If you have purchased a tortoise to raise, there are several things you can do to ensure that your tortoise stays healthy and lives a long life. Although they require a lot of care, the right kind of food, and exercise, turtles are fun animals to keep and care for. Keeping her happy is an important step in keeping her alive for a long time.
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Method 1 of 3: Designing a Fun Home
Step 1. Provide ample space for your turtle to live in
Turtles love to swim, bask in the sun, and be active. Turtles can also grow big. Therefore, it is important that you provide plenty of space to do these activities and grow up to keep your turtle happy.
- Find out the approximate size of your tortoise as an adult and purchase an aquarium that is appropriate for its adult size. Do not keep the turtle in a narrow place. Your turtle will not be happy.
- A glass aquarium three to four times the length of the turtle's body can be the best choice. Turtles also need ample space and deep diving, as well as dry areas so that they can dry their bodies.
- Keep in mind that the larger the aquarium you use, the happier your turtle will be. Turtles are reptiles that, surprisingly, have a very large territory in their natural habitat (the wild). Therefore, try to imitate or adapt their natural habitat by using a large aquarium.
Step 2. Create a beach
Turtles like to work on land and water, so the existence of an environment that allows them to move in these two areas can make them happy. While you don't need to prepare a lot of decorations or layouts for your turtle's aquarium, having proper housing for your turtle can improve its health and keep it alive for a long time. Designing a shelter for your turtle can be a creative and fun activity, but don't forget the needs of your turtle.
- Make sure the area of water provided has a higher depth and width greater than the size of the shell so that your turtle can really dive and swim freely.
- In dry areas, contour downhill towards the water so your turtle will have no trouble getting in and out of the water.
- Turtles love to bask in the sun. Therefore, try to provide a basking room so that your tortoise can enjoy the heat from the ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) lamps you have installed in your tank. Usually, turtles can bask in the light for ten to twelve hours a day.
Step 3. Keep the cage clean
Turtles cannot keep their own habitat clean; turtles defecate, eat, and just leave the remnants of their food in the water. If you don't clean the tank, your turtle and its habitat will smell bad. In addition, manure that is left alone has the potential to increase ammonia and nitrate levels in the cage.
- Clean the tank weekly or create a separate room or area outside the cage where the turtle can eat and defecate before you return it to the tank.
- A dirty turtle cage or physical condition can cause several different types of diseases that are difficult to treat.
- Algae will grow and develop on the surface of the turtle's shell and need to be cleaned using a soft toothbrush.
- Like other reptiles, turtles also change their skin. The old scales attached to the shell will itch and become irritated if you are not diligent about cleaning the shell.
- Always wash your hands before handling turtles to prevent the transfer of germs that can contaminate your turtle, and prevent the transfer of salmonella bacteria.
Step 4. Handle or pet your turtle carefully
Like humans, each turtle has a different personality. If your turtle enjoys socializing, you can pet it or play with it. However, the general rule is to make sure you don't touch it too often.
- In general, turtles don't like being lifted off the ground. However, sometimes it's important to take them out of the tank to clean their shells, play with them, or let them exercise. If you need to pick him up, hold your turtle carefully and tightly so he doesn't bite you or try to escape.
- Never put a turtle upside down, pull its tail, or force it out of its shell. Tortoises don't think this is funny or fun and can feel depressed.
- If your tortoise likes touch, you can pet his head, chin, and shell for as long as he allows it and likes it.
Method 2 of 3: Feeding Healthy Food
Step 1. Give your turtle a variety of foods
Turtles are omnivores (eating everything) and have a large appetite. Like humans, turtles also need diversity in their lives. It is very important that you provide a diet with balanced nutrition, vitamins and minerals to keep your tortoise happy and satisfied.
- A balanced diet consisting of green leafy vegetables, insects and turtle food products (eg pellets) can promote optimal turtle growth. In addition, turtles may also like fruits or, even, flowers. Make sure you know the type of turtle you are keeping in order to provide the right type of food.
- Never give milk products to turtles because their stomachs can't digest lactose properly. In addition, avoid giving processed foods that have been previously processed. The best types of food to give are whole foods that are not dairy products.
Step 2. Provide live food as a snack for your turtle
Turtles like to chase their food. By providing live food, you also give him the opportunity to exercise and have fun.
- Give your tortoise its favorite delicious insects like crickets, mealworms (beetle larvae), or wax worms (moth larvae).
- Try adding other insect alternatives to feed the turtles, or even live fish and shrimp. Provide a variety of food each week to keep the food for your turtle interesting and nutritious.
Step 3. Stick to the established feeding schedule
You love your turtle and, in return, it will love you. However, this does not mean that you can feed him every time you see him begging for food. In their natural habitat in the wild, turtles are always looking for opportunities to eat something because they never know when the next meal will come. Often, when he sees you, he will approach you with his mouth open because he associates your arrival with feeding. Do not deviate from the feeding schedule that has been set because. Otherwise, he will overeat.
- Young turtles need to eat every day, while adult turtles only need to be fed a few times a week. Be careful not to overfeed him so he doesn't get overweight.
- Water for drinking should always be available. While many turtles eat their food underwater, if not, you will need to put the food in the same place in the tank (eg on one side of the dry area). This way, your tortoise will know where to go to get its food.
- To prevent overfeeding, feed the tortoise while your turtle is eating it and discard any uneaten or unfinished food after about five minutes.
Method 3 of 3: Encouraging Regular Exercise
Step 1. Take your tortoise outside to play
Even if you have provided an aquarium with a large space, turtles still need space to exercise and play. Keep in mind that turtles are very active and, in their natural habitat, can explore large areas, despite their heavy bodies.
If you want to let your tortoise out of its tank and walk around in the house, make sure everyone knows that your tortoise is being released and provide barriers to control the areas your tortoise can explore or pass through. This is done to prevent fatal events to your turtle
Step 2. Provide live fish to give as treats and toys
You can put small fish or cuttlefish in the water and let your turtle 'hunt'. The energy that turtles put into swimming and hunting can be a form of fun sport.
- Besides being delicious, live insects are also challenging to catch. You can feed insects such as mayflies, caddisfly, beetle larvae, crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms and wax worms as food for your turtle.
- Earthworms, black worms, snails, clams, small frogs, and tadpoles are also types of molluscs, worms, and amphibians that can be fed to turtles as food.
- Turtles also like to hunt and eat several other types of fish, such as golden baby fish, red minnows, guppies, and mosquito fish.
Step 3. Give toys to your turtle
Some turtles also love to play. While it's fine if you want to pet and play with your turtle, keep in mind that turtles are generally the kind of pet that is better to be seen or cared for than to be constantly held, as turtles can feel stressed. In addition, turtles are different from dogs who like to be petted or cuddled.
- Give your turtle an empty clam shell that can be used for surfing or sliding on the floor, or place a small toy raft in the water for the turtle to play with by pushing it.
- Train your turtle to eat directly from your hands. This practice requires trust and practice. Once you and your tortoise bond and bond with each other, try placing a small piece of fruit in your hand. If your tortoise likes it, try placing a piece of fruit on your wrist so that your tortoise will climb onto your wrist to pick up the piece of fruit.
- Try to create an obstacle course. Design an obstacle course in your turtle's aquarium using rocks, twigs, plants, and water holes. Place a treat at the end of the groove to encourage your tortoise to move through the obstacle course.
- Another fun game for the turtles is the game of finding treats. Hide crickets, worms, or other live insects around their habitat to find them. This can be a challenge for your tortoise, with a treat as a reward.
- Keep in mind that your tortoise may take some time to learn these tricks so you will need to be patient. Also, the more difficult the game or sport, the more stress your turtle will experience. In other words, it's a good idea not to play that game or sport every day.
