If you decided to have a turtle as your pet, then most likely you’ve got yourself a sea turtle. It is a kind of reptile that requires quite a lot of water in their tank to stay alive. You see, as their name suggests, water is of utmost importance for turtles to survive. However, do these creatures drink it? Yes, they do! Your turtle definitely drinks water!
But what about preparing a separate cup of water? Won’t they get sick from drinking the water they swim in? And how much water do they really need to drink to stay healthy? There are quite a lot of questions to answer and today, in this article, I am more than welcome to fetch you some of the most important information about turtles, their natural love for water and its importance for their wellbeing.
How come turtles need a lot of water?
Most living beings require water to stay alive. Their survival mainly depends on the access to large quantities of this fluid. There are, obviously, several crucial reasons why turtles require a lot of water. For example, they tend to eat everything they get a grasp on since they are omnivores. As a result, from time to time their diet may be dry and animal-based. Therefore, their water intake will be much greater. Besides that, there is a huge abundance of other vital metabolic processes that require water.
Swimming in and drinking the same water?
I am the owner of several turtles and for the last 14 years I have been taking care of them, providing these pets with everything they need. Obviously, keeping a bigger amount of turtles is quite a demanding task, because as you know, they cannot stay in one tank due to their nature. However, in spite of that I love taking care of turtles. Because of that, I know how important it is for them to have their water changed quite frequently. Why? Mainly because they swim in exactly the same water as the ones they drink. And, obviously, they pee and poop there as well!
Interestingly, this is not an issue out there, in the wild. Turtles usually stay near large quantities of water. Therefore, even if they defecate or simply leave the leftovers from their last meal, all the waste will quickly get diluted. This means that in the wild, turtles do not have to worry about drinking their own toxins and waste.
Another reason why it is not a problem for these reptiles to swim, drink, and even poop in the same water is due to a number of bacteria present in marine or freshwater environments. They are great at getting rid of a lot of animal waste and, therefore, their natural habitat seems to be well prepared for turtles’ natural behavior.
Turtles in captivity and water in their turtle tank
Obviously, these bacteria and large water reservoirs are available for turtles in the wild. What about our pet turtles? Well, here, the situation looks a bit different. First of all, there are no bacteria that serve as an additional waste cleaner. Even if we place some snails that are well known for their waste cleaning properties, it is not enough for an adult turtle to have his or her tank water clean.
What is more, providing your reptile with a huge amount of tank will also not be great due to the logistic problems, the amount of space it takes, and also because even larger tanks will require cleaning – if not sooner, then surely later. Luckily for you, I learned the hard way all of that and now I’ve come up with a bunch of solutions to help you keep your pet turtles healthy in their own tank.
Turtle filter is of utmost importance
Each and every turtle tank, and to be honest even every aquarium, needs a proper filter. It serves as the first line of defense for your reptile. Obviously, you need to purchase such a filter that will be suitable for your tank. It means we have to take into account a number of different attributes like, for example, its size as well as GPH.
It is a measure that indicates the efficiency of the filtering system – the abbreviation of gallons per hour. The amount of water that can be filtered within an hour. It is said that your filter should be capable of filtering the entire volume of water in your tank once every hour. And that is the absolute minimum. The quicker the entire tank of water is filtered, the better.
Changer water in your turtle tank
Another important thing is to remember about constant water changes. Just like in the case of aquariums, the water in your turtle tank should be changed to make sure that it is not dirty. You see, even the best filtering system isn’t capable of catching all the waste and toxins.
That is why changing water in your tank every two weeks is a must. Obviously, if the tank water is getting dirty quicker, you should not wait until the time of 2 weeks comes. You should change it faster. Interestingly, you do not have to pour the entire volume. I recommend exchanging half of the water in the tank.
Water conditioners and other water cleaners
Snails or slugs are great if you look for additional ways of keeping the tank of your turtle clean. However, it is surely not enough. Therefore, I decided to look for special accessories that will maintain healthy and clean water for a much longer period of time. The first time I encountered water conditioners I wasn’t sure about them.
However, even if they are cheap and not as effective as some people say, they really do help in improving the cleanliness of the tank – even if it to a small degree. Interestingly, water conditioners can not only filter tap water (tap water safe for turtles?) and eliminate chlorine, which is toxic to turtles. Usually, these conditioners also provide our pets with additional vitamins.
What about land turtles? Do they drink water?
Land turtles or even tortoises are becoming more and more common as far as having a reptile as a pet is concerned. That is why some people wonder whether they need to drink water just like aquatic or even semi-aquatic turtles. Well, the truth is that land turtles have to drink water. However, they do that to a much lesser degree than sea turtles. You see, most of the water they need comes from other sources (like food) or is simply absorbed through their skin. As a result, you may not even see your turtle to drink water too often.
Still, they need water and there are two great ways of giving it to them. Obviously, do not think about separate cups of water, because that is scarcely ever a good idea. First thing you need to do in order to keep your land turtle hydrated is to soak your turtle in water. You can do it by simply pouring some water into him or her.
Another thing you can do is to take care of the ground where you keep your turtle. If you soak it with water (but not too much, you don’t want to develop mold and mildew), turtles will usually come to the most humid place and stay there as long as they want. Last but surely one of the best ways of providing your land turtle with water is leafy greens and fresh fruit that is full of water.
Now you know whether your turtle drinks water or not!
All types of turtles need water. Aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles need a bunch of it. As a result, they will swim and drink in the water they drink. Land turtles, on the other hand, are not so keen on drinking water in a traditional way, but thanks to their biological characteristics and food that is full of water, they can ensure proper hydration of their body.
Submit your review | |
