Mary Allen
Ideally, the European pond turtle should be kept in your own garden pond all year round. The pond should be sunny and the opportunity for country walks should also be guaranteed, as the pond turtle will occasionally leave the water to enjoy the sun extensively. The cool water should also include a shallow water area. At its deepest point, the pond may be up to 1 m deep. The turtles love to linger on man-made islands while sunbathing.
How is a Turtle Pond or Terrarium Set Up?
Small tree trunks, for example, are suitable for this. If you don’t have the option of keeping your animal in a pond, an aqua terrarium will do the trick. A size of 150 x 60 x 50 cm is recommended for a stock of one to three European marsh toads. Roots and plastic aquatic plants serve as hiding places for the turtles. The bottom should be filled with river or quartz sand. Small sun islands, such as roots, are also mandatory in the terrarium. They offer animal-appropriate variety. If it is to go in the direction of breeding, a special egg-laying place must also be created.
The water temperature should be between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius in summer. The heating can be turned off at night. A normal room temperature is sufficient for the turtles. It is important that the terrarium does not get drafts. The place in the sun should reach between 35 to 40 degrees Celcius. IR thermometers are suitable for measurement.
How and How Often is the Terrarium Cleaned?
The aqua terrarium should be cleaned at regular intervals. If the flow capacity for the large-sized filter is no longer given, it should also be cleaned. Half a partial water change takes place about every 14 days. Before replacing the water, check the nitrate content. A commercially available nitrate test provides information about the level of nitrate pollution. The limit given is 50 mg per liter. If the pool is repeatedly dirty or the water smells strong and unpleasant, the filter should be replaced as it no longer works properly.
Which Lighting is Suitable for the Terrarium?
The best way to keep turtles is under natural sunlight. If the animals are only in the aqua terrarium in winter, daylight is sufficient. If they are generally kept in the water basin in the house or apartment, the right lighting is important. UV-emitting metal halide lamps (halogen construction spotlights) and UV fluorescent tubes that do not flicker have proven their worth.
Halogen floodlights are available in any well-stocked hardware store. If the tortoises are kept in the pond and outdoor enclosure every six months, they do not need any further UV light support. If the animals are only indoors, a twilight should be installed so that the turtles can recognize a day-night rhythm for themselves.
How is the European Pond Turtle Adequately Fed?
In order to feed your pet a varied diet, a feeding schedule is recommended.
Different food is given every day of the week. There is a live food day on which the food consists of slugs, snails, earthworms, isopods, or mealworms. The following day there is only green fodder, such as duckweed, water hyacinth, water lettuce, and dandelion. The meat day includes mice, chicken, turkey and beef heart, and liver. On the fish day, trout, smelt, guppies, white fish, and mussels are on the menu.
This is followed by the dry food day, where freshwater shrimp and dried fish are given to cats. And last but not least, another green day follows. Live food such as trout and beef liver as well as oily food should be fed in a separate bowl so that the water is not overly polluted and contaminated.