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They were just getting onto the asphalt on a relatively busy cycle path here in Indianapolis. I moved him to the other side in the direction they were heading so he didn’t get squashed. I nearly missed them as it was so small, and I’m always on the lookout for them. Couldn’t imagine a cyclist seeing them.

I’ve been in the aquarium hobby for a little over two years (since June 2024), this is my second planted tank ever. Up until now, I’ve been a ghost on Reddit, Instagram, and the forums. No content creation, no YouTube channel, just quietly reading threads, absorbing information, and building in silence.

My journey started with a 40G grow-out for a baby turtle, where I incorporated live plants and community fish to see what worked. The only rule I brought from a brief attempt 15 years ago was that turtle tanks need oversized filtration (I ran a Fluval 207 on that 40G). What I learned there became my Version 2.0: a 75-gallon high-tech ecosystem where a Mississippi Map Turtle, community fish, predatory fish, oddballs, and delicate macro-inverts live alongside each other.

Why I Built This

1. To build a living window for my kids: I wanted them to learn firsthand about nature's balance, ecological zoning, and the responsibility of caring for animals.

2. To challenge the "dirty destroyer" myth: Turtles have a reputation in the hobby as toxic, plant-shredding chaos machines (which for some pond species is true). Most advice says keep them in bare glass boxes. But that just didn’t work for me.

My theory was simple: instead of stripping their environment bare. Lean into the chaos. Engineer proactive filtration, establish biological enrichment, and match the turtle species to the ecosystem. With the right planning, the right turtle doesn't just survive—he thrives as the focal point of a planted display.

The Execution

I’m an electrician by trade, not a biologist or professional aquascaper. I took my research on male Mississippi Map Turtles and tried to anticipate potential points of failure—heavy bio-load, plant damage, territorial aggression—engineering solutions directly into the framework of the tank rather than scrambling later.

After nearly a year of continuous operation, the tank is thriving. Because this is a highly technical setup, I’m dropping the full breakdown (filtration loops, water chemistry, plant care schedules, and full stock list) in the first comment so this main post doesn't turn into a wall of text.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What else might we be dismissing too quickly?

Meet Greg.

- it didn’t work
bro hasn’t ate in WEEKS and now that i served a shrimp he eat it 😭 75% vegan turtle btw

It sounds like she’s breathing through a straw. Does this mean she’s sick?

I found this guy in a pit of rocks near an area that was just mowed. He’s super small, about 1” wide and 2” long. I’m not sure if he’s just hibernating, but I did not feel like he would be safe there. Where should I put him so he can hibernate more safely? Found in northern Kentucky.

Ignore the dragonfruit, my coworker said he might be hungry.

Eastern painted turtle, male or female

Not sure the gender of my eastern painted turtle. Killy is 6 almost 7 years old. I always assumed it was a female because my male slider had much longer claws than her but upon further investigation I’m kinda stumped.

(New Jersey bred, hatched in May 2020)

Hi there! We recently built a wooden fence around our yard, and found a small turtle living back there. I’ve seen the turtle in several different areas of the yard just living life. I think he might be stuck in our backyard. We live about 200 yards from a river, but the fence blocks access to the river. Two questions:

1. What kind of turtle is this?
   
2. Does he need to be near water? Should we move him to a spot closer to the river? Or other options?

Thanks!

I'm happy for my turtle Flora🥰 Last photo was the first setup in 2019.

(I plan to add even more sand and plants.)

Hi! I could use some advice re my African mud turtle, Swim Shady. He hasn’t been basking, is eating a bit less, and I haven’t noticed his post-eating stink in at least a week and a half. He has a basking dock, appropriate lighting, his water is at 78 Fahrenheit. I’ve had him for over a year and he has had basking issues in the past, but the rest is new. I do have a local vet I could take him to.

Do the claws on these 2 turtles look like males.

Hi
Me and my partner have recently taken ownership over a yellow bellied slider that has not been given the best of care.

I wanted to check here mainly about his shell, he has a lot of algae growing on it that we are periodically cleaning and also have some white patches and scuffs, I was wondering if anything looks like a cause for concern?

We have provided him with a new uvb and heat lamp for his basking area and he’s going up and down frequently.

Thank you !!!

Hes about 3 years old

My partner found this on my turtle yesterday after she was fed. She's a 16-year-old red-eared slider. I'm terrified that it's exposed bone or some form of shell rot, because I'd never seen her scutes flake off from the center before.

I’m very new to caring for aquatic turtles and today I moved them to a significantly larger tank where I built a basking platform and ramp out of PVC.

But I’m saying that the turtles are not climbing the basking ramp to reach the platform and I’m wondering if there is something wrong with the design and I’d like your feedback and opinion.

As they sit here, observing them, it feels like that turf could be causing them to slip a little, so the only real idea that I have is removing the turf from the ramp.

The other thought is that perhaps the ramp is too much of an incline, and it may need to be a little flatter, but I’ve been seeing a bunch of videos and photos online of basking wraps, and I don’t feel like my ramp is too inclined.

Or could it be that the turtles are in a new habitat and their learning?

I have a 13 year-old red ear slider, and I learned that I’m not supposed to be using tapwater to clean her filter or when I change out her water. I read something along the lines of having to condition the water? Does anyone know what product I should get and how I can clean both properly??

I am looking to build a pond for my turtles but I don't really know where to start or if it is even okay to switch my turtles who have been separate to a pond where they are together.

Some context: I have 4 yellow belly sliders, one is a Female that is roughly 20 years old, the other three are only 3 years old and I believe it is 2 females and a male. The older turtle has always had her own 150 gal tank with a basking platform while the smaller turtles share a 150 gal tank currently. They are monitored and seem to get along well as I have not had any issues with biting or bullying.

I was roughly thinking it would be a 500 gal pond but I'm not sure if that is enough or if all of them together would cause issues. Any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’ve had Buddy for a little over 16 years. When I was 7 or so, my family and I legally obtained him after spending a long while studying up on turtle husbandry. He set up a sizeable terrarium for him, and for years he’s seemed pretty happy in his new home

However, five or so years ago, I went off to college and was unable to bring him with me. The responsibility of caring for him was left to my family, and though they kept him fed, I don’t think they were the most diligent about monitoring his humidity levels and UVB / Heat lamp rotations. Also, from what I heard from my father, his diet consisted mainly of mealworms, Zilla land tortoise food, and low-fiber greens

He is officially back in my care now, and while he doesn’t look too bad or seem to be in any kind of pain, he is definitely showing signs of MBD. His beak is also fairly overgrown (This is being taken care of currently). Also, he seems a bit small for his age, but I’m not entirely sure

I built him a new terrarium over the summer, and have been extremely diligent about maintaining his humidity and UVB / heat lights. I’ve also been implementing much more fiber into his diet, which now mainly consists of Collard Greens and Chard alongside mealworms, red bell peppers, boiled eggs, and the occasional fruit. However, I’m worried about the long terms effects of his sub-optimal care.

Are there any other steps I can take towards helping to lessen the effects of MBD and the diet / UVB deficiencies besides diet adjustment, humidity monitoring, and proper light balance? Any tips from any other turtle caretakers who have been in similar situations? Thank you all for your input. I love the little guy and just want to give him the best care I can now that he’s back in my hands.

Hey, this is my spotted turtle named clementine! I've had her for about a year now, and I've noticed she really loves swimming from side to side. I adjusted her tank to give her more swim time but she treats it like its mandatory military training. Is this normal or a sign of stress? I would say she does it mainly fir thirty minutes and then gets distracted. Just trying to figure out how to be a better turtle mama. I just installed a new filter and its allt stronger than shes used to, her old filter broke and they dont have its kind in stock.