# Anyone owns a fresh-water turtle? (Have some noob questions, thinking of getting one)



## Tit4n (Mar 26, 2012)

Hey guys,

Wife was interested in getting a turtle so i thought id do some research. I currently own a bearded dragon so know somewhat basics of lighting etc. However would like to ask few questions.

*Species:*
- I heard that short-necks are generally smaller than long necks. Is this so? 
- What is the smaller species out of all the freshwater turtles?
- How long do these take until theyre adult size?

*Food:* 
- How old is a turtle while its considered a "baby" meaning how long will it need to eat bloodworms for?
- How many times a day does it need to be fed? 

*Housing:*
- Is 3foot tank going to be enough to accommodate a turtle for all of its life? _(Or is 4foot much preffered?)_
- Desert reptiles require 10.0 UVB, turtles require only 5.0 UVB ?
- Does the water filter need to be the external type? If so how much are these filters to maintain?

Any other info i should know about in general?

_I have tried to join AFT but there is something wrong with the forum atm. I signed up, confirmed through email and logged in, but nothing is showing... weird._


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## citrus (Mar 26, 2012)

Get a painted turtle (google it and yes they are really that colour) they stay around 24cm get a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft tank plus. i think the most important advice is get the best filter you can afford, if you dont you will do alot more water changes and get sick of the extra work. if you can get a sump filter also you can put the heater in there and that way there is no chance of breakage
this is from craig off aft
2 Adults can be kept and will breed indoors in a minimum 5 X 2 X 2 aquarium. 
As they are a tropical species they are actually best if kept indoors permanently.


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## Ratatouile (Mar 26, 2012)

*Species:*
- I heard that short-necks are generally smaller than long necks. Is this so? Yes, with the exception of Macleay river short neck turtle, who grows to only about 14-16cm.

- What is the smaller species out of all the freshwater turtles? Macleay river turtle, but they are not a good turtle for beginner as they are prone to skin infection when young if your tank is not in the right condition (you need calgrit in your tank, water condition & temperature must be right, etc). Also they have smaller clutch which means it's difficult to get them, only certain breeders breed them and the waiting list is usually up to a year or more.

- How long do these take until theyre adult size? Each turtle grows at different rate, Murray River turtle for example, grows really quick almost to adult size in the first year. My two Macleays grow only from 4cm to 8.5cm in the first year, same as my ELN - they're slow grower.

*Food:* 
- How old is a turtle while its considered a "baby" meaning how long will it need to eat bloodworms for? Usually as soon as they are sold (out of the breeders hands), they can start eating small crickets, woodies, feeder fish, garden worms, duckweed/val (for short necks only), etc.

- How many times a day does it need to be fed? Once a day while young, every 3-4 days when adult.

*Housing:*
- Is 3foot tank going to be enough to accommodate a turtle for all of its life? _(Or is 4foot much preffered?) _Depending on the turtle species but 4ft is preferable for a smaller species (Macleays, ELNs) with one of the biggest one, Mary River turtle would probably need a 6ft to be comfortable. A minimum of 5ft is required for most turtles or they can move to an outdoor pond once they're over 10cm SCL. Some Australian freshwater turtle species require warmer water than other but all of them can eventually be housed outside in the pond but they need to spend the first 2 or 3 winters inside when they're little. Turtles will simply hibernate and stop eating during winter (just like most other reptiles) and as long as you provide the right outdoor environment for them (muds/leaves at the bottom of the pond or a hibernation box inside the enclosure), you should be fine. Some people in the colder area cover their pond during winter to keep temperature from falling to low. 

- Desert reptiles require 10.0 UVB, turtles require only 5.0 UVB ? I've been using Sylvania tube with 5 UVB with no problems but to help the turtles shed their scutes (and for general health being), there's no replacement for natural sunlight so they should be taken out regularly.


- Does the water filter need to be the external type? If so how much are these filters to maintain? Internal type filter doesn't usually handle the job very well considering turtles are super dirty animals! I have an Eheim external filter and only need to clean them once every 2 months. Or as citrus suggested, you can make a sump filter and put freshwater mussels there to help with the cleaning. However, you should NOT put the mussels in the tank itself as it has been known to trap turtle's legs which cause drowning.

Any other info i should know about in general? Visit http://www.australianfreshwaterturtles.com.au and download their Care Guide. The forum was down for a short period last night but it's back online now so you can try again or contact the administrator. Craig usually responds fairly quickly.

Good luck finding a turtle, they're very entertaining animals


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## Tit4n (Mar 26, 2012)

*Species:*
- I heard that short-necks are generally smaller than long necks. Is this so? Yes, with the exception of Macleay river short neck turtle, who grows to only about 14-16cm. Thanks.

- What is the smaller species out of all the freshwater turtles? Macleay river turtle, but they are not a good turtle for beginner as they are prone to skin infection when young if your tank is not in the right condition (you need calgrit in your tank, water condition & temperature must be right, etc). Also they have smaller clutch which means it's difficult to get them, only certain breeders breed them and the waiting list is usually up to a year or more. What would you recommend as a good easy care small turtle which will be good to keep in a 4 foot tank (Pond is not available as an option for its future adult life, along with any bigger tanks than the 4ft). 

- How long do these take until theyre adult size? Each turtle grows at different rate, Murray River turtle for example, grows really quick almost to adult size in the first year. My two Macleays grow only from 4cm to 8.5cm in the first year, same as my ELN - they're slow grower. Thanks.

*Food:* 
- How old is a turtle while its considered a "baby" meaning how long will it need to eat bloodworms for? Usually as soon as they are sold (out of the breeders hands), they can start eating small crickets, woodies, feeder fish, garden worms, duckweed/val (for short necks only), etc. Short necks: can their staple diet consist of feeder fish and dusted crickets? (I buy them anyways for BD).

- How many times a day does it need to be fed? Once a day while young, every 3-4 days when adult. Similar to DB i see.

*Housing:*
- Is 3foot tank going to be enough to accommodate a turtle for all of its life? _(Or is 4foot much preffered?) _Depending on the turtle species but 4ft is preferable for a smaller species (Macleays, ELNs) with one of the biggest one, Mary River turtle would probably need a 6ft to be comfortable. A minimum of 5ft is required for most turtles or they can move to an outdoor pond once they're over 10cm SCL. Some Australian freshwater turtle species require warmer water than other but all of them can eventually be housed outside in the pond but they need to spend the first 2 or 3 winters inside when they're little. Turtles will simply hibernate and stop eating during winter (just like most other reptiles) and as long as you provide the right outdoor environment for them (muds/leaves at the bottom of the pond or a hibernation box inside the enclosure), you should be fine. Some people in the colder area cover their pond during winter to keep temperature from falling to low. Thanks.

- Desert reptiles require 10.0 UVB, turtles require only 5.0 UVB ? I've been using Sylvania tube with 5 UVB with no problems but to help the turtles shed their scutes (and for general health being), there's no replacement for natural sunlight so they should be taken out regularly. Is a run around on backyard lawn ok or will it need to be controlled? (To make sure they dont eat any flowers etc which could be harmful)


- Does the water filter need to be the external type? If so how much are these filters to maintain? Internal type filter doesn't usually handle the job very well considering turtles are super dirty animals! I have an Eheim external filter and only need to clean them once every 2 months. Or as citrus suggested, you can make a sump filter and put freshwater mussels there to help with the cleaning. However, you should NOT put the mussels in the tank itself as it has been known to trap turtle's legs which cause drowning. Thanks.

Any other info i should know about in general? Visit http://www.australianfreshwaterturtles.com.au and download their Care Guide. The forum was down for a short period last night but it's back online now so you can try again or contact the administrator. Craig usually responds fairly quickly. Will do. Edit: Just tried to post and apparently my account is disabled by the admin etc

Good luck finding a turtle, they're very entertaining animals  Indeed, my wife who was the hardest person to convience to even get a BD (Who she now loves btw) was interested in their cute appearance and stories of the behaviors. Thanks for your help.


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## Ratatouile (Mar 26, 2012)

This is going to be a colourful thread! *

Species:*
- What would you recommend as a good easy care small turtle which will be good to keep in a 4 foot tank (Pond is not available as an option for its future adult life, along with any bigger tanks than the 4ft). I would suggest the Eastern Long Neck turtle. They are pretty easy to get too and have funny personality although not the brightest out there. The turtle experts at AFT said a golf ball would be the smartest thing in an ELN pond :lol: 


*Food:* 
- Short necks: can their staple diet consist of feeder fish and dusted crickets? (I buy them anyways for BD). As with all species, a varied diet would be best but yes, they can have a staple diet of feeder fish and crickets. I find it hard to dust crickets and woodies because turtles must eat in the water and the calcium powder would just dissolve before the insects are eaten. Another way to do it is to dangle the dusted cricket above water, an ELN (who is ferocious feeder) would stick their head out and snatch it (watch out for your fingers!). But this means you need to spend some time feeding them, which is fun anyway. A worm farm is a great thing to invest if you have turtles, they LOVE worms. Just ensure you don't put dog/cat poo in there. Another easy quick meal that's recommended is Hikari gold fish pellets, however many people find ELN doesn't like them as much as the short necks.


*Housing:*

- Is a run around on backyard lawn ok or will it need to be controlled? (To make sure they dont eat any flowers etc which could be harmful) When they're little (smaller than 10cm SCL), you need to supervise them because birds can snatch them and they're so tiny it's easy to loose them in a big backyard. A few AFT members have learnt this the hard way. They are also a great escape artist and can dig their way out to China. When they're little, it's better to put them in a big laundry basket (with smooth sides because they're good climber too) while outside and ensure they have access to shade as they can overheat pretty quickly and die. Covering half the basket is a common practice to provide shade. When they're adult they can have a free run in the backyard but as said, they're great escape artist so you might still want to contain them or keep a watchful eye.

Edit: Just tried to post and apparently my account is disabled by the admin etc. Did you try to shoot the Admin a message? They'll tell you if something went wrong with the registration.

Indeed, my wife who was the hardest person to convience to even get a BD (Who she now loves btw) was interested in their cute appearance and stories of the behaviors. Thanks for your help. She won't be dissapointed!


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## Tit4n (Mar 26, 2012)

Ok well that pretty much covers it.

One more question (annoying one at that) even though you suggested a long-neck for a beginner turtle, is there any easy to care short-necks? (That can of course survive in a 4ft all their lives).

Thank you very much for all the info. 

I have emailed the admin also at AFT to see what happened.


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## Ratatouile (Mar 26, 2012)

Murray river turtle is easy to take care of, very hardy but they grow quite large up to 38cm SCL. It can stay in a 4ft tank all its life but only for 1 turtle. There's also a risk housing 2 turtles that when they hit juvenile/adulthood they might fight each other especially during feeding time. A bigger tank will reduce the chance of fighting.


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## -Peter (Mar 26, 2012)

If you cant offer a fully grown turtle better than a 4ft tank you really shouldn't be keeping it. All the other advice is good.


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## Tit4n (Mar 26, 2012)

-Peter said:


> If you cant offer a fully grown turtle better than a 4ft tank you really shouldn't be keeping it. All the other advice is good.



But what about tropical ones which are preferred to be kept inside? 
Or do you advise to get a bigger tank? if so please explain how big after how long?

I always believed in explanation instead of "just because".


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## hurcorh (Mar 26, 2012)

In regards to the filter, look at building one yourself. Sounds confusing at first glance but is quite simple and you find it much cheaper than buying an expensive external filter.


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## Nezikah (Mar 26, 2012)

I have a saw shell and a leather back turtle. Both are relatively small considering the size the others grow too. Mine as babies get feeder fish, baby turtle food (frozen), aquatic snails and shrimp. They love the snails and shrimp!


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## Tsubakai (Mar 26, 2012)

A four foot tank may be ok depending on the other dimensions. The standard 4-footers in aquariums are too small for most short-necks. I currently have one adult male in a 4ftX2ftX2ft (Custom-made). Its ok for size but I wouldn't want him in any smaller. The female is in a 5x2x2 which is fine for her as she's a bit bigger than he is. 

Definitely try to get onto AFTCRA as they have an awesome amount of info and its very easy to kill baby turtles with inadequate husbandry.


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## Tit4n (Mar 27, 2012)

Tsubakai said:


> A four foot tank may be ok depending on the other dimensions. The standard 4-footers in aquariums are too small for most short-necks. I currently have one adult male in a 4ftX2ftX2ft (Custom-made). Its ok for size but I wouldn't want him in any smaller. The female is in a 5x2x2 which is fine for her as she's a bit bigger than he is.
> 
> Definitely try to get onto AFTCRA as they have an awesome amount of info and its very easy to kill baby turtles with inadequate husbandry.



I got onto fresh AFT, and the forums are good with heaps on info but every single post/thread needs to be admin approved. So its a waiting game.

Just wondering which species male you have?


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## Tsubakai (Apr 3, 2012)

Its a short neck macquarie.


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