Is my 24-gallon tank too small for my 6-month-old pet turtle?

Thanks for your question about Jade! A 20 gallon tank is likely appropriate for him while he is young, however this species of map turtle can get to be about 10 inches or so in length, and due to this size, will need a larger tank as he gets to be full size. Ideally, the water level should be at least as deep as Jade is long, and more ideally it would be 1.5x deeper (ex: if Jade is 10 inches long, the water would be 15 inches deep). There would also need to be enough space for two haul out areas, one on the cool end of the enclosure and one on the warm end of the enclosure. There will also need to be space for a water heater to be present. With all of these items, it can get quite crowded in a small tank! I hope that helps to answer your question, and good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about your turtle. There is no such thing as too big a tank, but the minimum will be determined by the size of the animal, and will change as it grows. The larger the water volume, the more stable the water quality. Turtles will probably need a water heater, haul out area, basking lamp with heat and ultraviolet B radiation. Good luck.

Ideally, you'll need a tank between 75 gallons and 125 gallons. The general rule for turtles is 10 gallons per inch of turtle. Popular sites to search for tanks would be local yard sale sites or "List" sites. Be sure any tank you get from either of these sites don't leak. Check the local Petco as well. They have "$1 per Gallon" tank sales occasionally. Another affordable, but not aesthetically pleasing, option would be to use a plastic stock tank. These tanks are used as water containers for livestock. You can find them online or in stores such as Tractor Supply Co.

Symptoms of illness can include lethargy, decreased appetite, loose droppings, discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth, swimming crooked, difficulty breathing, wheezing or popping noises while breathing, swollen eyes, or blowing bubbles from the mouth or nose. Ideally, you should provide 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle. Keeping a hatchling with a larger turtle would not be recommended for the safety of the hatchling. The 10 gallon tank would be fine for the smaller turtle temporarily. Maintain a water depth of no deeper than twice the length of the shell.

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.

That hinge on her plastron (bottom shell) is normal. It is supposed to appear "split". That allows her to close up securely when she retracts her head. These turtles do not get as big as other species, but a 10 gallon tank is too small. She also needs a UVB light source. Windows will block most of the sun's beneficial rays. You can find a UVB light source in most pet stores. A popular brand is the ZooMed ReptiSun light. They are good eaters, eating a wide variety of animal protein, plant matter and commercial diets. The link below leads to a care sheet providing additional information. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Three-toed-Box-Turtle-Care-and-Information/

That would ultimately depend on how clean they intend to keep it and if they plan to feed in the same tank. Small tanks especially for turtles that are notoriously filthy animals can become rife with toxins quickly. They'd have to do water changes extremely frequently for it to be guaranteed safe. If they aren't guaranteeing that, I'd make alternate arrangements.