Here's some general basics and a link to A LOT of good information:
The largest aquarium you can afford to set up since it's a minimum of 20 gallons for a baby per baby and it only goes up from there. A bigger aquarium now means less money spent later upgrading and buying a whole new set up.
They need a land area and a water area. They must be able to get out of the water or their shells will rot but they must have water to eat. They can also drown. Make sure the water level is high enough for your equipment but not near the top or they will climb out. You need a REALLY good filter, they are messy and dirty water creates illness. But so does the constant changing of water or just using tap water period so the filter is a requirement. Some people end up with more than one filter. I tried a pond filter but it became a fun game to try and knock it in the water (not fully submersed) and they were expensive. You'll need a water heater to keep the water around 78 degrees and a thermometer (the ones that you can stick on the outside work pretty well) to make sure the water is around the right temp. You'll need to make sure there is a heat lamp (in the land area) and a UVB light (they need this to process their vitamins and nutrients since it'll be inside). If you can set up a turtle safe area (water not necessary) outside for a little natural sunlight that would be great, keep in mind they can climb much better than it looks like they can and enjoy digging.
Make sure they have a way to climb onto their land area. Make sure any decorations are safe as they can get tangled and drown. Preferably you will use live plants that can become a part of their diet as adults. They are mainly carnivores as babies but as adults are omnivores. Feed them what they will eat in about 15 or 20 minutes or so for their main meal, they can over eat. Remove excess to avoid dirty water. You can use a fish net for this. As babies they need to eat daily and as adults it can be every day, every other day or every three days making sure to adjust the amount accordingly. The base (25 to 50 percent or so) but not the only thing is a good pellet made for baby turtles usually Reptomin or something similar (you'll have to make sure their not too big for your baby). You can usually find some awesome things to supplement within the frozen food section of your local pet/fish store and maybe even some other frozen turtle foods for variety. They can come in little blocks and brine shrimp, krill and bloodworms are great. Later on when your turtle is bigger (much later) you can try adding tiny crickets and SMALL guppy's (Rosies). Don't try to feed a turtle something to big for it or that it may choke on cause it won't stop them from trying if they want it. Offering them aquatic plants (these can double as decoration instead of fake ones and some are Anacharis, Duckweed, Water Hyacinth, Water Lettuce, Water Lily), fruits in small amounts (like banana and apple but no seeds), and vegetables (dark leafy greens, collard, mustard and dandelion greens, kale, bok choy, carrots squash, green beans) that are safe for them to eat as babies makes it a little easier to change the diet appropriately once they become adults. Some people think their turtle can live on iceberg lettuce (the light green one in many fridges) but their turtles starve to death since there is almost nothing in it but water. Another common mistake is cat food. It can damage their kidneys and is not an acceptable diet. A reptile vitamin can be used and maybe calcium supplement. There are little blocks that come in the shape of a turtle usually but try to hide them since some can decide they want to eat them and it's supposed to dissolve. Make sure you wash your hands after handling since they can carry salmonella that does not affect them but makes us very sick. They can be a lot of work but can be very rewarding and are much smarter and more fun than they get credit for :-).
www.turtletimes.com
The largest aquarium you can afford to set up since it's a minimum of 20 gallons for a baby per baby and it only goes up from there. A bigger aquarium now means less money spent later upgrading and buying a whole new set up.
They need a land area and a water area. They must be able to get out of the water or their shells will rot but they must have water to eat. They can also drown. Make sure the water level is high enough for your equipment but not near the top or they will climb out. You need a REALLY good filter, they are messy and dirty water creates illness. But so does the constant changing of water or just using tap water period so the filter is a requirement. Some people end up with more than one filter. I tried a pond filter but it became a fun game to try and knock it in the water (not fully submersed) and they were expensive. You'll need a water heater to keep the water around 78 degrees and a thermometer (the ones that you can stick on the outside work pretty well) to make sure the water is around the right temp. You'll need to make sure there is a heat lamp (in the land area) and a UVB light (they need this to process their vitamins and nutrients since it'll be inside). If you can set up a turtle safe area (water not necessary) outside for a little natural sunlight that would be great, keep in mind they can climb much better than it looks like they can and enjoy digging.
Make sure they have a way to climb onto their land area. Make sure any decorations are safe as they can get tangled and drown. Preferably you will use live plants that can become a part of their diet as adults. They are mainly carnivores as babies but as adults are omnivores. Feed them what they will eat in about 15 or 20 minutes or so for their main meal, they can over eat. Remove excess to avoid dirty water. You can use a fish net for this. As babies they need to eat daily and as adults it can be every day, every other day or every three days making sure to adjust the amount accordingly. The base (25 to 50 percent or so) but not the only thing is a good pellet made for baby turtles usually Reptomin or something similar (you'll have to make sure their not too big for your baby). You can usually find some awesome things to supplement within the frozen food section of your local pet/fish store and maybe even some other frozen turtle foods for variety. They can come in little blocks and brine shrimp, krill and bloodworms are great. Later on when your turtle is bigger (much later) you can try adding tiny crickets and SMALL guppy's (Rosies). Don't try to feed a turtle something to big for it or that it may choke on cause it won't stop them from trying if they want it. Offering them aquatic plants (these can double as decoration instead of fake ones and some are Anacharis, Duckweed, Water Hyacinth, Water Lettuce, Water Lily), fruits in small amounts (like banana and apple but no seeds), and vegetables (dark leafy greens, collard, mustard and dandelion greens, kale, bok choy, carrots squash, green beans) that are safe for them to eat as babies makes it a little easier to change the diet appropriately once they become adults. Some people think their turtle can live on iceberg lettuce (the light green one in many fridges) but their turtles starve to death since there is almost nothing in it but water. Another common mistake is cat food. It can damage their kidneys and is not an acceptable diet. A reptile vitamin can be used and maybe calcium supplement. There are little blocks that come in the shape of a turtle usually but try to hide them since some can decide they want to eat them and it's supposed to dissolve. Make sure you wash your hands after handling since they can carry salmonella that does not affect them but makes us very sick. They can be a lot of work but can be very rewarding and are much smarter and more fun than they get credit for :-).
www.turtletimes.com
