Habitat - Indoor :: how much water?

[redearninjaturtles]

how much water is needed for baby turtles? right know i have about 3 inches. Is this enough?

[SpotsMama]

Oh those baby turtles can take a lot more water! In the wild, they go in the water almost as soon as they are born. They live in lakes and ponds where they love to swim and dive. Fill your tank up as much as it will hold EXCEPT not so high that the turtle can climb out and escape, and not so that he/she is too close to the light and can get burned.

When they're little, they will like to have a place to rest when they are swimming. Put a plastic plant in there with leaves that come to the surface of the water so he/she can sit on it and rest when he/she gets tired.

Here's a pic of some cute little bitty turtles in some very deep water resting on a plant. I wouldn't put a beta fish in with a turtle - the fish will get hurt - but it's a good example of little turtles enjoying deep water:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8390

[redearninjaturtles]

i tried an experiment of using a sperate tank and a bunch of water that was really deep. they loved it except sometimes my turtle, arturtle, had some trouble floating up for air.

right now in the main tank, i have it deep enough so where this log can give the turtles some support if they get tired of swimming. (it isnt the basking area)they both use it, exspecially arturle.

if i put my tank with alot of water i'll need plants for it.(for support) before i had my other turtle fat albert, i tried putting in plants, but arturtle kept bitting it. knowing fat albert he will eat it up in one day!

what should I do?

[SpotsMama]

You could use plastic plants. Get the kind with big sturdy leaves, not the kind with little fringe like leaves. Albert won't be able to eat those. You're right - they'll eat a real plant! It's good for them but what you need right now is something for them to rest on.