Before you buy your turtle

If you do a quick google search you will see hundreds of frantic, unprepared turtle owners desperate for answers on what kind of equipment they should purchase for their new pets. Don't add to the chaos.  Know the amount you want to spend, the size of space you have, and seriously consider the spare time you have BEFORE you decide on which turtle breed you will buy.

SIZE.  The first thing to consider is how much space you have.  Your turtle will need 10 gallons of tank space per 1 inch of shell size (i.e. 4 inch turtle should have 30-40 gallons of room). You need to find out how big the turtle will be as an adult.  If you have limited space like me then a male Painted turtle is the way to go.  Adult females can grow as big as 10 inches, so unless you have room for upwards of 90 or 100 gallon tank, then you want to get a male. Adult males typically range from 3-6 inches in length at full size. Using the previously mentioned rule of 10:1 this means your tank will need to be 30-60 gallons in size. I personally have a 30 gallon breeder tank which is about 3 feet in length and 15-18 inches in width.  If you don't have at minimum that amount of space for your turtle to occupy then look for another kind of pet.

AMOUNT. I purchased all my supplies from craigslist originally, but you may not be as lucky to find a deal like this.  Also, considering the un-reliability of used items it may be in your best interested to buy new. This Zilla Kit  will cover most of the basics that you need to get started and is priced at $179.99 In addition to this you will also need to regularly buy food and snacks, and of course the turtle itself! Bought mine from a local breeder, and would highly recommend this to anyone else.  This can range anywhere from $10-$60 for a young Eastern Painted.

=$300 is your ideal starting budget. 

TIME.  We can of course never have enough time for the amount of reading, observing, and maintaining our animals.  Keep in mind this blog is directed towards busy people like my wife and I. I care for my animal in a minimalist fashion. You will need a dedicated 1-2 hours every two weeks for tank up keep.  This includes changing of the turtles water, and any necessary scrubbing of the tank.  Also you will need a few minutes each day for feeding, and skimming the water of junk. Turtles are pretty simple. They don't need hugs, cuddled, or taken on walks.  Feed your dude and he will be happy. An awesome thing about having a turtle for a pet is you don't need to hire a sitter or take him to a kennel if you have a short vacation.  With a nifty little auto-feeder you can easily be away for 7+ days and your turtle will stay well fed. Another key to saving your time will be having an outlet with a timer, but to begin there's nothing wrong with taking a few seconds in the morning and evening to start and end your turtle's sunlight.

If you can satisfy all three demands then keep reading!!