If you have decided to have a turtle as a pet in your home you have come to the right place, in this article on our site we are going to explain how to make an aquaterrarium for turtles step by step along with trivia and useful information.
Remember that this article is a general guide to turtles that live between land and water, for this reason do not hesitate to ask a professional for specific details of the species you own.
Let's start making the aquaterrarium step by step!
The first step to know how to make an aquaterrarium for turtles step by step is going to consist of gathering the materials that we are going to need:
- Tortum: It is basically a standardized glass container for turtle tanks. They are always wider than they are tall and have an area where the turtle can get out of the water. We could define it more colloquially as a specialized aquarium for turtles.
- Filter: There are special filters for turtles, but with a slightly more standard one we can do it just the same.
- Water heater: What this instrument will do is heat the water to certain degrees that we have previously configured.
- Thermometer: We will always need to see if the temperature is suitable for our turtles, we have to take into account that temperature and humidity they are two of the most important factors for the he alth of our turtles.
- Special tortoise lamp holder and lamp: This is a key factor since all reptiles need UV rays. If we do not supply ultraviolet rays to our turtles they will get sick and very possibly they will not survive.
- Decoration elements: Normally special stones and trunks are used, depending on the variety of turtle we will ideally use one or the other.
Once we have everything we are going to use at hand, we will have to get down to work with the cleaning the aquaterrarium We will take the tortum and we will clean it well. It is advisable to leave it for 1 hour with boiling water so that there are no traces of dirt of any kind.
When the appropriate time has passed we will remove that water and fill it with good water for our turtles. In most cases, people do not usually take care of the PH, calcium levels… But if we want the best for our turtles, this step would be ideal, we would simply have to buy a water measurement kit where, using test tubes and liquids, we will determine the current state of the water and we will proceed to its correct stabilization.
I repeat that this step is not strictly necessary, I have seen turtles in relatively uncared for water and they were he althy. But keep in mind that they spend most of the water inside and if we have stable water this will favor their growth and their shell.
Once the aquarium is completely clean, we will proceed to install the accessories that will be the filter and the heater:
The first thing we'll start with is to get the filter in place. One piece of advice, if we leave the filter with the "cannon" of the water pointing it will be better than if we point it at the closest one, as this will favor the correct cleaning and purification of all the particles in the aquarium.
Then we must install the water heater in an area that does not disturb the subsequent decoration. Particularly, we usually put it glued to one side.
The next step is going to be add the decoration that we like the most. A set that, while being cheap, remains super natural is to fill the bottom about 3 cm with special sand for aquaterrariums and then add a couple of mangrove trunks, for example.
Bear in mind in the decoration process that we must leave an area where the turtles rest and right where the main focus of the light is pointing. This space will surely be the most used by our pets and if we take care of it, they will thank us.
We will also have to assess what type of turtles we are making the aquaterrarium for, since the decoration may vary. Consult the professional who recommends you for your species of turtle in particular.
Once we have the decoration as we like, we will simply have to add water. One piece of advice I give you is to go adding the water partially and slowly throughout the aquarium because if you do it a little "roughly" you will surely destroy the decoration that you have put.
To say that the water at least has to be drinkable, if we don't have the means to leave it in optimal conditions of calcium and others, it doesn't matter a bit, but please, do not use tap water, it could be tremendously harmful to our turtles.
When you have the water, if we have used a good specialized substrate for floor decoration, we can include aquatic plants that will give it a touch amazing aquaterrarium. Of course, you will have to be careful since some turtles eat some other variety of aquatic plant.
If we want to give the water a touch of reddish color, as in some rivers, by adding several logs (previously cleaned with boiling water) the water will take on that characteristic tint and our turtles will think they are in the middle of the nature.
When we have all the other points well done, the water at a good temperature, the decoration strategically placed, a good current of water oxygenating and cleaning the aquaterrarium, etc. We can install the lighting now.
For the correct growth of any type of reptile, it is necessary to capture UV rays Reptiles, as we surely already know, are animals of cold blooded, so they need these rays to regulate their body temperature and not fall ill.
We will have to aim the main focus of the light at the resting area that we have enabled for the turtles. Be careful, do not approach the focus too much or too little, with a distance of 20-30cm it will be enough. If we get too close to the light we could cause burns and if it is too far away, it won't cause the effect we want.
After the laborious acclimatization process of the aquaterrarium, we will wait one day for all the decoration materials to settle, to clear up water and regulate the temperature. When we spend the day waiting we will proceed to add our turtles
A piece of advice, turtles, like many reptiles, grow according to the size of the container they are in. This is a survival trait that they have acquired over the years. If we see that our turtle does not move easily around the aquaterrarium, we will have to get a bigger one for its he alth.
If you have not yet decided which turtle to welcome into your home, we recommend that you review the different freshwater turtles and the care of freshwater turtles. However, if you are still not sure about wanting a water turtle, you can also browse among the land turtles.
Tips
- Investigate its breed and its needs before buying the specimen to create an optimal habitat for it.
- Adjusting the PH, oxygen and Calcium levels of the water will be ideal for our turtles.
- If you install aquatic plants, keep in mind that you will have to add an oxygenator and a good substrate for them.
- Observe that the turtles can move agilely around the aquaterrarium, if not, modify it.
- Be careful and check that the turtles cannot leave the aquaterrarium.
- Constantly check the temperature and humidity of the aquarium, as it can be fatal.
- If you go on a trip or spend time away from home, there is a meal that dissolves little by little and will last the tortoise for several days.
- If you observe any anomaly in the turtles, check that all the characteristics of the aquaterrarium are correct and go to the veterinarian.
