Turtles

 

 

Aquatic turtles are commonly found in the warmer climates of the world, the most common species to be kept in captivity originate from north America and Europe.
The most common types that we stock at Water Decor are map turtles and yellow belly sliders, these types are by far the most popular among hobbyists and are very easy to care for.


The most important factors in caring for your turtle is to provide a good home and correct nutrition, to help with this we have put kits together to take care of the specific needs of your turtle. One of the main issues to consider is the growth rate, a small turtle purchased at a size of 1.5” will soon grow potentially 8-10” across!!, for this reason we supply tanks no smaller than 2’ but will always recommend a 3’ or larger as this will prove to be not only better for the turtle but a more cost effective choice in the long term. Glass tanks are better than plastic, goldfish bowls should never be considered due to size and lack of durability.

A coarse pea gravel is the best substrate to use, it not only looks attractive and natural it will be suitable and practical for further maintenance. Keeping the water at the correct temperature is of course important as turtles are tropical creatures. We provide heaters that have a built in thermostat, they are fixed to the aquarium glass using suckers, the heating element is encased in glass and being fully waterproof can be completely submerged, on the very top of the heater is a thermostat control, this can be turned to set the temperature and should be set at 76-78f.

The lighting provided with the aquarium has three reasons for being important, not only does it provide illumination but the heat generated from the bulb will help to raise and maintain the air temperature to keep basking turtles warm. The third reason is that turtles use light to absorb vitamin D which without they can be prone to soft shell, this can be a potentially a life threatening condition for the turtle if left untreated.

As mentioned turtles love to bask, they need the time out of the water to absorb vitamin D and rest. For this reason you will need to create a dry area this can be constructed using rock and slate, it needs to be large enough for the turtle to move around on and sloped down into the water to make access on and off easy, this is especially important while turtles are small. At water Decor we supply turtle docks and floating logs that can be an instant and easy to add dry area. Always avoid rough and jagged materials where turtles may injure themselves and make sure that all materials used are clean.

Turtles are extremely interesting creatures which make great pets for adults and children alike.
If you are interested in keeping turtles then pop in or call us and our experienced staff will be happy to help you.

Map Turtles

Yellow Belly Spider Turtles



Water Decor
Webbs Garden Centre
Kidderminster Road South
West Hagley
West Midlands DY9 0JB
Click Here For Directions
Open Seven Days
A Week

Mon-Sat 9am to 6pm
Sunday 9am to 4pm
Telephone
(01562) 700929

e-mail
waterdecor@hotmail.com

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