How to Care for a Soft Shelled Turtle
Decide which animals will live in your tank., Find a large tank., Add a sand substrate., Add a place for your turtle to bask., Add live plants., Change a third of the water once per week., Clean the whole tank once every 2 to 4 weeks.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide which animals will live in your tank.
Because soft shelled turtles can be aggressive, you should not put them in tanks with other turtles or animals.
Sometimes they can live in pairs, but only with enough space and minimal bullying.
It is probably best to have just one softshell turtle living in the tank. -
Step 2: Find a large tank.
Allow 5 to 10 gallons of tank for every inch of carapace (shell) length of your turtle.
However, no tank is too large for a soft shelled turtle.
They are active swimmers.
Keep in mind how large your turtle could grow in the future.
Look up the particular breed of soft shelled turtle you have or plan on getting and see how large it could potentially get.
Buy a tank that will accommodate your turtle even in his later years.Many experienced turtle owners suggest getting at least a 20 gallon tank for babies and a 40 gallon tank for adults., Add a layer of river sand to the bottom of your tank.
There should be enough sand such that your soft shelled turtle can immerse himself completely.
The sand should be free of rocks or any objects that could scratch your turtle’s shell and cause an infection.You can buy sand at an aquarium store.
It should be very high quality sand, because these turtles frequently burrow themselves in the sand.
Ask a person at your pet store if you need to clean the particular type of sand before you put it in the tank., Place both natural and manmade structures into the tank, leading up to the surface of and out of the water.
Your turtle should have easy access to an area where he can lie completely out of the water and under a heat lamp.
Place the basking area accordingly, so that there is enough room for your turtle to lie completely out of the water.
Make sure that your surfaces are not sharp and that they make it very easy for your turtle to get out of the water.You can have many successful types of basking areas.
You can buy specific basking ramps or platforms at an aquarium store.
These would be a safe choice for your turtle.
You could also purchase a rock or a log to put in your aquarium, once your turtle is more acclimated to the tank.
Just make sure that the surface is smooth and will not scratch your turtle as he climbs onto it.
Basking is necessary for your turtle’s health.
Make sure that his basking space is inviting and easily accessible! Put your basking area on a really gentle incline, so that your turtle has a really easy time climbing up to bask.
Watch your turtle for extended periods of time, checking in on him frequently, to ensure that he’s actually using the basking space.
If he’s not, he could develop a host of medical issues. , Live plants are also very important in your tank.
They will help oxygenate your water and give your turtle a little more scenery.The amount of plants you have will vary greatly on the size of your tank, but you should make sure that you do not have so many plants that the turtle cannot burrow under the sand.
In other words, make sure that there are plants to oxygenate the water, but do not crowd them on the floor of the tank.
Soft shelled turtles might dig up the plants when they are trying to burrow.
Plant live plants around the edges of the aquarium, and put soft, smooth rocks around them to prevent this uprooting.
Try a Java Fern or a plant from the anubias family.
Choose a plant that is hardy and does not mind being replanted., Take out a third of the water in the tank and dispose of it.
Treat the new water with a dechlorinating agent before you put it into the tank.
Put the water into the tank slowly, being careful not to disturb the turtle or the plants too much., You can vary this depending on the size of your tank and effectiveness of your filtration, but 2 to 4 weeks is a good estimate.
While you clean your tank, put your turtle in a smaller container with some of the old water in it.Replace the sand substrate completely.
Take out all tank furnishings (everything but plants and sand).
Make a solution that is one part bleach to 20 parts water, and scrub these furnishings with this solution and a toothbrush. -
Step 3: Add a sand substrate.
-
Step 4: Add a place for your turtle to bask.
-
Step 5: Add live plants.
-
Step 6: Change a third of the water once per week.
-
Step 7: Clean the whole tank once every 2 to 4 weeks.
Detailed Guide
Because soft shelled turtles can be aggressive, you should not put them in tanks with other turtles or animals.
Sometimes they can live in pairs, but only with enough space and minimal bullying.
It is probably best to have just one softshell turtle living in the tank.
Allow 5 to 10 gallons of tank for every inch of carapace (shell) length of your turtle.
However, no tank is too large for a soft shelled turtle.
They are active swimmers.
Keep in mind how large your turtle could grow in the future.
Look up the particular breed of soft shelled turtle you have or plan on getting and see how large it could potentially get.
Buy a tank that will accommodate your turtle even in his later years.Many experienced turtle owners suggest getting at least a 20 gallon tank for babies and a 40 gallon tank for adults., Add a layer of river sand to the bottom of your tank.
There should be enough sand such that your soft shelled turtle can immerse himself completely.
The sand should be free of rocks or any objects that could scratch your turtle’s shell and cause an infection.You can buy sand at an aquarium store.
It should be very high quality sand, because these turtles frequently burrow themselves in the sand.
Ask a person at your pet store if you need to clean the particular type of sand before you put it in the tank., Place both natural and manmade structures into the tank, leading up to the surface of and out of the water.
Your turtle should have easy access to an area where he can lie completely out of the water and under a heat lamp.
Place the basking area accordingly, so that there is enough room for your turtle to lie completely out of the water.
Make sure that your surfaces are not sharp and that they make it very easy for your turtle to get out of the water.You can have many successful types of basking areas.
You can buy specific basking ramps or platforms at an aquarium store.
These would be a safe choice for your turtle.
You could also purchase a rock or a log to put in your aquarium, once your turtle is more acclimated to the tank.
Just make sure that the surface is smooth and will not scratch your turtle as he climbs onto it.
Basking is necessary for your turtle’s health.
Make sure that his basking space is inviting and easily accessible! Put your basking area on a really gentle incline, so that your turtle has a really easy time climbing up to bask.
Watch your turtle for extended periods of time, checking in on him frequently, to ensure that he’s actually using the basking space.
If he’s not, he could develop a host of medical issues. , Live plants are also very important in your tank.
They will help oxygenate your water and give your turtle a little more scenery.The amount of plants you have will vary greatly on the size of your tank, but you should make sure that you do not have so many plants that the turtle cannot burrow under the sand.
In other words, make sure that there are plants to oxygenate the water, but do not crowd them on the floor of the tank.
Soft shelled turtles might dig up the plants when they are trying to burrow.
Plant live plants around the edges of the aquarium, and put soft, smooth rocks around them to prevent this uprooting.
Try a Java Fern or a plant from the anubias family.
Choose a plant that is hardy and does not mind being replanted., Take out a third of the water in the tank and dispose of it.
Treat the new water with a dechlorinating agent before you put it into the tank.
Put the water into the tank slowly, being careful not to disturb the turtle or the plants too much., You can vary this depending on the size of your tank and effectiveness of your filtration, but 2 to 4 weeks is a good estimate.
While you clean your tank, put your turtle in a smaller container with some of the old water in it.Replace the sand substrate completely.
Take out all tank furnishings (everything but plants and sand).
Make a solution that is one part bleach to 20 parts water, and scrub these furnishings with this solution and a toothbrush.
About the Author
Laura Jimenez
Creates helpful guides on creative arts to inspire and educate readers.
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