Setting up a turtle tank

[Brendan]

So I've caught a small painted turtle, and now I'm setting up the tank. I just have a question about the inside environment. If possible, I would like to have a pond inside the tank (for the turtle to swim into), and a dry area consisting of gravel/rocks (for the turtle's basking area). Question is, how would I do this? Could anything be used as a divider?

Also, what are some symptoms a turtle may have salmonella? Mine was caught from a river, and so I want to be sure there is nothing wrong with it (I'm "quarantining" it for a bit). Mine looks alright and is quite active, but it surely doesn't hurt to be sure.

Thanks in advance.

 

[PsychoSpider]

let it go! there is no need to take from nature when you can buy one. I can almost gaurantee you it has something wrong with it. just go buy one!

 

[Brendan]

let it go! there is no need to take from nature when you can buy one. I can almost gaurantee you it has something wrong with it. just go buy one!

Please answer the question.

 

[arachyd]

Salmonella is a germ common in the environment that would be on the turtle that can harm you. It's the same germ that makes raw chicken dangerous to eat. It seems to thrive on turtles for some reason. People handle the turtle, forget to wash their hands, next thing you know you are sick. As far as I know it doesn't harm the turtle and there would be no symptoms the turtle has it. You just have to keep the turtle clean and remember to always wash your hands.

One simple way to divide a small tank is by filling it a few inches deep with stones and sloping it up on one side then filling the tank part way with water. Use stones large enough that they will stay sloped and not cause a mini avalanche when the turtle climbs on them. Put any plants or logs, etc. on the high side of the stones. Use plants and logs that can be easily removed for cleaning. For a species that likes to dig you can add a small container of dirt sunk into the stones on the high side. It is then a simple matter to remove ornaments and logs, dump the water and stones into a large bucket, flush with a garden hose, drain, dump boiling water on it to kill germs, cool the stones down and refill the tank when it has to be cleaned.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Salmonella is a germ common in the environment that would be on the turtle that can harm you. It's the same germ that makes raw chicken dangerous to eat. It seems to thrive on turtles for some reason. People handle the turtle, forget to wash their hands, next thing you know you are sick. As far as I know it doesn't harm the turtle and there would be no symptoms the turtle has it. You just have to keep the turtle clean and remember to always wash your hands.

This goes for ALL reptiles, not just turtles. And as far as I know, you cannot "cure" a natural carrier, nor will being captive-bred vs wild-caught make any difference.

You do need to let it go though, Brendan. theheadchicken is right. Not only is it probably carrying a full load of parasites, but turtles in the wild already face a wide array of threats that reduce the breeding population. There is no good reason to remove another potential breeder when you can go get a captive-bred animal from a hobby dealer or something. Everyone in our hobby needs to support responsible ownership, and that includes supporting captive breeding programs instead of depleting wild populations unnecessarily.

 

[bigdog999]

like mushroom spore stated, ALL REPTILES are natural carriers for the salmonella bacteria. To prevent getting salmonella, keep the water clean, always wash hands with a germicide after handling any item that came in contact with the animal. Also as stated earlier, there are other bacteria carried by wild caught reptiles that can be harmful.

 

[Brendan]

Nah I'm keeping it. Besides, I found it during camp and I already brought it home. I already setup the tank and it's all good now.

 

[naturejoe]

salmonella

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the gut of some reptiles, NOT ALL. There are hundreds of strains of it and only a few are considered potentially dangerous to people. The bacteria is shed through the feces of an animal and usually you must contact the feces to get it. However, reptiles can carry the bacteria and if not housed properly will likely walk through their own feces, or swim in it since aquatic turtles poop in the water they swim in. Most people that get sick are young, old and already sick. A healthy adult person is very unlikely to get sick if exposed.

The turtle ban in the 70's was prompted by the large number of baby turtles sold in dime stores and kept in inadequate housing, typically a bowl with an island and plastic palm tree. The baby turtles are small enough for a small child to pick it up and put it in their mouth, which small children do with anything that fit. This is what prompted the 4 inch rule. They figured 4 inches was to big to fit in a small child's mouth.

I have been doing animal shows for many years and usually get fecals done on the animals I use with kids all the time. Over the years not one has been tested positive for salmonella.

Enjoy your new pet turtle, but if you continue in the hobby and get more animals please buy captive born animals whenever you can. Many turtles are bred in captivity for just about any price you want to pay.

As for land in the tank, I use cork bark pieces cut to the same width as the tank and carefully wedged into place between the glass sides. This opens more room for swimming and allows you to have more and deeper water which is easier to keep clean with good filtration.

Good luck.

 

[BigDaddyJ]

actually to answer your question about the pond. what I have done in the past that i found works very well is take a small rubbermaid tub. One that is like maybe 5 or six inches deep. You could go bigger depending on your enclosure. Use that for your pond. This makes cleaning way easy. All you have to do is pull that out then. Rather than just pouring the water in and having to drain the whole tank.

 

[Shrike]

Make sure you are using a filter in your set up. Aquatic turtles are very messy and will foul their water quickly. As for a spot where the turtle can haul out, there are numerous platforms, artificial logs, etc, that can be purchased at any pet store and attached to the side of your tank. I prefer this type of set up because it maximizes the amount of space in which your turtle can swim. You said your tank is already set up. Fill us in on the details. Now that you have the turtle, you should care for it properly.

You should never have taken this turtle out of the wild. In doing so you have deprived other people of the opportunity to observe it in its natural habitat, depleted the local breeding populations, and subjected a wild animal to a stressful and unfamiliar environment. If you wanted a turtle that badly you should have purchased a captive bred hatchling.