Decoration of aquariums for turtles

When decorating an aquarium with turtles, there are a few rules to remember:

The decorations must be strong so that the turtle cannot break and bite through them, so glass and foam products will not work.
The decorations must be large enough so that the turtle does not swallow them, so you can not put various small plastic objects in the aquarium. You should also be careful when using special plastic plants for aquariums – turtles often bite off pieces of them.

Pick up decorations so that the turtle cannot get stuck in them and drown.
The turtle must have free access to land and enough space to swim.

Do not forget that turtles are very active animals and all carefully put things in order in the aquarium will turn into chaos in a matter of minutes.

Background for aquariums

In order for the decorative terrarium to take on a finished look, the back wall, or even the side walls, must be tightened with a background. In the simplest case, this is black or colored paper in neutral tones (gray, blue, green or brown). You can use colored backgrounds with a pattern printed on them, only the motif of the pattern must correspond to the truth (the theme of the terrarium and the habitat of the animal).

Many types of background films can be purchased from the aquarium or terrarium section of pet stores.

Landscaping a terrarium or aquarium

Landscaping in aquariums is not mandatory, especially since turtles can eat plants or break, tear out.

Artificial plants allow you to quite successfully decorate aquariums for reptiles when it is impossible to use live plants in them. Artificial plants need to choose high-quality ones made of dense plastic so that turtles do not bite off pieces from the scenery.

living aquatic plants must first of all be non-toxic to aquatic turtles. The choice of plants depends on the biotope and microclimate in the habitats of the animal and technical capabilities. Of course, the aquatic plants planted in the aquarium must be edible for turtles. Anubias and echinodorus are often planted in an aquarium (and their petioles are apparently edible), but it is better to plant cryptocarines, krinums, Japanese egg-pods, small ground covers, aponogetons, small arrowheads.

Shells, large stones, jewelry and driftwood

Driftwood will be a great decoration in the aquarium. It is recommended to use dead branches and roots of hardwood trees such as ash, willow, alder, maple or beech. You can buy mangrove driftwood for aquariums at the pet store. Do not use rotten or moldy driftwood, as well as from polluted places and reservoirs.

Before placing a driftwood in an aquarium, it should be cleaned and processed: – Rinse thoroughly in normal warm water. – Place the snag in a container, crushing it with a stone, and fill it with salt water (a pack of coarse salt), then the snag must be boiled for at least an hour. Or each of the parts of the driftwood is doused with boiling saline and left for 15-20 minutes. – Then, for a week, the snag is kept in fresh running water – a toilet bowl is great for this. – After that, the snag can be placed in the aquarium. – If the driftwood paints the water in the aquarium red, then you can put an activated carbon tablet in the filter.

Stones and shells for an aquarium or terrarium should be selected based on the size of the turtle’s head. The size of the “decorations” should be about 2 times the size of the turtle’s head so that the turtle cannot eat them. Also, they should not have sharp corners. And shells and stones must first be washed in warm running water.

Decorations for aquariums are also suitable for turtles. It is desirable that such decorations have a place where the turtle can get out to sunbathe, and inside which it cannot get stuck.

The soil is not necessary for most aquatic turtles, but it is necessary for trionyx, caiman, vulture turtles, as turtles burrow into it in nature. Any purchased or collected soil should be washed several times under hot water before being put into the aquarium. For some species of turtles, for example, large-headed ones, dried oak leaves are placed in the water. Thanks to them, turtles become calmer and healthier.

There are several important parameters by which you need to choose the soil:

Rigidity is an important aspect when choosing a soil. Some rocks will make the water much harder, resulting in an unwanted whitish coating on the aquarium glass and turtle shell. Non-rigid soil is usually white or light gray, if rubbed in the hand, it should not leave light dust behind. Before checking the soil, rinse and dry it, and then check for dust.
Size is also very important. Water turtles sometimes swallow the soil along with food, so the size of the stones should be more than 1-1,5 cm. Swallowed stones prevent the passage of food and constipation is formed.
Toxicity and staining. Colored soil is harmful to the health of reptiles, as over time it releases a lot of harmful substances and toxins into the water.
Soil shape. The stones should be smooth so that the turtle does not injure itself and break the aquarium if it suddenly breaks the bottom.
Sand. Sand is quite difficult to use: it is difficult to maintain frequency with it, as it constantly clogs the filter. The filtration system must be well thought out. A bottom current should be created, passing over the entire bottom area and carrying waste products to the intake pipe of the external filter. In addition, the sand is difficult to siphon, it is sucked in along with the dirt, and then you have to somehow wash it and place it back into the aquarium.

Read more about soils for a turtle aquarium in the article →