cake and the like. However, turtles have an especially strong tolerance for hunger; they will not starve to death even without eating for several years.

As for feeding, generally you can feed once every 3 days, and the amount can be adjusted as appropriate according to the size of the turtle; generally feed about 5%~10% of its body weight, and in spring and autumn when the temperature is moderate and its appetite is stronger, you can appropriately increase the amount. In addition, before winter arrives, feed a bit more than usual so that it has sufficient nutrients for hibernation.

The food fed should be fresh; especially in summer when the temperature is very high, animal-based feed is prone to spoilage from heat, so overnight food should not be fed, and in the cold winter, frozen feed should also not be fed, to prevent diseases such as indigestion. After feeding, if any leftover food is found, it should be removed promptly to avoid polluting the water quality and its living environment; this is especially important to note in summer.

1. Fixed time. In spring and autumn when the temperature is lower, turtles only feed around noon, so it is best to feed at 8-9 a.m. From Grain Rain to the Autumn Equinox is the peak feeding season for turtles; during the height of summer, turtles generally do not move at noon and are mostly active and foraging from 17:00 to 19:00, so feeding at 16:00 to 17:00 is more suitable. A fixed time allows the turtle to eat on schedule and obtain more nutrition.

2. Fixed location. Set up fixed feeding spots at intervals along the edge of the pond, and the feeding platform at each spot should be close to the water surface so that the turtle can easily swallow water while biting food. The purpose of feeding at fixed locations is to let the turtle form a habit, find food easily, and at the same time make it convenient to observe the turtle's condition.

3. Fixed quality. The feed given should stay fresh; after feeding, leftover food should be removed promptly to prevent the feed from rotting and smelling, which would affect the turtle's appetite and pollute the water quality.

4. Fixed amount. The feeding amount depends on the temperature, water quality, the turtle's appetite and its activity level, and it is best if a little food remains after the meal. Generally feed once every 1-2 days.

What care requirements do turtles have?

1. Water use

For the water used in keeping turtles, it should not be too much or too deep; generally only 2~3 cm is needed, level with the turtle's shell. During keeping, whether to change the water should be decided according to how clean the water quality is; generally, when the water is found to be polluted or murky, it should be changed. In summer, the water should be changed more frequently, in winter less, and during hibernation even less; moreover, the fresh water added should be slightly higher than the usual water temperature by 2~2°C. When the temperature starts to drop in autumn, the keeping tank or basin should be placed in a warm, wind-sheltered spot with sunlight. For weak or sick turtles, when it is cold the water should be warmed to about 20°C for maintenance. For warming, a 100~150 W incandescent lamp can be used to shine light and raise the temperature.

2. Temperature

Some people say turtles are cold-blooded animals, but this is not correct. Turtles are ectothermic (variable-temperature) animals. When the water temperature drops below 15°C, the turtle lies still at the bottom of the water and begins hibernation. At the turn of spring and summer, when the water temperature rises above 15°C, it begins to move and forage. The most suitable temperature for turtles is 25-30°C. When it exceeds 35°C, because the water temperature is too high and it feels uncomfortable, it will also stop feeding; therefore June-August is the peak feeding season for turtles, and before May or after September, the feeding amount decreases accordingly. During hibernation, do not let it be completely submerged in water; it should be kept in moist sand or soil and given an environment of about 15°C (it should not be too high). Until April of the following year, feed it again when the temperature rises to 20°C.

3. Disease and pest control

Frequently disinfect the turtle with potassium permanganate solution; adding an appropriate amount of oxytetracycline or furazolidone to the feed has a very good effect on disease prevention in turtles. In addition, guard against attacks on the turtle by enemies such as rats, snakes and cats. Some people say turtles are cold-blooded animals, but this is not correct. Turtles are ectothermic (variable-temperature) animals. When the water temperature drops below 15°C, the turtle lies still at the bottom of the water and begins hibernation. At the turn of spring and summer, when the water temperature rises above 15°C, it begins to move and forage. The most suitable temperature for turtles is 25-30°C. When it exceeds 35°C, because the water temperature is too high and it feels uncomfortable, it will also stop feeding; therefore June-August is the peak feeding season for turtles, and before May or after September, the feeding amount decreases accordingly.