Keeping Turtles As Pets

1. Turtles live for 20-50 years! You'll need to make a commitment to care for your pet. Your turtle will be with your family through thick and thin. Many owners find peace and inspiration from their turtle's longevity. This should be considered a great advantage to keeping turtles as pets.
   
   
2. There are very different kinds of turtles. The 2 basic classifications are Aquatic and Terrestrial. Mini-turtles are also gaining popularity. Each species of turtle will have different requirements, and it's imperative that you have a thorough guide book that covers the information for your pet species' needs.
   
   
3. Turtles require a sizeable living space. Turtles can be kept outdoors or in an aquarium/terrarium. Aquariums need to be over 50 gallons, with 100+ gallons being ideal (depending on the type and size of turtle). Do you have enough space in your house for this? But also note that a well-kept turtle aquariums makes an incredible addition to any room. Keeping turtles as pets provides you with a great showcase and an interesting conversation piece.
   
   
4. Lighting is very important for your pet turtle. Turtles need a steady source of UVB light for proper shell formation. They also need a basking light to regulate their body temperatures. You'll need the appropriate lamps, or you'll need to be very precise with your management of sunlight exposure to your tank. Again, a good guide book will teach you the details.
   
   
5. Tanks must be cleaned regularly. Perhaps the least attractive sounding thing about keeping turtles as pets is having to clean the aquarium. However with a good system in place, this can be done with ease. Use a siphon, a bucket, and a pump, and you'll find that an aquarium can be cleaned in 20 minutes. This should be done once per week for turtles.
   
   
6. Turtles are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. When keeping turtles as pets, you'll have to provide a balanced diet for them. Aquatic and terrestrial turtles will have different dietary requirements, as will each specific species of turtle. You'll have to learn the needs of the type of turtle you have. Typically, a turtle's diet will be a combination of pelleted reptile food, common vegetables, and live foods like fish, snails, or worms.
   


7. Turtles need vitamins. The most important sources of vitamins will be UVB light for vitamins A and D3, and the turtle's diet for the other vitamins. But we have to be aware when keeping turtles as pets that it is usually difficult to provide a 'perfect' diet all the time. As such, most turtle owners will supplement vitamins. This can be done by soaking a liquid multivitamin into the turtle's food. Calcium should also be supplemented, and this can be done by providing a cuttle bone for the turtle to chew on as it desires.

Get more quality information on Keeping Turtles As Pets

Having owned multiple aquariums, I learned the value of a good guide book a long time ago. Guides for fish care are a dime a dozen, but finding a good guide book for Turtle Care is another story.

Most aquarium guide books tend to be technical and difficult to read. They usually suggest buying products that are either expensive or out-of-date as the solution for most concerns or problems.

However, I can recommend one book called the Turtle Guide Book. This guide contains all the infromation you need when Keeping Turtles As Pets

The Turtle Guide Book is written from the author's personal experience of going from a totally novice turtle owner to a turtle expert over the course of 10 years.

The guide is Risk-Free, and comes with Email Support and Unlimited Updates. So as the guide gets more and more specific, you'll keep getting all updates.

After Reading the Guide, You'll Know About:

• The Different Kinds of Turtles
  
• Choosing a Turtle
  
• Buying a Healthy Turtle
  
• Aquariums for Turtles
  
• Lighting for Turtles
  
• Feeding Turtles
  
• Hibernating Turtles
  
• Breeding Turtles
  
• Training Turtles
  
• Common Health Problems
  
• How to Save Money on Food and Medication
  
• Where to Get the Best Deals on Turtle Equipment
  

See A Review of The Best Guide Book For Keeping Turtles As Pets