This section is designed to give an overview of general care issues for terrapins. Water quality, hiding spaces, lighting, air and water temperature, feeding, and safety issues are all important.

Water Quality
Refer to the tank cleaning guidelines for specifics. A good rule is to clean the tank once a week. Don't use any chemicals, bleach, or vinegar. Use plain water and an algae brush. Keep all turtle cleaning supplies separate from other classroom supplies so that they are not contaminated by mistake. Wear gloves to decrease your exposure to salmonella. Always wash hands well after handling terrapins and their housing elements.

Remove uneaten food from the tank within 30 minutes after feeding. Sprinkle the food in slowly as this helps prevent waste, and keeps the water cleaner. Uneaten food can foul the tank.

Keep the tank out of direct sunlight. This will help keep algae from growing. Also, direct sunlight can heat the tank up to dangerous levels, especially in the summer.

Floating Platform and Turtle Hut
Terrapins need a dry spot to climb onto to get out of water. They will drown if left too long without a platform on which to rest. They also need a hiding place. This reduces stress. Terrapins will hide under the platform or under the turtle hut. Sometimes they climb on the heater to rest. Do not use wood or other objects you might have on hand. There are some types of wood and rocks that release substances that are toxic to terrapins. The aquarium hut and platform should be enough for them. If you want to put other objects in the tank, please call us first. Turtles are good climbers, so it is important to set the tank up with the plastic cut-away guard so they cannot escape.

Lighting
A terrapin's shell is made up mostly of calcium. Terrapins need UVB light in order to absorb calcium. The light we have provided is a 5.0 UVB tube made by Exo-Terra for reptile use. It is a 20 watt bulb that works well in the strip light provided. Some cheaper brands actually do not emit the proper amount of UVB. You can buy replacement bulbs at a pet store. Most pet stores give a discount to teachers. Regular florescent bulbs do not emit UVB.

The dome light provides a simulation of natural daylight. It also provides surface heat, which is essential to turtle health and comfort. The bulb is available at a pet store.

Keep the strip light and the dome light on the timer. Use the adaptor provided so you can plug both lights into the same timer. Set the timer to simulate the number of daylight hours according to the seasonal changes in our area.

Caution students that these two fixtures do get hot, especially the dome light. Always unplug the fixtures when changing the water.

Temperature
Air temperature should be about 70 or 72 degrees. The lights should provide some heat. Keep an eye on the thermometer. You could have a student chart the temperature every day. Turtles will be fine if the heat is turned down on weekends. During extended holidays you may have to take them home to keep them warm (and fed).

Water temperature should be at about 78 degrees for young turtles. The submersible heater should keep the water warm enough. The heater does get hot, so use caution handling it. Never leave it on when not under water. If you pour cold water in when it is hot, you could damage the heater.

Feeding
Feed the terrapins only with the food provided. Never feed them the turtle pellets found in pet stores. They contain a lot of wheat starch, and terrapins are basically carnivores. Students can feed them. Just slowly drop the food in the tank. Remove any uneaten food within 30 minutes. This will keep the tank clean. You can feed the terrapins twice a day. They'll be okay without food for a weekend. On holidays, someone will need to feed them at least once a day. If you run out of food, call us and we will give you more.

Safety Issues
All reptiles may carry salmonella and transmit germs to humans. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the terrapins, or coming into contact with their tank water and housing elements. Do not allow the water and cleaning supplies to come in contact with other areas in the classroom. Clean the sink area well with anti-bacterial soap after any tank care. Do not use bleach or any other unauthorized cleaning solutions. Do not let the soap contaminate the tank water and cleaning supplies. Use the gloves provided, but wash your hands well anyway after coming into contact with the terrapins.

If you allow your students to handle the terrapins, follow the cautions stated above. Also use caution for the terrapin's safety. Hold the terrapin over a table so it will not get dropped. Terrapins are a lot of fun to watch, and students will want to handle them. Most children are naturally gentle with animals. Please establish some ground rules.