Turtle Keeping

Turtle Keeping in South Australia

There are two species of turtle which can be kept in South Australia without a permit. These are the Macquarie Short-necked turtle, sometimes called the River Murray turtle, Emydura macquarii, this is the one more commonly kept in aquariums. The other one is one of the many Australian spesies of long-necked turtle, Chelodina longicollis.

These two species are common in the wild, but it is illegal to catch them. The turtles sold in shops should all have been bred in captivity. Most turtles are hatched in about January. Sometimes shops will run out later in the year.

Turtles in the Wild

The Macquarie Short-necked turtle is native to the Murray Darling River system. The long-necked species normally kept is native to fairly extensive areas, including the Adelaide Hills. The mother turtle comes out of the water to lay her eggs in spring. To find a suitable site for burying the eggs the mother will go considerable distances. After digging themselves up, the babies must find their own way to water.

The baby turtles feed on small creatures in the water such as wrigglers (mosquito larvae), Daphnia (water fleas) and other tiny crustaceans as well as water plants, snail and fish eggs, tiny snails and a variety of other natural foods.

Turtles of all sizes come out of the water onto rocks, branches etc to sun themselves. This is important to their health,  enabling them to produce vitamin D as well as to dry out their skin and shells. Baby turtles spend nearly all their time in the water, but as they get older, they will come out more and get some of their food from the land. Australian turtles have only a limited ability to swallow food out of water, often taking it into water to eat.

Australian turtles do not need to come out of the water to rest, apparently feeling safer resting in water.

Housing

Turtles live mainly in the water, especially for the first few years of their life, so most young turtles are kept in an aquarium with some arrangement for them to come out of the water. This can be a rock, a shelf built into the tank, a floating island or some other form of dry land.

They may not spend much time out of the water, but the opportunity to dry out and to bask in the light (either natural or artificial) is beneficial.

Water

In South Australia, the mains water is safe for turtles after the Chlorine or Chloramine has been removed. 

Good quality rainwater can be used but beware of rainwater collected in areas with a lot of spraying, as, for example, orchards.  A rainwater conditioner should be added if rainwater is used.

Most bore and spring waters are suitable for turtles. If you are uncertain about the acidity of your water, you can purchase a test kit to measure it. If you prefer not to test the water yourself, you can take it into your local aquarium shop and have it tested. A good aquarium shop will do simple tests like this free of charge.

Turtles are not particularly worried by slightly alkaline conditions but prolonged acidity is bad for them. A neutraliser block will help to prevent acidity as well as adding calcium to the water.

Light

Unlike most fish, turtles do have a requirement for light. It seems to be necessary for them to be able to bask out of the water in either natural daylight, or artificial light of similar colour and fairly high intensity. An aquarium light can provide this, but the use of a tube designed for reptiles would be much better.

The best light is natural sunlight, not filtered through glass or water. If the turtle is exposed to sunlight, you must be careful to avoid it getting too hot.

Temperature

In the wild turtles are active in the warmer seasons of the year and hibernate during the winter. To hibernate, turtles need sufficient reserves of fat. They also need cold enough conditions.

In a house, in the winter it is usually too warm for the turtle to hibernate, but not warm enough for it to stay active and eating.  A related problem with house conditions in the winter is that sometimes the turtle can eat, then it gets cold, and is not able to digest the food which can go rotten and kill the turtle.

In some houses there is a room kept warm enough for a turtle, but the usual way of keeping your turtle at a healthy temperature is to use an aquarium heater. Around 23̊ C is a suitable setting for the thermostat.

Turtles don’t have to hibernate.  Outside, where they would normally hibernate, they typically come onto land and bury themselves under leaves etc. They can hibernate in water, but do not usually do this.

Food

The best foods for a pet turtle are the frozen or dried foods designed for them. These foods have sufficient Calcium and protein as well as a suitable complement of vitamins, including vitamin D.

The most popular brand of frozen food in Australia is made by the Fish Fuel Co, and sold as Turtle Dinner. Good quality dried foods are made by several reputable companies.

Turtles can be given a wide variety of other foods. One they particularly like is frozen blood worms. Live mealworms can be given as a treat but are not a balanced food. Earth worms, slaters and suitable size insects can be used as a supplement, as can a bit of fish or mincemeat.

Feeding

Young and active turtles can be fed twice a day. Be guided by how much they eat. Turtles will not overeat, but uneaten food will quickly rot and foul the water.

As the weather gets colder, your turtle will become less active unless the water is heated. It is safer for the turtle to kept warm and active, especially in its first winter.

Cleaning

 Turtles are much less likely to get problems if they are kept in clean conditions; a turtle tank should not be allowed to become dirty or smelly.

Any uneaten food should be removed. Both for this and for a regular cleaning a gravel washer is very useful. It can save you a lot of time. It is better to not let your tank get to the stage of needing to be cleaned out. If it does become necessary, the turtle can be taken out and can be kept out of water for a few hours, if necessary.

Health and Diseases.

Turtles can get skin problems caused by fungus or bacteria. There are several preventative medications available.

A major preventative is to take your turtle out in the sun for a while. To be effective, the turtle should not be in the water while it is in the sun. Water filters out most of the ultraviolet in sunlight.

Common sense needs to be applied to this suggestion. If the turtle is allowed to, it will walk off. It is also very vulnerable to predatory or curious animals such as dogs, cats, foxes, kookaburras and other birds. Also, be aware of the temperature. It would not take long for a turtle to die in conditions of extreme heat.

If a skin infection does occur, you can use Betadine ointment on the affected area of skin. Betadine is available from a chemist.

©Copyright March 2025. This article is an expanded version of a fact sheet written by Steve Challis in 1994. 

 Steve Challis