Fish tank turtles

[Bunbum]

Sorry i’m sure that there is a proper name other than ‘fish tank turtle’ so feel free to correct!

Any way, probably a long way off even if we do decide to do it but my son loves them and would love them as pets.

I am very apprehensive, I know this is different but my parents had fish for years and it was actually quite a hard job cleaning out the tank (which needed cleaning very regularly).

I know nothing about turtles (I’m talking the teeny ones). I have done no research (clearly - don’t even know the name of them!) but would just like to hear from people who have/had experience with them?

Granted, they are very sweet.

I had musk turtles. Lots of work, lots of cleaning out. They have different personalities, one was outgoing & I rarely saw the other.

Their bite hurts as they have a strong beak like a parrot.

They'll eat any tank companions. Or leave them with chunks missing.

Vet bills can be huge as they need a specialist vet.

But, they're entertaining & respond to you, my outgoing one used to watch what I was doing and could be hand fed. They can be nosy & inquisitive and are fun to watch.

I had musk turtles. Lots of work, lots of cleaning out. They have different personalities, one was outgoing & I rarely saw the other.

Their bite hurts as they have a strong beak like a parrot.

They'll eat any tank companions. Or leave them with chunks missing.

Vet bills can be huge as they need a specialist vet.

But, they're entertaining & respond to you, my outgoing one used to watch what I was doing and could be hand fed. They can be nosy & inquisitive and are fun to watch.

There was a huge surge in popularity for them after the TMNT films loads of them were bought and kept in unsuitable conditions . There was warnings about them carrying salmonella and sadly some were "released into the wild" into ponds .

Your DS should talk to people who have good well run set ups , I am sure like most animals there will be forums where he can ask questions and see photos .
Even if the answers are enough to put him off , then better to know in advance .

Many years ago I was in a PetStore ( not P@H) there was one member of staff who was SO passionate about the terrapins it was amazing to listen to him.
Tortoises , terrapins ,turtles are all exotics and your son will need to do his homework.

And unless he's over 16yo , you know they are your turtles and you will have the responsibility of the care .
(DD and I had guinea-pigs we shared the cleaning feeding cuddling catching etc - but there were times she was ill or away so I did 100% . Some of the piggies were mine , it is just as easy to feed and clean all of them while doing mine . Catching them from their runs was another story ....)

Make sure you know max size and how long they could live.

They carry salmonella , but i agree they are cute !

They live for years and years and grow big. Don't do it. They bite and can be vicious. Let your son decide once he's an adult. It's irresponsible to buy pets that will probably out live you.

I've got musk turtles and they are the easiest pets I've ever had.

I once saw terrapins that had been released into a pond outside and their shells were about 8" long at maturity. I was a bit shocked as they are so small and cute as babies.

I think if you want something like that then the usual thing would be to buy a UK bred tortoise and keep it in the garden and hibernate it in winter. That's quite complicated work.

Have you considered at goldfish at all?

Please don't.

If you mean terrapins, they grow enormous. There are some rescued ones in a tropical house near me.

Chelonia of all kinds are high maintenance, long-lived pets so not a decision to be taken lightly.

They can grow really big, require a specialist diet and generally take a lot of maintenance. I really wouldn’t.

If his heart is set on a reptile, bearded dragons are easier to keep - join a FB group to learn about proper care and housing, diet etc.

If it needs to be aquatic, don’t get goldfish. They are pond fish really and need huge tanks to be healthy. Tropical fish are much easier to keep and there are some lovely varieties. Find your nearest specialist fish shop and ask for advice (don’t go to Pets at Home, who know nothing).

Talk to a reputable reptile shop/expert a lot of what is put on the internet is often dated, husbandry and environment is so important, some reputable reptile shops that have online shops have numbers you could call for advice such as Swell Reptile.

Put two terrapins into my fish tank decades ago. I put a piece of wood in as a floating island. They occasionally clambered out onto it but spent most of their time in the water. Full size aquarium definitely a better environment for them than the terrapin homes you could buy. They were very active swimmers and spent a lot of time right at the bottom. It was nice to see them swimming around properly.

However.....within about a month they had killed / half eaten almost every single fish in the tank!

I eventually had to rehome them as we were moving to another country. They went into a neighbours outdoor garden pond.

They lived there for years. Seemed to hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the pond, as they would disappear for weeks on end in the winter. Got frozen in a few times, but seemed to reappear every spring. I saw them after about 10 years....they were about the size of a small dinner plate by then.

Despite that story....difficult animals to keep. Very susceptible to skin fungal infections. Very definitely interesting animals but not pets by a long stretch!

SevenSeasOfRhye · Today 14:44

If you mean terrapins, they grow enormous.

It depends on the species, my dad had a European one before I was born, he died aged 18 and would have fitted on a saucer. I also got a red eared terrapin (Americans call them turtles) and he / she didn't get very big, but died aged about 4.

The ones described above were red ears. After about 10 years they were probably 8 - 10 inches across.

Yes, I've seen them that size in aquaria. I think that they can live for up to 30 years.

I had two yellow bellied sliders, male (a lot smaller than females) from tiny until one died aged 13. I still have the other one, his name is Turtle, and he's going on 20.

Once you have the set up, they are very easy to look after. Both of mine had such different personalities. The one who died was really bossy. The one left was a bit shy but now he splashes about when I walk past his tank wanting a snack or to have a toothbrush spa!

Thanks all - incredibly helpful and insightful replies. In all honesty, it has completely backed up my feelings of it being a bit too much! I am sure that they are wonderful and incredibly sweet creatures, however the caring for them would mostly be on me and therefore it wouldn’t be fair on me or them.

I will definitely reconsider in a few years if DS is still asking.