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Related Articles & Questions
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Pet Tortoise Care: Essential Guide to Food, Habitat & Health
Learn how to care for tropical tortoise, recommended diet & habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
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- Home & Habitat
Is my pet a turtle or tortoise? Where should it live: land or water?
What you have appears to be an aquatic/semi-aquatic species of turtle. Basic requirements include a tank of at least 10 gallons initially, a water heater, a water filter, a basking area out of the water, a heat lamp and a UVB light source.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Health & Wellness
My red eared slider has a soft shell and won't bask. What can I do?
-Make sure she has a good quality UV light above her no more than 12"- it should be a tube light and not a screw in kind, like a ReptiSun. Change it every 6 months. -If she won't get up to bask, make the area more inviting- put a larger platform, make sure you have a good heat light above that area, make it easy for her to get out, make sure nothing stressed her or scares her back into he water. -If it doesn't work to get her basking and then you may need to dry dock her part of the day- take her out of the water and let her bask in an empty tub or aquarium with her heat and UV lights on above her so she really dries out (make sure to leave her a cool side to go where it is not as hot so she doesn't overheat.) - You can try to soak her in dilute Betadine solution- you can purchase Betadine at the drug store and add a small amount to water to make a weak tea color and soak in water just deep enough to cover her back end 5-10 minutes once daily. This may help if their is infection under the scutes. -If these things are not working and more scutes are loose, then she needs to see a vet for an exam and possibly antibiotics.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
My 5-month-old red-eared slider has a soft shell. Should I worry?
Sam may not be getting enough calcium and UVB light exposure. This can lead to a soft shell. Make sure he has at least 30-60 minutes of exposure to full, unfiltered sunlight each day or provide a UVB light source in his tank. It should be no more than 12-16 inches from the surface of the basking area depending on the type of bulb. It should not be blocked by glass, plexiglass or fine mesh. The ZooMed ReptiSun bulb is an excellent light source. Feed a commercial pelleted diet and supplement with fresh greens and prey. Dust with a calcium supplement and a multivitamin. Leave a cuttlebone in the tank as a source of calcium that can be munched on when needed. It would appear there may be a vitamin A deficiency based on the swollen eyes in the image posted. Feed red or orange vegetables and dark, leafy greens as these contain higher levels of vitamin A. ZooMed Repti Turtle Eye Drops should also help. You can find it online or in most pet stores. The link below will provide more information regarding the care and husbandry of sliders. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Health & Wellness
Can a plant grow light replace a UVB bulb for my green anole?
Hello. For the best health & living conditions for your anole, please only use products designed for them. Heating pads are dangerous & reptiles are not plants & require a very specific spectrum of light to grow in a healthy manner. In the long run, you will have less problems & metabolic health issues if you prepare a proper environment for your pet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
I just got small turtles. What do they need for tank, food, and care?
If you post another question with images of Nala and Simba attached, we can possibly identify the species. This would make it easier for us to provide correct care information. In general, aquatic turtles need: a tank, clean water, a submersible heater, an area out of the water for basking, a heat source, a UVB light source and proper food. Two babies will be fine in a 10 gallon tank for now (20 gallons would be better), but as they grow, so their tank must grow. Ideally, you want to provide 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle as a general guideline. This means you may be looking at a 100 gallon tank or larger when they are full grown.Please don't release them into the wild after reading that! The water level should be no deeper than twice the length of their shells. That will increase as they grow and become adept swimmers. Most species do well in water that is kept about 80 F. A heat lamp can provide an area for basking near 90 F. A UVB light provides beneficial rays to aid in vitamin D synthesis and calcium utilization. Diet depends on the species, but for now, commercial pellets, fresh greens, vegetables will suffice. Let us see what kind of turtles you have and we can provide more detailed information for their care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
