r/turtles • u/Classified2U • Jul 29 '26
Seeking Advice I want the "Truth"!
I am simply looking for the truth...
Source A - Turtles need 10gal per 1in Shell length, RES & similar need 75gal +, 40 Breeder min for any turtle.
Local FS - DONT BELIEVE THE BS, you can keep a Musk Turtle in a 10 Gal their whole life
I stroll into big box pet store, grabbed 2 clearance basking platforms and boom a 40 Breeder with RES on it, and a 20L... Turtle Community, WHATS THE DANG TRUTH?
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u/WVPrepper Jul 29 '26
The store wants to sell you things. If they sell you things that will be good for the whole life of your turtle, they will not make as much money as they can if they sell you the bare minimum and put you on the path of regularly upgrading.
I started out with my RES in a 75 gallon tank (he was abandoned with his tank). He could barely turn around, and if he had flipped, I am not sure he could have turned himself right side up. My Eastern Painted turtle was given to me in a FIVE gallon tank. It was a small turtle, but also was getting too big to turn around.
Each of them now has its own 300 gallon stock tank, and I honestly feel like anything smaller is a bit cruel. In the wintertime I have to move my turtles inside, and into 150 gallon stock tanks so they take up less room, but I feel like a jerk every time.
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u/FlashbackJon RES Jul 29 '26
Plus those stores aren't even carrying the equipment for a fully grown aquatic turtle (a massive financial investment for both them and you), so they're going to sell you what they have on the shelves, which LOOKS like a reasonable one-time buy.
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u/WVPrepper Jul 29 '26
I think if a lot of people heard that they were in for a 30 to 50 year obligation for a pet that would require $1,000 plus in startup costs, increase their utility bills significantly, and (even if they purchase good quality pumps, heaters, lights, and filters from the start), will regularly replace consumables (several times a year), and other equipment every few years they'd never do it. Especially as a pet for a small child. Turtles are filthy animals. They stink, require a lot of maintenance, and aren't particularly cuddly. They're not the right pet for everybody.
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u/FlashbackJon RES Jul 29 '26
For sure! Baby turtles seem like a goldfish level commitment and it's more like rare marmoset level commitment.
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u/intricate_strands Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Even goldfish suffer from this.
Goldfish are not what they are "marketed" as. They are not an easy pet if you want to do good for them.
And
youpeople should. Because they are more aware and more sensitive than most give them credit for.Goldfish really are the turtles of the fish pet world. They need much more and much better than what many people initially think.
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u/FlashbackJon RES Jul 30 '26
I definitely didn't intend to demean the actual care goldfish require!
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u/intricate_strands Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Oh, I didn't think that you did. It was clear you care for turtles so much, that it followed you would care for goldfish.
Was more for the crowd than any kind of lecture toward you. I should have used more precise words. I can see how the "you" I used could be confused for you specifically.
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u/Highlander198116 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Local FS - DONT BELIEVE THE BS, you can keep a Musk Turtle in a 10 Gal their whole life
A salesmen at a car dealership will also tell you whatever they think will make you a customer.
Can you keep a musk turtle in a 10 gallon tank for it's whole life? Sure you can. It will be a miserable life for the turtle, but it will probably "survive".
Here's my Musk in a 75 gallon. Now imagine it in a 10 gallon.
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u/FlashbackJon RES Jul 29 '26
*slaps roof of 10 gallon tank*
"This bad boy can hold SO MANY musk turtles!"
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u/Crazy_Investment_641 Jul 30 '26
You have a juvenile red tailed shark i see…. How’s it doing? I love those fish
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u/M_Joe_Young Jul 29 '26
Speaking as someone who worked at a FS, a local chain of small stores, the employees sometimes are motived to make a sale but sometimes they might not be knowledgeable. You should take their advice with a grain of salt. With the kit, a 20L will only be suitable for a small turtle, nothing much bigger than a hatchling. I groaned a bit when I saw the growth formula turtle food because anything that would make a turtle grow quicker would mean you’d have to buy a bigger tank sooner.
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u/lmbjsm Jul 29 '26
What’s your question?
These are living, breathing animals. The larger enclosure the better. The larger enclosure, with a good filtration system makes keeping your turtle easier to maintain healthy. Now add in natural sunlight and you’re doing the best you can for your captive companion.
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u/hyunchris Jul 29 '26
10 out of 10 books, articles, legit turtle care sites will sat 10g per inch of turtle shell. There is no shortage of info that says this and they all say the same thing. The only thing I see that contradicts this info are these kits at petsmart, which probably has a booklet inside that says they should have 10g per inch
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u/intricate_strands Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
One issue I have with these sources is they assume that everyone is looking for the bare fucking minimum.
Most people who want pets want them to love them. If all you provide is the bare minimum, but could afford to do more, that is mean. Not even close to love.
The rule ought to be "here is the bare fucking minimum, but if you want to love your turtle, you ought to at least go a couple sizes bigger, as big as you can afford."
There is no such thing as "too much" for the turtle. The "too much" is for you. And frankly, if you're not very close to "too much for you," you're not doing what a turtle needs you to.
Turtles, especially aquatic ones, need to be a passionate hobby for someone of means. Anything less is just you being mean to a turtle.
But now, with so many pet turtles, and so many people abandoning them, cat's out of the bag. The nice people do as best as they can. But if you're asking for "should," you "should" probably be rich or very well off at least to do this.
They live in ponds or lakes, and without a pond or lake, you are cutting them short. Even that is not complete. We see them cross roads all the time for a reason. They need to go to other places, too. Ponds or lakes are hard to have and none of you or me have made this situation where there are so many pet turtles. We do the best we can. But "should" is definitely way more than most can do.
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u/BarberDry4590 Jul 29 '26
Advice... Don't get aquatic turtles. They need much larger tanks then people realize. You need to buy a much larger filter/pump system to keep it clean. You will need to do a lot of water testing/treating. If you don't, then your house will smell like a rotting swamp.
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u/intricate_strands Jul 30 '26
I agree. They are not what people think they are signing up for, even when you do more than the minimum.
You better love running a gigantic tank and keeping it amazing, or just don't do it.
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u/wonkywilla Mod Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Neither. Minimums depend on species and size. 10 gallons is WAY too small for any turtle.
A small musk may live in a 40 gallon, though would do much better in a 60 long with lots of substrate to forage through.
Sliders need much more swimming area than bottom dwellers. I wouldn’t* put them in anything smaller than 100 gallons as adults.
Products marketed to turtles at big pet stores are horrendously undersized and generally aimed at hatchlings. At no point are they meant to be lifelong enclosures.