Keep a sea turtle at home. Feeding aquatic turtles

Despite their fairly wide distribution, aquatic turtles are among the picky inhabitants of the aquarium. Turtles - wild reptiles, which will never feel "at home" in the aquarium, even with proper care. Therefore, in order to create for pets as much as possible comfortable conditions, you must carefully follow all the rules for caring for aquatic turtles.

The most common view aquatic turtles- red-eared. In home aquariums, they also keep marsh, matamata, caiman, spotted aquatic, tuberculate, European aquatic, black-bellied three-keeled, shield-footed, box, soft-bodied turtles.

Each type may have its own nuances of care, let's talk about general principles keeping aquatic turtles in home aquariums.

Turtle Aquarium

The size. Aquatic turtles need a fairly large aquarium. In general, the turtle shell should cover a maximum of 25% of the bottom area of ​​the aquarium. It's also a good idea to have an extra tank to feed the turtles to keep the aquarium water clean.

Water purity. Periodically, you should completely replace the water in the aquarium. For a turtle with a shell diameter of 10 cm and an aquarium volume of 40 liters, water changes should be carried out 2-3 times a week. With a volume of 200 liters - 1 time per week. If you install a filter, then the water can be changed less often. From time to time, you need to clean the surface of the inner walls of the aquarium with an abrasive sponge.

temperature, oxygen saturation. It is not necessary to dechlorinate the water, but always use only settled water for the aquarium. Carefully monitor the temperature of the water in the aquarium. After changing the water, make sure the water is warm enough before releasing the turtle into it. Water must not only be clean and at the right temperature (24-28 ° C), but also saturated with oxygen.

Island. Ideally, the aquarium should contain two islands of land. On one, the temperature should be 28-32 ° C so that the turtle can warm up. Use for this infrared lamp or an incandescent lamp. On the second, the temperature should be 24-25 ° C. The access to the island should not be made entirely of smooth material (glass plastics), otherwise the turtle will not be able to climb onto it.

To prevent turtles from getting out of the aquarium, the water level should be 10-18 cm below the edge, depending on the size of the turtle. You can close the aquarium with a net, but not with glass.

What to feed an aquatic turtle

Most diseases of aquatic turtles associated with malnutrition, so it must be complete and balanced. aquatic turtles- Carnivores, but this does not mean that their diet should include only meat. The feeding of an aquatic turtle depends on the species to which it belongs, it is necessary to take into account individual characteristics: some need a predominance of vegetables and fruits, others need vegetation, and others need meat. In addition, the diet depends not only on the species, but also on the individual preferences of each particular turtle.

The basis of feeding: live fish, earthworms, snails, molluscs, bloodworms, carriage, squid meat, shrimp, raw liver, lettuce, carrots, clover, vegetables, fruits, duckweed, spirogyra.

Feeding aquatic turtles in adulthood is carried out 2-3 times a week. Young turtles need to be fed every day. The problem of water purification is connected with feeding. To prevent clogging of the filter, do not feed too much and do not use too fatty food.

The world of turtles is amazingly diverse. Quite tiny and huge, land and water, brightly and spectacularly colored and having a completely nondescript color - all these reptiles inhabit our planet. Today we will talk about what is the maintenance of water turtles at home.

Turtle species

The Emydidae family includes about ninety-five species, united in thirty-three genera, that live in freshwater bodies of America, Europe, Asia, and Northwest Africa. Many aquatic members of the family have bright color, beautifully painted head, legs and carapace.

Today we will focus on two types of these animals, which are most often bred at home. This is far eastern trionyx and red-eared turtle. These are cold-blooded animals that need warmth, a balanced diet, with the obligatory addition of vitamins and minerals. We will talk about how to feed a water turtle at home a little later.

As pets, they have a red-eared or swamp individual. They are distinguished by their small size and relative ease of care for them. Despite its small size, this reptile lives for a long time.

Water at home

Both experienced and aquarists, and beginners in this business, start this. Red-eared water turtles at home do not cause much concern to the owner. They are small in size and have a fairly long lifespan.

The reptile got its name for two spots that are located on the sides of the head. They can be yellow, deep orange or bright red. The length of the shell can vary from 11 cm to 60 cm. It depends on the age of the turtle. It has an oval-rounded, streamlined shape. The entire shell is covered with horn-shaped plates-shields. The toes end in sharp claws and are webbed. The head is covered with soft skin.

The main factors contributing to the comfortable keeping of reptiles at home are temperature, lighting (including ultraviolet radiation), water filtration.

Trionics

Another representative of water turtles, which aquarists like to keep at home. Trionics is a soft-bodied reptile with long neck which distinguishes it from other representatives of a large family. Her paws have three fingers with sharp and strong claws. The structural features of Trionix are due to the aquatic lifestyle. They spend most of their time burrowing into soft ground. It can be silt, fine sand or small stones. Thus, they watch for prey.

We equip the aquarium

Aquatic turtles at home primarily need an aquarium. Their home should be an aquaterrarium. It must be horizontal, and its length must be at least twice more height, since for this type of reptile the area of ​​\u200b\u200btheir “house” is more important than volume.

Turtles grow very fast, so choose a tank that is spacious enough for your pet to move around freely. The water part should occupy about 2/3 of the entire area. It is desirable to make the “shore” of the pool flat, as in vivo so that your pet can easily go to the island of land.

Island of sushi

The size of this island depends on the size of your pet. It should fit freely there completely. It should be noted that the island must be shaped so that the water flowing from the turtle does not stagnate on it. It must be made of non-slip materials. Today, such islands can be offered to you in pet stores. This will save you time on its construction.

An aquarium needs a filter to purify the water and without ultraviolet light, turtles do not absorb calcium well. The bottom of the aquarium is laid out with pebbles or coarse soil. The reptile will definitely try the soil with its teeth, so the size of the pebbles should be larger than the turtle's head. When buying, find out what breed it belongs to. It depends on it temperature regime water in the aquarium.

Lighting and ventilation

It is impossible to oversaturate the terrarium with light, but you should not save on lighting. Aquatic turtles, kept at home, especially appreciate the sun. They vitally need additional ultraviolet radiation, since its lack can provoke the development various diseases. Today, such UV lamps can be selected from a huge range of products from domestic and foreign manufacturers. They have different capacities and price categories. The choice of lamp depends on the volume of the terrarium, the number of turtles living in it, etc. Detailed advice will be given to you by the sellers of the pet store. But experienced aquarists recommend purchasing such devices with a five percent UVB.

Water turtles spend the whole day in the aquaterrarium. At home, your pet can only be placed in another container with water for the time of cleaning or feeding. Do not let him go to the floor, as the animal may get some kind of infection or be injured.

Proper care of a water turtle at home involves installing a powerful filter. Even with it, you should not forget about partial or complete water changes, at least once a week.

Aquaterrarium must be well ventilated. But do not confuse ventilation with drafts. These reptiles are very afraid of them, they can get colds.

What to feed water turtles at home?

This question worries many lovers of these cute animals. It should be noted that it must be taken very seriously. From what to feed a water turtle at home, 80% depends on the well-being of your pet and its life expectancy.

The diet should include lean raw fish, without sharp bones. It is cut into small pieces, depending on the size of your pet. Don't limit yourself to just one fish. It must be alternated with seafood, Turtles will not refuse beef liver or earthworms.

Occasionally, you can diversify the diet with chicken or beef meat. All products are given raw. Adult turtles can be added to the menu vegetable feed. It can be lettuce leaves, slices of pear, cucumber or apple. But most often, water turtles at home eat special dry food, as they contain a perfectly balanced content of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Pets that are less than ten centimeters long should be fed every day, and individuals exceeding this size should be fed no more than three times a week. The portion is made up of the amount of food that the animal eats in thirty to forty minutes. At the time of feeding, it is advisable to place the animals in a special container with water so as not to clog the water in the turtle's permanent house. We hope that you have learned what water turtles eat at home. These tips will help keep your pet healthy long years.

Water purification

Most often, aquatic representatives of the family eat perishable food. In addition, the natural secretions of animals heavily pollute the terrarium. Previously, the owners of such pets had to change the water several times a week. Now, thanks to the fact that modern filters have appeared on sale today various designs makes caring for them so much easier.

For a small aquarium with small individuals, a regular internal filter equipped with a sponge will suffice. There are many such filters that are suitable for small reservoirs today. They perfectly cope with their task and purify water from small and medium-sized dirt particles.

AT recent times appeared and became very popular special devices that greatly simplify the care of aquaterrariums. These are biological filters. They use special bacteria that remove nitrogen compounds.

In addition, the pet store will offer you specialized fillers, which, as a rule, are made by foreign manufacturers. They are helping long time keep water in perfect condition and prevent the growth of bacteria in it.

What should you pay attention to?

If your turtle is not properly cared for, your pet may become sick. The owner should be very attentive to the appearance of symptoms such as:

• curved or soft shell;
• puffy or permanently closed eyes;
• peeling of the skin;
• lack of appetite;
• runny nose.

A sick pet does not move much, spends a lot of time on an island of land, and often refuses to eat. In such cases, cases cannot be delayed - it must be urgently shown to the veterinarian. To treat the turtle, you will need to find a specialist who deals with these particular animals, since it is difficult to diagnose them.

Caring for a water turtle should give pleasure to the owner, only in this case both people and animals will be satisfied. If you are too busy in the service, and therefore the circumstances will not allow you to pay due attention to the turtle - wait a little with the purchase. Otherwise, the maintenance of such a cute pet will turn into a boring duty for you, which will lead to illness and even death.

Many people, deciding to start pet, opt for a turtle. Water turtles in this capacity are in greater demand than land turtles. The main species that are kept at home are red-eared, musky, bog turtle and trionics.

When choosing an animal, you need to take care of it proper nutrition and creating the necessary conditions for a fulfilling life.

Red-eared turtle

water turtle red-eared got its name due to its "ears". These are yellow, orange or red spots located on both sides of the head. The size of the reptile is average, 18-30 centimeters, depending on gender and age.

The round-oval, streamlined shell is covered with horn-shaped plates-shields. The armor pattern is very unusual - green and white wavy lines and spots. The fingers of the turtle connect the membranes, at the ends of their sharp claws. The head is covered with a hard stratum corneum.

The animal has a well-developed sense of smell and vision, but poor hearing. Red-eared water turtle good conditions content can live thirty years.

Trionics

The soft-bodied turtle has a long thin neck and webbed fingers, at the ends of which are sharp claws. The shell does not have hard horny plates, its length is 30-40 centimeters. The top of the shell is brown-green with yellowish spots, below it has a yellowish color. small in size with a dark line from the eyes to the neck. The male can be distinguished from the female by the length of the tail - in males it is longer.

A distinctive feature of this turtle is the presence of a proboscis with nostrils. The turtle weighs no more than four kilograms.

Turtles of this species like to rest during the day, burrowing into the sand or small pebbles, they are active at night. The water level in the aquarium should allow the animal to reach for air without getting out of the sand.

Trionics are predators, they must be kept separately from other types of turtles. Turtles of this species live 25 years.

musk turtle

This is a small water turtle with a shell length of 8-10 cm, in rare cases - 14 cm. The color of the musk turtle is unusual - the body is of a uniform dark shade, and the neck and head have bright stripes of light color along the edges of the shell. Males have a longer and thicker tail, in addition, they have scales on inside hind legs, which are necessary in order to hold the female during mating.

This type of turtle is very unpretentious, they eat absolutely everything. Life expectancy - up to 55 years.

swamp turtle

The bog turtle is a pronounced predator. It has an average size (10-35 cm), body weight can reach 1.5 kg. A long tail, which serves as an additional steering wheel when swimming, keeps the animal in the correct position.

The tortoise shell can be dark olive, dark brown, brown or black, has small strokes, dots or yellow spots. The iris of the eyes is orange, reddish or yellow. Webbed fingers with sharp long claws.

The turtle swims well, can stay under water for a long time. He is very afraid of drafts, so do not abuse walks around the house.

To create optimal conditions for a pet, when buying, you need to ask what region it is from, lived in captivity or was caught in the wild. In addition, it is necessary to clarify the conditions of detention and the temperature regime that is suitable for this type of turtle.

Water turtle at home should be kept clean. Bacteria that develop with improper care can cause illness in your pet.

Aquatic turtles grow quickly, so the water in the terrarium must be constantly cleaned and changed. It is necessary to use water that has settled during the day or install water filters.

Aquatic Turtle Care

The shell of an aquatic turtle needs regular cleaning from overgrown algae. Cleaning must be done carefully to avoid damaging the turtle's shell.

It is not necessary to keep the reptile in the water all the time, it can be harmful to its health. Turtles also need to be on land.

The water temperature in the aquarium should not exceed 21 degrees. You can light the aquarium with simple or ultraviolet lamps.

They feed the turtle food of plant and animal origin. To avoid diseases, food should be varied. Young turtles are fed daily, starting at 3 years of age - three times a week.

Water turtles are afraid of the cold. In winter, they need to use a special ultraviolet lamp to warm them. It is necessary to warm up the animal three times a week. In summer, you can place an aquarium on Fresh air while keeping it out of direct sunlight.

How to choose an aquarium

For a young little turtle, you can choose an aquarium at a pet store; for an adult, you will have to make it to order.

For a comfortable existence of a turtle, the aquarium must be quite roomy. Be sure to cover it with a lid so that the animal does not escape.

Inside the aquarium, you need to equip a small island on which the turtle can easily climb. Above it is placed a lamp for heating water.

A large aquarium for a water turtle should be equipped with a special filter to purify the water. It changes as it gets dirty.

How and what to feed water turtles

Feeding a water turtle should be given Special attention. An animal that is free can get what it needs on its own. A water turtle at home is completely dependent on its owner. Reptiles need a balanced diet, with all the elements necessary for the body.

The turtle is fed during the day, during its activity. An adult turtle can be given beef and chicken meat, sometimes fish.

What to feed water turtles when they are still small? For feeding small reptiles, bloodworms, earthworms, tubifex are used. In addition, various beetles must be present in the diet of this animal.

A growing turtle can also be given vegetable food. It can be algae, duckweed, lettuce or dandelion leaves.

Don't give your turtle more food than it can eat. Residues can settle to the bottom and rot, in which case the water will have to be changed daily.

Communication with turtles

The tortoise is a smart, agile and sociable animal, but it is somewhat difficult to communicate with it due to its habitat. But you should not let your pet out for long walks around the apartment, as the animal can get cold, dry out, swallow some object, hide in a gap, get injured.

But the turtle can be held in your arms, stroking or scratching, which will give her pleasure. At the same time, you should be careful, as many water turtles are predators and can be aggressive.

You need to tame the animal to your hands gradually, allowing him to get used to the owner and new living conditions. Having got used, the turtle itself will strive to communicate and respond to your appearance.

Basic Mistakes

It is very difficult to treat a reptile, so the maintenance of water turtles must be correct, for this you need to remember some features:

• The water in which the animal is kept must be clean.
• The turtle should have a gentle landfall, as it breathes air and can drown.
• It is necessary to monitor the air temperature. If the animal is cold, it may refuse to come out of the water, and this is harmful to its health.
• Several males should not be kept in one aquarium.
• Large and small species of turtles are kept separately.
• Wash your hands after interacting with your pet.
• You need to remember to be careful when dealing with aggressive species of turtles.
• If you notice that the animal's shell has become soft or crooked, the turtle refuses to eat, its eyes are swollen or constantly closed, the skin is flaky, a runny nose has appeared, you need to contact your veterinarian.

If you provide your pet proper care, feeding and disease prevention, it will delight you for many years. Do not forget that you are not buying a toy, but a creature that needs care and attention.

There is a widespread belief that turtles are very easy to care for. Some even consider it a pet, which for a normal life is enough to give food and water. It's a delusion. Turtles are wild reptiles that take a long time to get used to the home environment, they need to be looked after and create comfortable conditions.

Quite often it can be found in houses and apartments. Some owners allow them to move freely around their living quarters, equip a separate place for food and drink (almost like for cats), and even try to teach them to use the toilet. That is, in this case, the animal is in free mode, but within the boundaries of the apartment, of course.

Is it correct? Most experts believe that this should not be the case.

Moreover, such freedom can be dangerous for the turtle. She can accidentally swallow household garbage, get stuck in a heating radiator, or catch a cold in a draft. There were times when the inhabitants of the apartment accidentally stepped on their armored pet ...

In short, for keeping a turtle and good care behind it is needed - its own territory.

Turtle terrarium: equipment

High-quality care for domestic reptiles is provided only in a terrarium - a glass box where the turtle walks, eats, sleeps. The terrarium may not necessarily be glass, but a wooden box, for example. But it is desirable that one side of it be made of transparent material.

• a house for sleeping and relaxing (inverted plastic or clay pot with a hole is quite suitable);

• the feeder should be stable enough so that the animal does not accidentally knock it over (you can read about how to feed a domestic turtle in this one);

• drinking bowl with daily changed water for drinking;

• heater to create comfortable temperature in that part of the terrarium where the feeder and drinker are located (not lower than +26 degrees);

• a lamp with an ultraviolet lamp to simulate sunlight;

• thermometer for temperature control.

At the bottom of the terrarium, soil or bedding is usually arranged, which is often used as hay. In the summer, of course, this is possible and very convenient: it can be changed often. But in winter in urban conditions it is problematic to find hay.

You can put sand, but there were cases when turtles swallowed it. However, many owners of these reptiles cover the bottom of the terrariums with sand, and lay large flat pebbles on top. Many turtles like to dig into the sand, but pebbles are necessary for a very specific action: animals like to sharpen their long claws on stones.

About Turtle Hygiene

Proper care of a pet is impossible without maintaining a clean environment and personal hygiene of the animal.

Always keep the rooms clean and tidy. Owners often let their turtles out for walks, so you need to ensure that they do not swallow household garbage, as well as foreign objects lying on the floor.

The bottom of the terrarium should be cleaned of excrement daily, it is recommended to wash the feeder and drinker as often as possible. The water in the drinker should be changed every day, as fresh aqua is recommended for turtles.

All turtles love water procedures. Bathing is usually done once a week, but many experts advise washing armored pets as they get dirty. warm water for hygienic bathing (with a temperature not lower than +30 degrees) it is poured into a separate container at a level of 2/3 of a turtle's height so that the head is above the water surface.

How to bathe?

The shell, tummy, paws and muzzle are carefully washed with a sponge or hand, trying not to touch the eyes. Places of heavy contamination can be washed with baby soap. While swimming, you can see that the turtles really like it: they calmly allow themselves to be poured with water. Therefore, such a pleasant procedure for them can be carried out longer - up to 30 minutes.

After taking a hygienic bath, the pet should be wiped dry with a towel and released into the terrarium.

If you have brought small curious cubs of turtles in the house, then you can bathe them more often - three times a week.

Claw trimming

Although reptiles even at home try to sharpen their claws on their own, care must be taken that they do not grow too long.

Therefore, nail trimming should be regular. It is not difficult to do this either with the help of sharp scissors or with the use of a special nail clipper.

With this procedure, you must be careful: you can cut only the white edges of the claws, dark areas have blood vessels.

On the benefits of walking

On a warm, dry summer day at a temperature not lower than +25 degrees, it is recommended to take a walk in the yard.

You can take the turtle to a green lawn or grassy lawn and let it go for a walk in the fresh air.

The location must be quiet and clean. At high level external noises, the animal can be frightened and hide under its shell. No need to make the turtle nervous.

Plants at the place of the walk should be edible - dandelion, clover, plantain.

If the turtle is sick...

As a rule, diseases occur due to improper care.

Injuries. The turtle can fall from a high place and get a fracture. In this case, you need to apply a splint or plaster and be patient, as the process of bone tissue fusion can take a long time.

Carapace necrosis possible as a result of any mechanical damage. This is a rather serious disease that is very difficult to treat by constantly treating the affected area with disinfectant solutions.

Cold. During a walk, a pet can catch a cold. There may be a very strong runny nose, difficulty breathing. Veterinarians in such cases prescribe antibiotics, and for general strengthening of the body - a vitamin complex.

upset stomach a. Improper nutrition can cause diarrhea. It may be of an infectious nature or appear due to malnutrition (spoiled foods, for example). In any case, you need to pass the feces for analysis and begin appropriate treatment after determining the cause of the disease.

If there is even the slightest suspicion of the occurrence of the disease, you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Caring for a turtle at home has a number of features, but in general it is not so complicated. You can even entrust this activity to children, but with periodic supervision by adults, of course. It is very interesting to observe the behavior of these leisurely animals. That is why the first acquaintance of children with pets very often begins with turtles.

A short video about keeping turtles at home:

The ornamental red-eared turtle is one of the most popular species of freshwater reptiles kept in the home. In this article, you will learn what equipment is needed to keep turtles, how to care for them, how to feed them, and much more.

Are red-eared turtles ornamental?

To answer this question, let's consider what the word "decorative" generally means when applied to pets. A decorative animal does not perform any useful actions, it starts up only for the purpose of observation and communication. A decorative animal does not guard the house, does not catch mice.

Let's take a rabbit as an example. There is a wild rabbit, there is a domestic rabbit, which is used for food, and there is a decorative rabbit - for keeping in an apartment as a pet. The word "decorative" is often associated with dwarfism (as decorative many dogs are called small breeds), but this attribute is optional. Thus, to the question of whether it is possible to call a red-eared turtle intended for keeping in an apartment decorative, we will answer in the affirmative.

Are red-eared turtles dwarf?

On the network you can find questions: “How to distinguish a red-eared turtle from a decorative one?”, “Are there red-eared turtles dwarf?” etc. The fact is that some unscrupulous sellers, they can even be called scammers, sell ordinary red-eared turtles, passing off as dwarf ones and calling them decorative ones. They give recommendations for care - feed once every 4 days with dried hamarus or feed the young 1-2 times a week.

Indeed, turtles bought from such sellers and living in the recommended conditions do not grow. How long can a red-eared ornamental turtle not eat? Up to several weeks, the animal may starve, but the owner will assume that this is normal, because the seller advised to feed less often! Turtles live in constant hunger, they do not have enough energy to grow, only to maintain a semblance of life. Animals die after a few years from exhaustion.

If you've bought a "pygmy ornamental" red-eared slider that the seller claims will never grow up to be just as small and cute, then you've been lied to. There are no such turtles. Now let's talk about what the red-eared turtle is, how to care for it and how to feed it properly.

Description

The ornamental red-eared turtle came to us from the northeastern part of Mexico and the southern states of the USA. Thanks to unpretentiousness, the habitat of red-eared turtles has expanded very significantly. It can be found today in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

The turtle gets its name from two red (sometimes orange or yellow) spots behind its eyes. Turtles grow relatively small - up to 30 cm in diameter, but giants can also be found - up to 60 cm. In the first 2 years of life, the turtle grows intensively - up to 10 cm per year! With age, growth slows down, and the animal's shell adds 1-2 cm per year.

The lower part of the shell is dark with yellow stripes and edging, and the color of the upper part changes with age and can be of various shades of green - from dark green to olive and even yellow-brown.

Aquaterrarium

Turtles are often recommended as a simple animal for beginners, and they are inexpensive - 100-150 rubles. But is the red-eared at home so unpretentious it will require both labor and material costs, because for the purchase necessary equipment you will have to pay 10-20 thousand rubles.

Decorative red-eared turtle can be kept both singly and in a group. It should be noted that for the maintenance of one individual, an aquaterrarium with a volume of at least 110 liters is needed. If you decide to purchase several turtles, then they should be about the same age and size. In a group consisting of only males, conflicts will constantly arise, so pay attention to the sex of the animals in advance.

The water in the aquarium should be warm, 26-28 °C. The water level must be higher than the width of the animal's shell, otherwise the turtle will not be able to roll over. You need to change the water 1-2 times a week, if you purchase a filter, then you can do it less often - 1-2 times a month. An aquarium heater is needed to maintain the temperature.

The land in the aquaterrarium must be at least 25% of total area. The shore of the island should rise at an angle from the bottom. The land should be located so that even a grown turtle could not get out into the wild - at least 25 cm from the top edge of the terrarium.

Aquaterrarium lighting

Decorative red-eared turtle in nature spends a lot of time on the shore, under the rays of the sun. They are replaced in captivity by a UV lamp. It is installed at a height of about half a meter above the aquarium. At first, turn on the lamp 1-2 times a week for a few minutes, gradually bringing the time up to half an hour daily. UV rays are disinfected without a special lamp, the animal starts to get sick.

The terrarium should also be equipped with an ordinary incandescent lamp for lighting and heating. The air temperature on the island should not rise above 30 °C.

Nutrition

How to feed a decorative red-eared turtle? In order for the turtle to actively grow and be healthy, it needs to eat fully. AT young age turtles prefer animal food, with age they begin to eat more plant food.

Young animals are fed daily, after two years - 2-3 times a week. You can feed both special food bought at a pet store, and natural food. It could be:

• Poultry, beef, horse meat (pork and lamb are not suitable due to their fat content).
• Offal (liver, heart, lungs, stomach, etc.).
• Lean fish (aged a few minutes in hot water) or small live fish, shrimp, squid.
• Snail meat.
• Insects. Not poisonous! Grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, bloodworms, coretra, large daphnia.
• Live or dried hamarus.
• Aquatic plants - duckweed, hornwort, ceratopteris, ludwigia.
• Vegetables and herbs - cucumber, lettuce, clover, dandelion.

Homemade food

You can make your own combination food. Its composition may vary in various recommendations, but usually it is something like this:

1. Edible gelatin (30 g per half glass of water).
2. Fish fillet - 150 g.
3. Squid fillet - 100 g
4. Milk - 150 ml.
5. Raw chicken egg - 2 pcs.
6. Carrot - 70 g.
7. Apple - 50 g.
8. Cabbage - 50 g.
9. - 10 tablets.
10. "Tetravit" - 20 drops.

The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. Before use, the cut piece must be warmed to room temperature. This amount is enough for 7-10 days for an adult turtle. Bone meal or crushed eggshells should be given daily as a source of calcium.

If you choose a ready-made industrial one, then carefully read its composition. Feeds consisting of dried hamarus or bloodworms alone will not work.

Turtles are fed in the water. The food remaining 20-30 minutes after the meal should be removed from the terrarium.

The main mistakes of owners of red-eared turtles

So, a decorative red-eared turtle has appeared in your house. Caring for this animal is not as easy as it seems. Very often, newly minted owners are poorly oriented in the features of keeping an animal. Consider their main mistakes.

1. "For a little turtle - a small aquarium." This reasoning is fundamentally wrong. The animal should swim freely at any age, and turtles grow very quickly.
2. "Aquatic turtle can live in an ordinary aquarium without land" is another mistake. Red-eared turtle without an island, sushi will simply drown!
3. "UV lamp is optional." Again, no, without UV rays, the turtle will suffer from vitamin D deficiency and start to get sick.
4. You can not feed the turtle the same thing, for example, only meat or only hamarus. The diet should be varied.
5. You can not run water in the aquaterrarium. It must be clean, no turbidity or film! AT dirty water young animals may refuse food.
6. Do not remove peeling plates from the shell; you do not need to clean it with a hard brush.
7. Do not buy at the same time two males or turtles that differ significantly in size, they will fight, conflict. BUT constant stress will lead to illness.
8. Don't hibernate your turtle yourself. At home, while maintaining the recommended temperature, the turtle will not hibernate.
9. All accessories for cleaning the aquarium should be separate, it is unacceptable to use sponges with which you clean the room or kitchen.
10. Don't keep a turtle in the same tank as fish unless they are reptile food.
11. Do not let the turtle walk on the floor, it can quickly catch a cold.