How to care for a freshwater turtle?

Freshwater turtles are very mobile, feed on animal food. There are several popular types of freshwater turtles for keeping at home:

• Red-bellied tortoise (Trachemys scripta)


• European turtle turtle (Emys orbicularis)


• Chinese trionics or the Far Eastern tortoise (Pelodiscus sinensis)

Contents of the red-bellied turtle

Red-bellied turtle as well as other speciesFreshwater turtles are kept in an aquarium, no less than 25% of the area of ​​which must be taken away from land. The recommended volume of an aquarium for an adult is 100-150 liters. As a land, you can use soil or gravel, large stones, on which the turtle will be comfortable to get warm. The water level in the aquarium should be no less than the breadth of the tortoise shell, and the water temperature should not be below 20 ° C.

Water must be necessarily clean and stable. Change the water should be at least 1-2 times a week. To keep the water warm you need to put the aquarium with a turtle in a warm place or install a special heater. In addition, turtles need a source of heat (incandescent lamp) and dosed ultraviolet light. Feeding red-bellied turtles can be crustaceans, shrimps, worms, insects, tadpoles, small freshwater snails. Feeding young turtles to two years is necessary daily, and older - 2-3 times a week. The menu of turtles should not be monotonous. You can alternate the feed monthly. Red-eared turtles also eat vegetarian food, for example, duckweed, sea cabbage, spirogir, edogonia, dandelions, cabbage, salad.

Red-bellied turtles can grow to a length of 28-30 cm, live an average of 30-40 years.

European turtle turtle

For these turtles you need a bigger aquarium -150-200 liters. The aquarium should contain a "dry land" that occupies half or a third of the total area of ​​the aquarium. The depth of the water for the marsh tortoise should be small. It is enough 10-20 cm to change the water often. The water temperature in the aquarium should be 18-25 ° C. As well as red-eared, swamp turtles need an incandescent lamp and a source of ultraviolet light. It is possible to irradiate ultraviolet turtles periodically, or you can install a source of ultraviolet radiation that emits small, safe doses of UV rays all the time.

Feed the European swamp turtles can be shallowriver or sea fish, including live. Also, turtles will eat earthworms, snails, shrimp, various insects, pieces of meat, special feed for turtles. Swamp turtles even eat food for cats and dogs. Adult turtles can eat vegetarian food, such as cabbage, carrots, banana. Feed young turtles need daily, and adults - 2-3 times a week.

European marsh turtles grow to 12-35 cm in length, and their weight can reach one and a half kilograms. Marsh turtles live 30-40 years, but there are specimens that live 80 years.

Contents of Chinese trionics (Far Eastern turtle)

Aquarium for this species of freshwater turtlesshould be even more than for the previous two - from 250 liters per adult turtle. The land should be at least 20% of the total area of ​​the aquarium. The trionics require a water temperature of approximately 26 ° C. Since the Chinese trionics receive a part of oxygen from the water, it is necessary to install in the aquarium aeration and filtration of water. Water for the Far Eastern tortoise should either be defended or purified of chlorine impurities by special preparations. Just like the previous two types of trionics, an incandescent lamp (+ 30-32 ° C per lamp) and an ultraviolet source are needed.

The diet of Chinese trionics is all the same as in the diet of the European swamp turtle.

The Far-Eastern tortoise has powerfuljaws and malicious character, so her bites can be quite painful. Therefore, take these turtles in hand, firmly holding the back of the shell.

Far Eastern turtles grow up to 20-25 cm in length and live up to 25 years.