Special equipment
You will probably want to get some special equipment to keep the water of the aquarium healthy for your turtle. A filter cleaning out waste products is a good investment, especially if you are a beginner, since it makes the aquarium much easier to maintain. Filters are not absolutely necessary, but if you choose to pass up on filtration you will have to clean the aquarium once every few days. If the waste products are not removed by filtration or cleaning the water quality will deteriorate and your turtle will be weaken and less able to resist bacteria and fungus infections. If your tank is less than 25 gallons (100 litres) we recommend an internal powerfilter. If it's bigger, a canister filter is usually the best solution.
Click on the picture below for more information:
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Zoo Med 501 Turtle Canister Filter Average Rating:   |
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Keep your turtles habitat sparkling with Zoo Meds Turtle Clean 501. Clean water is essential to the health of all aquatic and semi-aquatic turtle species, and the 501 traps suspended particulate waste, removes odor and chemicals with activated carbon, and breaks down organic toxins with a biological filtration section... |
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Reptology Turtle Topper Basking Platform Average Rating:  |
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The Turtle Topper is a unique and innovative platform designed to meet all the basking requirements of most aquatic turtles. Unlike other basking platforms, which are placed inside the turtle's housing, the Turtle Topper is designed to sit on top of your turtle tank, providing both you and your turtle with many benefits over traditional basking platforms... |
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CSF-3 Cat Super Feeder, Stand, Bowl and Timer Average Rating: |
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This electronic automatic cat feeder will feed very small portions up to about a cup or more per serving. It can be triggered up to at least 24 times per day with a supplied easy to program analog timer (STYLE MAY VARY)... |
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40 Watt Fluorescent Aquarium/Terrarium Light Bulb / 4' Length, 1.5" (T12) Diameter / 5000K Color Temperature / F40T12/SR |
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Discover the Blue - Tropical Marine Life Average Rating: |
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This DVD contains more than 35 scientifically researched and professionally filmed short documentaries exploring over 70 families of tropical marine inhabitants in their natural environment. With a well-chosen music score and a running time of nearly 2 hours you will find yourself discovering facts you never even considered asking - like: - When do Tuna sleep? - Which organ does an Octopus taste with? - Who can punch a hole in thick aquarium glass? - Which marine creature makes the fastest movement? - How much sand does a Parrotfish produce? - Which fish can breathe on land? - When does an Anemonefish change its sex? and many more?! Given the clearly arranged menu DISCOVER THE BLUE - TROPICAL MARINE LIFE is the first truly interactive Film-Encyclopedia of its kind and is rapidly gaining a noteworthy, worldwide reputation amongst divers and aquarists alike. |
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Digital Aquarium: Turtles of the Caribbean |
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The Digital Aquarium offers the best quality undersea visual experience available on DVD. The looping 59 minute Digital Aquarium provides hours of relaxation, entertainment, and tranquilty for personal diversion, therapy, education, massage or general well being... |
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12 Ocean Animals Average Rating:  |
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PVC Ocean Animals. Assorted styles. 2" - 3 1/2". Fun party favors. |
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Upper Canada Soap & Candle Go Fish My First Aquarium Gift Set, Turtle Melon Madness |
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Recreate fun and frolic on the beach with this bright and incredibly fun line of kid-friendly bath products... everything from Get-Dirty Mud Soap to Scrunch 'n Play Shampoo. Go Fish makes bath time lots of sudsy fun! Upper Canada Soap & Candle Makers was |
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Fluker's 8 oz Aquatic Turtle Diet Average Rating:  |
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Fluker''s Aquatic Turtle Formula provides a complete diet for freshwater turtles. |
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Fluker's 4 oz Aquatic Turtle Diet |
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Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Formula provides a complete diet for freshwater turtles. |
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ReptoTreat Gammarus Shrimp Treat - 0.35 oz. Average Rating: |
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This is a 100% natural, sun-dried shrimp that is high in protein. It is an excellent supplement to a staple diet of Reptomin.Use for aquatic turtles, newts and frogs. |
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Decorated Mouse Pad with human, body, individuals, individual, persons, humans, girl, baby, people, turtle, aquarium, pet, person |
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Professional "Brite White" fabric mouse pads are among the most versatile and durable, providing brilliant graphic reproduction for spot color or full color imprints. This durable polyester surface is above industry standards and provides a superior product value overall... |
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Sea Turtle Wall Art Vinyl Decal Sticker Graphic Ocean Hawaiian |
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Vinyl graphics are a wonderfully easy, no mess, affordable way to add personality to your home or business! We use high-quality vinyl in a matte finish, to give a 'hand-painted" look. Our vinyl graphics are easy to apply to any smooth surface... |
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Sea Turtle Honu Vinyl Wall Decal Sticker Graphic |
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Vinyl graphics are a wonderfully easy, no mess, affordable way to add personality to your home or business! We use high-quality vinyl in a matte finish, to give a 'hand-painted" look. Our vinyl graphics are easy to apply to any smooth surface... |
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Turtle Honu Decal Sticker Graphic |
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The Marine Aquarium Reference: Systems and Invertebrates Average Rating: |
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A major reference for the marine aquarist. The 512 pages of text, tables, figures, and drawings clearly explain the techniques and technology of modern marine aquarium systems: trickle filtration, redox potential, carbonate hardness, protein foam skimming, biological filtration, high density lighting, ... |
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Bubble Butt! The Challenged Sea Turtle of Mystic Aquarium |
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Follow the adventures of Charlotte, a sea turtle who had an accident with a boat, but with lots of courage and perseverance, was able to overcome her problems and find happiness and a new home! *Charlotte was struck by a boat propeller, which caused partial paralysis of her lower digestive tract and hind flippers... |
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The Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder Average Rating: |
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A practical handbook on the theory and methods of keeping and breeding marine tropical fish. This updated and expanded edition describes the basic types of marine aquarium systems, with an emphasis on the traditional under gravel filter... |
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Special aquarium lighting is not necessary, but the turtles will appreciate it and do better if you provide them with it since they need light to synthesis vitamin D. If you feed them a proper diet they will get vitamin D from their food too, but sometimes that is not enough. If you don't use aquarium lighting place the turtle aquarium in a sunny spot at least twice a week, or give it a permanent place where it will receive some diffuse sunlight every day.
Some turtle aquariums will also require a heater to keep the water temperatures optimal, but this is of course depending on the temperature in the room where you keep your turtle. Freshwater turtles prefer 22C to 26C, but anything from 20C to 28C is okay. Use an aquarium thermometer to check the temperatures daily. Whether the thermometer is a the floating or the stick-on variant doesn't really matter. The temperature should never be allowed drop below 20C since most freshwater turtles will stop eating at this temperature. Even if they don't starve to death, they will be weaken by the lack of energy and more prone to catch diseases. If your turtles keep on eating even though the temperature is below 20C they risk developing intestinal gangrene since the food is not digested properly at such a low temperature. Intestinal gangrene is a very serious and often lethal condition. The most critical temperature for your turtles is between 12C and 20C. If it gets any colder, the turtles will simply go into hibernation. Most turtles will survive hibernation, but baby turtles are sensitive since they have not yet developed sufficient fat reserves and might starve to death. You should therefore never allow your young turtles to hibernate. Temperatures below 12C are not very likely to occur indoors without you noticing it, but there is always the risk of power outage if your home is electrically heated. To high temperatures can be as just as dangerous as to low ones, since the metabolism of turtle is dependent on correct temperatures. The metabolism increases when the turtle becomes warm, and temperatures over 28C can lead to sudden death. To high temperatures can also cause shell damage and fungal infections can start to thrive on the damaged shell. To avoid temperatures over 28C, turn off any lighting when the weather is warm and remove the aquarium from direct sunlight. If this is not enough, try exchanging some of the water with cooler water. In extreme situations you might even have to add a few ice cubes to the aquarium or direct a breeze across the water surface. Try to avoid drastic temperature changes.
Parker Daniel http://www.keepingturtles.com