# how come turtles are soo hardy??



## charles_316 (Jul 6, 2004)

how come turtles, unlike fish, can withstand water that has not been treated for chlorine, etc??

they are very hardy and for turtles, u don't need to check nitrate levels, etc...

why is this??

btw, i have 3 red eared sliders..


----------



## Guest (Aug 2, 2004)

Actually, they're not that hardy. It's estimated that more than 90% of the pet turtles sold die within the first year of ownership. I personally think that estimation is low!

They just have different requirements. A fish's body chemistry is affected by the water because it's blood is in close contact with the water so that they may extract oxygen from the water. Any toxins in the water like chlorine and ammonia will have a negative effect on the fish.

A turtle is a reptile with lungs, so it doesn't have the same intimate contact with the water. With the hardier species, there can be some pollution in the water. Although turtles can develope bacterial and fungal infections from living in dirty water.

There are some difficult-to-keep species of turtles that demand the same water quality as fish, though.


----------



## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

> Actually, they're not that hardy. It's estimated that more than 90% of the pet turtles sold die within the first year of ownership. I personally think that estimation is low!
> 
> They just have different requirements. A fish's body chemistry is affected by the water because it's blood is in close contact with the water so that they may extract oxygen from the water. Any toxins in the water like chlorine and ammonia will have a negative effect on the fish.
> 
> ...


To expand on an already good answer...

Turtles breathe with lungs...fish with gills.....so obviously chlorine in the water can irritate their eyes, but not impact their respiration as it does with fish, and as already stated above by bullsnake, same with ammonia and other such irritants...
Definately not all turtles are hardy species, any species with a soft shell is extremely more sensitive to water quality. As their shells are much more permiable and capilary beds are at the surface.


----------



## PunkRockSkater39 (May 31, 2004)

CrocKeeper said:


> > Actually, they're not that hardy. It's estimated that more than 90% of the pet turtles sold die within the first year of ownership. I personally think that estimation is low!
> >
> > They just have different requirements. A fish's body chemistry is affected by the water because it's blood is in close contact with the water so that they may extract oxygen from the water. Any toxins in the water like chlorine and ammonia will have a negative effect on the fish.
> >
> ...
























....enough said..


----------



## charles_316 (Jul 6, 2004)

the water in my turtle tank is like always dirty....

i clean it lots too... the red eared sliders jus poo tons... but they still remain healthy as far as i can see...

wat are some signs of bad health?

ive had my turtles for over 8 years...


----------



## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

they are poop machines, external cannister filters such as marinelands Magnum350 will take particulate matter out of your water and help clear it up.....
From the conditions you have described, after 8 years I would say the biggest risk of health is to you. dirty turtle water is an excellent breeding ground for pathogens such as salmonella and a plethora of others...invest in a good filter and it will help you out quite a bit.


----------



## charles_316 (Jul 6, 2004)

is it ok if the turtles are in a tank full of water and no land?


----------



## BoomerSub (Jun 23, 2003)

charles_316 said:


> is it ok if the turtles are in a tank full of water and no land?


 They need a place where they can crawl out and bask. Land is not needed if you have a large chunk of cork bark floating or a big log that comes up out of the water.

_Carettochelys_, the so-called fly river turtle, is fully aquatic and does not require a haul-out area, except for nesting females.

-PK


----------



## charles_316 (Jul 6, 2004)

hmm ive always had them fully aquatic over the years... is this bad??


----------



## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

as you have had them without incident for 8 years they are getting what they need as far as diet and light is concerned...in the wild most turtles that bask, are doing so to thermoregulate, so if the water is warm, their systems are up to speed and things are going well....you should optimally have enough basking space provided for them, not heat their water and provide that basking spot a nice heat lamp, and a quality UV source....additionally if you hope to ever have them reproduce, they will need a place for oviposition.


----------



## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

> they are poop machines










The number one reason why I decided to no longer have turtle pets!


----------



## renderstream (Apr 10, 2004)

Turtles are in fact very hardy pets.

I keep a red eared slider and a yellow bellied slider. They can withstand the chlorine straight from the tap, can live without a heater, and can survive without food for months!

Its the reason they have survived for so long on earth


----------



## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

A *VERY* generalized statement. We try very hard to avoid such generalized statements especially for the success of newbies with any new charges they acquire.

The chlorine in the tap has nothing to do with anything, are we as a species super hardy because we drink it? NO, it is in fact a small amountof chlorine, and since we use lungs, as do th turtles the chlorine in the water has little bearing on anything except microbial life in the water.

Sliders are hardier captives than most, but still do require the ability to acquire heat enough for their metabolisim, they are poikilotherms, and inable to generate their own body heat enough for metabolic function.

Months without food will kill a slider kept at proper temperatures, it will not kill one kept at temperatures way below what they should be, but those kind of conditions will result in stress to the animal, lower its immune system and open it up to possible infections.

That said Chelonians are without doubt one of the most amazing groups, I love anapsids, and the variety, ...sadly though, everyone needs to think about chelonian conservation, especially middle east and asian species, for they are in SERIOUS trouble. 
If you keep any of the asian box turtles, or buy some in the future, PLEASE work strongly on propagation efforts.


----------



## renderstream (Apr 10, 2004)

Yes, having kept turtles for over 5 years, I understand that they should have ideal habitat setup. They should have a heater, filter, basking spot, UV light, etc.

But i feel that turtles, being as hardy as they are can survive without the things listed above.


----------



## TormenT (Apr 1, 2004)

i feel strongly about how many people buy and abuse turtles such as the red ear and painted turtle... most end up in a 10g with and inch of water and no basking spot, i believe that only baby aquatic turtles should be kept in a tank until they are aroun5 inches, then should be kept in an outdoor pond providing you live in the correct location where they could thrive


----------



## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

Turtles can be hard to keep. You do have to make sure there is no chlorine, you have to provide unltraviolet lights and basking places. You have to have very good filtration and a large tank or else there will be large amounts of waste in the terrarium. Overfeeding can lead to death, and ammonia easily kills them. They also should have a heater but I've heard it isn't required but I don't believe it.


----------

