Turtles make great pets for families with cat or dog allergies or those who don’t have time to take their pets out for a walk multiple times a day. However, if you assume turtles are low-maintenance animals that will be able to thrive in a small tank in your home, think again. They need plenty of room to roam around and require an environment with relatively strict temperature controls. Their enclosures also need to be cleaned fairly often.
In addition to providing your turtle with an enclosure that has ample space, you will also need to provide a swimming area. Although turtles are not entirely aquatic, they spend a lot of their time in the water. In fact, turtles need water to hydrate and regulate their body temperature. The question of how long a turtle can go without water ultimately depends on several factors, including their age, species, and the temperature of their enclosure. Generally speaking, a turtle can go about 6-8 hours without water in a warm and dry environment.
In this article, we’ll discuss which aquatic turtle species make the best pets, why turtles need water, and how to provide fresh and clean water to your turtles.
How Do Turtles Drink Water?
Depending on the type of turtle you have as a pet, they drink water in one of two ways. Terrapins are small turtles that live in fresh or brackish water. They are excellent swimmers and spend time on land and in water. Terrapins usually eat their food in water and often drink while they eat. The amount of water your terrapin drinks will depend on their diet. Terrapins are omnivores and may get hydration from their diet when they are offered fresh foods that are appropriate for them.
Tortoises are land animals and don’t swim well. They drink water from a shallow dish several times a day. They are herbivores and may also obtain a great deal of hydration from the vegetation they eat. However, some grasses are dry, and a tortoise fed high amounts of dry food will, therefore, drink more frequently.
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Other Reasons Turtles Drink Water
In addition to drinking and swimming, aquatic turtles need water to eat. They do not produce saliva, and the water helps them swallow their food. As a result, you will find that turtles spend a lot of time in the water: swimming, eating, drinking, and defecating. As we will discuss, keeping your turtle’s water clean is important.
As cold-blooded animals, turtles rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature. In the wild, they go into the water to cool off when they get too hot basking. It is important for your turtle’s water and tank temperature to be well-regulated; if the water is too cold, turtles can become ill. The ideal water temperature for aquatic turtles is 78°-80°F (25.5-26.7°C). They also require a basking area that is 20°F (10-11°C) warmer than their water.
Aquatic turtles will retreat to water if they’re ever threatened by anything they perceive as a potential danger.
How to Provide Your Turtle With Fresh Water
For Terrapins
There are conflicting opinions about whether tap water is healthy for turtles. Chlorine is often added to tap water as a disinfectant, and though the amount of chlorine is safe for humans to drink, it can irritate your turtles. It can also destroy useful bacteria in your turtle’s tank, interrupting the nitrogen cycle. Due to the issues that regular tap water can present, it’s a good idea to dechlorinate your tap water before you add it to your turtle’s tank. You can purchase water conditioners that make the process simple.
You also need to make sure to clean your turtle’s tank regularly. Turtles spend a lot of time in the water, and as a result, it will become dirty very quickly. If you don’t clean the water frequently, your turtle’s tank will look murky and probably smell bad, and your turtles could also become ill. One way to achieve a clean tank is to regularly replace a portion (25%) of your turtle’s water with fresh water with a weekly partial water change.
That way, you can dilute waste in the water. You should also invest in a filter. A good rule of thumb for purchasing a filter is to select one that can filter two to three times the volume capacity of your tank. Turtles are exceptionally messy and, therefore, need extra filtration.
- Related Read: How Do Turtles Breathe? Can They Breathe Underwater?
For Tortoises
Tortoises don’t require an aquatic component in their setups. You should only provide fresh, clean, filtered drinking water in a shallow dish. A heavy dish (such as one made of ceramic) with a non-slip bottom is recommended to ensure that your tortoise does not accidentally tip their water bowl over while going for a drink.
Final Thoughts
The specific amount of time that your turtle can go without water depends on their species, age, and overall climate. Regardless, you should provide your turtle with clean water at all times; doing so is very important to your turtle’s wellbeing. You’ll also need to clean the tank frequently and change the water to keep your pet healthy.
- Related read: What Do Turtles Like to Play With!
Featured Image Credit: JJ Gouin, Shutterstock
