To most people a baby turtle is probably one of the cutest things they have ever seen.  You can check out a baby snake or young alligator and think “eeew-not for me!”, but you just can’t look into the big bright eyes of a little hatchling turtle and not just smile. This is one of the main reasons that thousands of baby turtles are purchased for pets every year and why the pet marketplace is full of products devoted to the care of Baby Turtles.

In the past decades baby turtles and their uninformed but well-meaning keepers were the center of attack from everyone from the ASPCA to the FDA. Due to the lack of quality turtle foods and the understanding of proper turtle care, many of these hatchlings -sadly- didn’t survive well. Thankfully, those times are long gone. With the current flood of information on proper turtle care and the availability of higher quality turtle foods (along with many other products) being successful at raising baby aquatic turtles is now not only possible, but for most a very wonderful experience. Habit forming many would say!

So for now, let’s take a basic look at what it takes to be successful at raising baby aquatic turtles: first it’s important to note a few of the obvious facts about aquatic turtles, one- they are cold blooded, so to maintain their body temperatures they must get heat from their environment. Two- they are very young, so a proper diet is crucial to supplying them with the nutrients they need to grow and prosper. Three – they spend most of their time in the water, so a clean sanitary source of water to swim in is essential.

Generally speaking, baby turtles require three main things: a clean and appropriate environment to live, proper heating and lighting, and a good diet specific for the growth stage they are in.  By satisfying these three basic concerns, you and your turtles’ success and happiness is well on its way. So here are a few things to consider when researching the right equipment you’ll need to keep your little turtles healthy and happy:

Their Environment: For most baby turtles, a small aquarium works just fine as a great place to start. Though some turtles can grow quickly, it is still okay to start off with a simple 15-20-gallon aquarium that can be purchased economically at most pet supply outlets. At first, it’s best to keep it small and simple. This is good for 1 to 4 hatchlings for their first year or so. It is best to maintain the water level at 4-5 inches deep since some hatchlings can drown in deeper water. A one inch layer of gravel at the bottom is a great area for the biological filter bed that will help keep the aquarium water clean. There are several aquarium filter manufacturers that offer “shallow- water” filters that fit inside the aquarium and provide filtration of the water and water movement, definitely get one. You will still need to change the water and clean your aquarium periodically, but the filter helps in the meantime to keep the water clean, moving, and oxygenated. Next, an area where the turtles can easily get out of the water is very important, a rock or stationary piece of driftwood works well to provide a spot where the turtles can rest, dry off, and sunbathe. Finally, good lighting and heating is essential. Spend a little time researching the different products available to find what fits your needs and your budget. Basically, you’ll look at heat producing lamps to maintain your turtles body temperature and create a basking area, they will vary depending on the size of your aquarium (these are generally basking lamps of some sort or possibly ceramic heat emitters), and specialty lamps that duplicate the sun’s rays (UVA-UVB). If you are able to give your turtle’s time out in the sun for a few hours multiple times a week, you may be able to skip the supplemental UV lighting. But one or the other needs to be offered consistently so that the turtles receive the benefits needed from the suns UV rays. In some cases where household temperatures can get cooler, a proper size aquarium heater can help in maintaining proper warm water temperatures. Once you have the aquarium set up with these concerns in mind, you are ready to add in your turtles and watch them enjoy what you have created for them.

Feeding your new baby turtles: Please remember, hatchling turtles have very specific dietary requirements, so it is crucial that you feed your turtles a diet that is specifically designed for baby turtles at this stage of their lives. TropicZone Stage 1- Hatchling Diet is perfectly formulated to provide all the needed nutrients your Hatchling needs to grow, develop, and stay healthy. All TropicZone turtle diets are available on the TropicZone Webstore.