What water does a red-eared turtle need, how much to pour into an aquarium when kept at home

Features of keeping and caring for the red-eared turtle are based around water – the main condition for a comfortable life for a freshwater reptile.

Let’s figure out how much water a red-eared turtle should have in an aquarium and what characteristics it should have.

Main characteristics

Red-eared turtles need water with medium hardness and a pH in the range of 6,5-7,5. At home, ordinary tap water, purified from bleach, is suitable.

IMPORTANT! Don’t be alarmed if young turtles rub their eyes in a new pond. The irritation is caused by chlorine residues and resolves on its own after a while.

For the safety of the pet, water that has passed through the filtration must be poured into the aquarium. For large volumes, it is cheaper and easier to purchase special filters installed in a water tap. If the turtle is small, then a regular filter with a replaceable module will do.

In addition to filtering, water must be defended. It helps:

1. Get rid of chlorine fumes. Water can be poured into the aquarium in a day.
2. Create the optimum temperature. For normal activity, the pet needs a temperature in the range of 22-28 °. For quick heating, a special heater installed on the outside or inside of the aquaterrarium will help.

The water in the turtle is changed depending on the presence of an aquarium filter:

• with a filter, 1 partial replacement per week and 1 complete replacement every month are enough;
• without filter – 2-3 partial changes per week and 1 complete every week.

Water level

The water level in the aquarium should allow the turtles to move freely. An approximate indicator is calculated based on the length of the body multiplied by 4. An adult female with a shell of 20 cm needs at least 80 cm of depth in order to freely make coups.

IMPORTANT! The lower limit of the depth should not be lower than 40 cm, and when keeping several reptiles, it is required to increase the volume of liquid by 1,5 times.

Water for red-eared turtles should fill about 80% of the aquarium. The rest is reserved for land used by reptiles for rest and warming up. Make sure there is at least 15cm from the top edge of the aquarium to the water surface to avoid escapes.

The importance of water during hibernation

Hibernating red-eared turtles hibernate in a small pond, assimilating oxygen from the water with special membranes located inside the oral cavity and cloaca.

IMPORTANT! It is not recommended to introduce a turtle into a state of hibernation on its own. Keeping a sufficient amount of oxygen and water temperature at home is problematic. This practice is dangerous for the pet.

If hibernation occurred without additional stimulation, then the reptile is placed in a separate terrarium filled with wet sand, or left in the water, lowering its level to the ground.

Recommendations

When keeping an aquatic turtle, observe the following recommendations:

1. Keep clean. The turtle does not need crystal clear water and can cause stress. To maintain the established ecosystem, complete replacement is minimized.
2. Set aside water and monitor its temperature. The pet must not be kept at too low (<15°) or too high temperatures (>32°).
3. Consider the number and size of the inhabitants. If there are a lot of turtles, then take care of sufficient space and avoid crowding. Small aquaterrariums are suitable only for young growing individuals.
4. Do not put your pet into hibernation. Water in an aquarium cannot replace the characteristics of a natural reservoir.