5 Gallon Paludarium

[RisiganL.]

For a male I think a 55g as the absolute minimum. A 75g would be much better for a single male. Females of most species require tanks upwards of 100 gallons. A good rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch of shell. Using that, a 12" turtle would need a 120 gallon aquarium.

 

[fishboy7]

Ok, thanks for all the help so far. Will post more when we find an aquarium!

 

[user_name]

not sure about in captivity, but I've personally caught some BIG painted and Red Eared sliding turtles. Don't under-estimate their size, IMO those two species belong in a pond or a HUGE tank to really enjoy them. Good luck!

 

[fishboy7]

They do get pretty big! My grandma has a 500,000 gallon pond in her backyard with different kinds of bass, sunfish, bluegills, and frogs. One day we found a pair of painted turtles in it, but they moved somewhere else. They were almost 9 in. long!

 

[Vicious_Fish]

I would suggest you read up on the particular type of turtle you want before you attempt anything. Here's a site with some good care sheets on various species.

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheets.htm

 

[fishboy7]

That's very helpful! Thank you Vicious_Fish!

 

[RisiganL.]

I love ATP. Before I kept my turtle in some TERRIBLE conditions, but after reading that site, all that changed. I got my turtle when I was 4 and my parents didn't know what to do with it. I was kept in something like a kritter keeper for 7 years. Its truly a mystery how it survived...

 

[fishboy7]

Kinda like my zombie goldfish...