How to Raise a Pet Turtle? What Do They Eat? How Often Is It Appropriate to Change the Water?

You don’t need to change the water for your turtle every day. Generally, changing it once every 2 or 3 days is fine, as long as you ensure the water is clear and doesn’t smell. If you notice it occasionally defecates or leaves food residue in the water, the water quality will be affected, but you don’t need to change it immediately. If you have a filtration system, you might not even need to change the water for a long time.

Frequent water changes can cause temperature differences, making the turtle’s living environment unstable.

I didn’t know better before and changed the water every day, and as a result, my turtle was not in good condition.

Additionally, turtles are not very demanding about water quality. For an ordinary pet turtle, just keeping the water clear, clean, and free of odor is sufficient. Tap water needs to be treated first; you can use it after letting it sit in the sun for a few days to dechlorinate.

What Food to Feed Turtles for the Healthiest Growth

The answer is obviously not turtle pellets. I strongly advise against feeding turtle pellets because that’s equivalent to animal feed.

Although turtles grow very fast from eating it, their growth is “hollow” (not robust). Turtles are omnivores. Once you understand the concept of an omnivore, you’ll know that, just like humans, they can be fed what people eat, as long as it is oil-free and salt-free.

The staple foods I often feed my turtle include rice, noodles, and steamed buns. For vegetables, there are sweet potatoes, potatoes, and yams. For fruits, there are bananas and apple puree. For meats, I have fed it lean pork, lamb, chicken, duck, and fish.

Although it doesn’t grow fast, it is very sturdy and doesn’t get sick. It crawls around me every day, very happily!