Water turtles are somewhat unusual pets, yet many families enjoy having these cute reptiles in their homes. Caring for them is relatively easy: they need a habitat with precise specifications and a special diet, especially if you intend to breed them. Have you ever thought about having little baby water turtles? If you have, then you need to carefully follow some instructions, and we’re happy to show you the way!
It stands to reason that in order to reproduce, the aquarium needs to have a male and a female. Because mating rituals differ from daily routine in the aquarium, you’ll soon know when it’s time for them to reproduce. In order to encourage reproduction, you should create a special habitat for them, that is, an aquarium with some sandy beach-type space (about half) above water, special filters, rocks and a heating lamp.
Female turtles almost always bury their eggs in the sand, so once she has laid them you need to quickly put them in a container filled with peat that has been boiled and then cooled. The peat needs to be in its own separate aquarium, one third of which is filled with water heated to 29-30 °C. Once you have done this, cover the aquarium and keep it as humid as possible (eggs require a very humid environment of more than 85%). Do make sure that they get some fresh air though, as they also need oxygen!
Aquariums like Ferplast’s glass Jamaica model are an ideal refuge for the baby turtles when the eggs have hatched. It is strong and spacious and, if you want to make sure that the temperature remains uniform and consistent, all you have to do is add an underwater heater like BluClima, which uses suction cups to stay firmly attached to the wall.
Do not touch the eggs during their incubation so that you don’t hurt them. Some 60 days after they were laid they will begin to hatch. This is an exciting moment but, at the same time, also a very delicate one. The important thing is not to panic! Once they are out of their shells, the little turtles will move around on their own and follow their instincts to the water which, as we mentioned earlier, should be heated to a constant temperature of about 30°C.
Warning! You should not feed them immediately. Wait for a few days. And never ever put them in the water where their mother is.
Are you ready to start increasing the size of your water turtle population?
