hey im new to this section of the forum so be gentle..i know absoloutle nothong about turtles and tortoises so i apologise if i sound really stupid lol..i really like turtles and would love to learn a bit more about them and if i like what i hear then maybe keep a couple..

which is the best beginner turtle, ideally id like to be looking at one that will be able to live in a tank pretty much all its life (like not have to live in an outdoor pond)..or do they all need outdoor time?

just a few suggestions to different types of turtles would be great really, then i can google their care requirements ans then get back to you with any further questions..oh and pics of your turtles and setup..

oh yeh, and what sort of setup do turtles need? ive only ever seen tiny baby ones but they get to like 12inches+ dont they..?

thanks

Matt

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The best "beginner" turtle is probably something like a Yellow Bellied Slider, easily obtainable and quite easy to look after, so long as you have the proper setup.
Pretty much all of them grow quite big, 10"-12" for most of the more common species, and eventually they require a very large tank and filter system, even the smaller species will need at least a 4' tank as adults.
Although a young turtle may only cost £20 or so you should be prepared to spend maybe 10 times that on the initial setup, a decent size tank and filter now will save having to upgrade and spend more money in the near future.
Finally they all need a basking area with a heat lamp and UVB lamp, or if the tank is big enough a Mercury Vapour lamp is best.

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2.3.0 Southern Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Florida Red Belly
2.3.0 Common Musks
1.0.0 Classic Cornsnake
0.0.2 GALS + infinite babies
0.1.0 Tibetan Spaniel
1.2.0 Brahma Chickens

definately a turtle and not a tortoise you're after??

if you're after a small turtle then i'd probably suggest a common musk turtle..they grow to about 4.5inches long.


got to Sternotherus oderatus: The Common Musk Turtle

that tells u more about common musks..also it's a crackin site in general.. to find out info about husbandry/diet/care etc of chelonians..they also do a course for £35 which teaches u all about tortoises and turtle and their needs etc



Katie

ok thanks guys..ill check that site out now, yeh i was after a turtle really..

how bigger tank would they need graham? larger than 6ft? do they make tanks that big lol..?

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Tank size depends on the size of the turtle, and to an extent it's habits too. The bigger the turtle the bigger the tank, and species that swim a lot need more and deeper water than those that don't.
For a smaller turtle such as a Musk a 48" tank may well be enough for it's entire life, for any of the other species a bigger tank would be needed eventually. 6' tanks are easily available, and bigger tanks can be made to order if not available off the shelf.

There is a "rule of thumb" for calculating tank size, it's not perfect but it's a good starting point. The rule is a minimum 40 litres of water per inch SCL of turtle.
So a single 10" adult for instance would need at least 400 litres of water, bearing in mind that you need to provide a basking area and room for lights, so the tank probably can't be filled right to the top, you be looking at something like a 5' x 2' x 2' tank. Bigger would be better.

__________________
2.3.0 Southern Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Florida Red Belly
2.3.0 Common Musks
1.0.0 Classic Cornsnake
0.0.2 GALS + infinite babies
0.1.0 Tibetan Spaniel
1.2.0 Brahma Chickens

ok thanks..that helps alot

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