My family and I keep aquatic turtles as pets and they have been a fun and interesting addition to our household.
Keeping aquatic (or water) turtles is a great experience and does not have to be difficult.
The most common aquatic turtles kept as pets are red eared sliders and painted turtles.
Red eared sliders are probably the most common of all and can get quite big.
Painted turtles come in several varieties.
The painteds can vary some in size and most do not get as big the red eared sliders.
As far as habitat is concerned, what aquatic turtles need most of all is water to swim in.
A swallow dish with some water in it is simply not sufficient for an aquatic turtle.
A very small painted turtle or slider can live in a 20 gallon tank, but a larger turtle should live in a tank that is 40 gallons at a bare minimum.
Plastic tubs also work great and are not as expensive as aquariums.
Also, the turtle will need a "dry" spot in the tank/tub where it can go to dry off and bask under a UV/heat light designed for pet turtles.
The proper temperature is also important.
The dry basking spot should have a surface temperature of approximately 90-95 degrees F.
The water in the tank should about 76-80 degrees F, so an aquarium heater will be needed in most climates.
You can definitely form a bond with these little creatures and our family has been enriched by having them around.
They make great pets!