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"I have an Eastern Painted.. I got her about 2 years ago. The people who had her before me caught her as a baby and kept her. So she is around 4 years

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“I have an Eastern Painted.. I got her about 2 years ago. The people who had her before me caught her as a baby and kept her. So she is around 4 years old. They never used lights for her so now her shell is deformed and not really growing. When i first introduced lights to her she ended up getting sick and had to be taken to the vet. Some eyedrops helped that issue. Then she broke the top of her shell by her head. Started with a small crack.. Brought her to the again, they patched her up and told me to keep her out of water except for feedings. She HATED me. She did not like being out of water at all. Eventually that part of her shell died and fell off. Shes fine. She loves to swim and is super happy.
Now I’ve been looking around for a bigger habitat for her. She is currently in a 29 gallon tall aquarium. I have the opportunity to get a 50 gallon long tank with everything included, along with a female Eastern Painted. This is awesome because I’ve been dying to get Squirt a friend and my son would be so happy to have two turtles. My question is.. Would it be okay for these 2 female Eastern Painteds live together happily? My girl is average size and the new one is a little bit larger. I’m thinking maybe I’ll stock the tank with goldfish when I introduce them?
Posted by Meegans, Feb 12, 2020 09:32 PM


“My daughter found our eastern painted turtle in our Brooklyn backyard. After a neighborhood search – No one claimed her. Not knowing what to do, I put her in a large basin, attached a 100 watt bulb (on for morning; off for night); a landing place for her to bask and a dozen goldfish for her to eat.
We knew she was a female when we found three unfertilized eggs – in four consecutive years. Speedy Tortellini is a happy, responsive healthy, 32 year old family pet – thriving, shedding and hibernating. Who knew?
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 10, 2019 06:06 PM

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“My daughter found our eastern painted turtle in our Brooklyn backyard. After a neighborhood search – No one claimed her. Not knowing what to do, I put her in a large basin, attached a 100 watt bulb (on for morning; off for night); a landing place for her to bask and a dozen goldfish for her to eat.
We knew she was a female when we found three unfertilized eggs – in four consecutive years. Speedy Tortellini is a happy, responsive healthy, 32 year old family pet – thriving, shedding and hibernating. Who knew?
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 10, 2019 05:08 PM


My painted turtle comes up out of the water and on my lap and I feed him worms and other stuff
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 16, 2019 12:55 PM

My painted turtle comes up out of the water and on my lap and I feed him worms and other stuff
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 16, 2019 12:54 PM

So one day me and my dad were just going for a walk with the dog and on our way back we saw a Midland Painted Turtle in pretty bad shape….. We took him home and we put him in a cooler with a dry towel on the bottom so it would be comfortable. Then we called a turtle hospital and we are going to take it to get taken care of and fixed so it can be released back again out into the wild.
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 17, 2019 07:33 PM

I have a painted turtle that I found on the side of the road and when I found it I did some research and concluded that it was male. Not too mention it was late July so I thought that I could take care of it for a month or two then let it go. If the turtle had and problems adapting to the new environment I would let it go. I put it in a 55 gallon Gallon tank with enough water that it swim comfortably and a stack of rocks with plenty of basking space. I’ve been feeding it live minnows and it’s been eating about two or three every other day. But it turned out that he was a she because she layed and egg in the tank. But after more research I found out that these turtles lay way more eggs than just one. So I was wondering what should I do with the egg plus the turtle. If she doesn’t have a proper home with me I am completely ready to let her go, but I have become very attracted to her and wish to keep her. Additional if you have and insight on what I should do when it becomes winter and she needs to hibernate that would also be greatly appreciated.
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 31, 2019 07:45 PM

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My question for my year old painted turtle, can they eat Koi fish food?
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 22, 2019 03:26 PM

My turtle died
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 8, 2019 07:10 PM

“My kids and I found a turtle on a walk near the road. Upon closer inspection it was clear he was not in good shape. He must’ve survived an attack because his left arm has no hand…his stump has healed over his 2 snapped bones which are sticking out, and he’s having to use to assist his walking. Similarly his left eye appears to be pushed deep up, and into his head. Also his shell, and tail show signs of an attack. When his neck/limbs are stretched you could see how skinny he is The first day we brought him home we put water/ a log.. too much water not enough log for him + will not eat worm or leafy green or fruit even from chopstick. Now night 2 I’m trying a cage completely free of water with more hiding spaces. It is clear he is traumatized. He does not put his head in when he’s scared he tries to charge u like it’s life or death. I can’t let him go unless I see him eat, and be able to swim/walk properly right?? I never would keep a healthy animal from its home but this turtle is not suitable for its environment.
Can I do something to recreate hand? For balance n assist w walking??
Tips for feeding??
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 6, 2019 07:22 PM


“My kids and I found a turtle on a walk near the road. Upon closer inspection it was clear he was not in good shape. He must’ve survived an attack because his left arm has no hand…his stump has healed over his 2 snapped bones which are sticking out, and he’s having to use to assist his walking. Similarly his left eye appears to be pushed deep up, and into his head. Also his shell, and tail show signs of an attack. When his neck/limbs are stretched you could see how skinny he is The first day we brought him home we put water/ a log.. too much water not enough log for him + will not eat worm or leafy green or fruit even from chopstick. Now night 2 I’m trying a cage completely free of water with more hiding spaces. It is clear he is traumatized. He does not put his head in when he’s scared he tries to charge u like it’s life or death. I can’t let him go unless I see him eat, and be able to swim/walk properly right?? I never would keep a healthy animal from its home but this turtle is not suitable for its environment.
Can I do something to recreate hand? For balance n assist w walking??
Tips for feeding??
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 6, 2019 07:19 PM

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“I get live minnows from the bait shop and divide them up between my turtles tank and eels tank.
They’re used to it so they eat them as they need to.
Both are in 55gal tanks. If you use this method start with a smaller amount of fish as the turtle may kill more than it eats the first few times. Don’t leave uneaten dead fish in the tank. If its floating pull it out. The decomposition will cause toxic nitrate levels in the tank.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 30, 2019 04:32 PM


I have a 3 year old female painted turtle whose appetite has changed quite noticeably, she basks most of the day, she is not very active.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 27, 2019 12:11 PM

“help!
I rescued a painted turtle in Michigan 29 years ago on a highway. She has been a pet since then. In the cold months she is inside in a large tank with a light. In the warm months she is outside in a 4′ pond with an island and small waterfall surrounded with rocks and cannot crawl out. She is handfed earthworms and tilapia every day. I can no longer keep her. Do you think she could survive in the wild? (she is 6″” in diameter). thanks
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 22, 2019 02:21 PM


This changed our advice, we found him in the driveway at night.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 12, 2019 09:07 PM

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So…your husband really should have left him outside 🙁 Turtles should not be taken from the wild. He/she will likely eat when he is released back in to his natural habitat and may just be stressed out or be a female that was looking to lay eggs. If you are absolutely not going to release it, try white albacore tuna in water. You can also soak food in the tuna water. Make sure you are ONLY feeding the turtle in water as they need to be under water to swallow their food.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 10, 2019 03:40 PM

Any advice on how to get a male painted turtle to eat. I’ve had him fora week now and he won’t eat. I’ve tried feeder fish hot dogs chicken bananas strawberries and he refuses to eat. My husband found him walking up a sidewalk and brought him home to me
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 9, 2019 10:28 PM

I found a Painted Turtle in my driveway afternoon, I did not know how he got on my driveway, so I took him in and setup my tank, and gave him wet lettuce, look like he like stay in the water, and move around the tank. So he now settle down in the tank.
Posted by tfarrell1016, Jun 2, 2019 09:13 AM

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I found my turtle on Easter at a creak. On Easter my uncle had told me that he knew for sure that my new turtle had to be a snapping turtle. Believing him, i thought she had been a snapping turtle too. but today i looked at pictures of snapping turtles, seeing that it did not compare to my turtle Shelby, i looked at how do decide what breed she was. when i matched the painted turtles appearance to Shelby, i realized how stupid i was XD. im feeding her tiny carrot bits in her little habitat. it that safe for painted turtles?
Posted by Anonymous, May 31, 2019 07:24 PM

“My turtle isn’t eating yet. I don’t know what to do abot it. We found her as a baby. do the baby’s eat?
we bought her fish food, turtle food, and an apple. what should i do?
Posted by Anonymous, May 3, 2019 07:26 AM


I’m thinking on getting a painted turtle, but as I have looked up other reptiles, (like a skink.) I see that you feed them a day and skip feeding the next day. Is it the same with turtles? If so, how long do you have to wait?
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 28, 2019 10:32 AM

i have a baby painted turtle that i found all by itself and he was about the size of a nickel. and still is. now i wasnt ready to have a turtle so the first thing i did was get a spare 10 gallon tank and some sand. i do not have any heat lamps for him or her. but he is hibernating just fine. i have a sandy beach for him and a sandy botttom for him just like the Mississippi. which is where i found him at. so does anyone have any idea as to where i can find a cheap good quality heat lamp and water heater for him?
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 28, 2019 07:18 AM

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I’m going to get a painted 🐢 by June. I’m going to name him or her Sparky after Sparky Anderson from the Detroit Tigers.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 24, 2019 05:13 PM

I found my painted when he was a size of a quarter. He’s going to be nine this upcoming April!! He’s adorable if he sees his reflection in the tank he’ll try to interact with it. I feed him pellets and treats with minerals (ever so often). When he was a baby I caught a worm and gave it to him, he immediately started wrestling with it. I would feed him small bait fish (the orange ones for larger fish), he loved them but wouldn’t eat the head, I grew tired of netting out the heads of his victims. I have a floating rock and a basking light for him. I want to get a filter for the tank so I can fill it more. However, I live on the third floor of my house (bathroom is on second). How often do you have to clean a tank with a filter? Right now without one it seems I”m cleaning it every two weeks because he’s so smelly.
Posted by Anonymous, Mar 17, 2019 12:33 AM

We found our painted turtle crossing an asphalt road on a blistering hot day. He now has a large turtle container (about 50/55 gal) with a large basking platform. He really has quite a cute personality. He only eats live food (doesn’t know what turtle pellets are for). We have had him, now about 10 years. The turtle vet says we are right to feed him small fish, worms (fishing worms and Super Worms and wax worms) and crickets. And, his pond has lots of veggies (anacharis, hyacinth, water lettuce, and frog bit). We keep him at about 71 degrees farenheit using a large (50 gal) barrel for filtering and heating. He really has quite the personality and is a joy to have.
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 27, 2019 11:12 AM

Is it ok to have a mirror on one of the short sides of the tank?jojo go’s nuts around it sometimes and other times care less. Don’t know much(a damn thing) about Turtle psychology but I don’t want to be messing his head up thinking there’s another turtle if he shouldnt be thinking that.
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 16, 2019 11:22 AM

my granddaughter found a small what I think is a painted turtle tangled in a net we have it in a turtle tank right now as we are not sure where it came from, my question is it seems to have fur like growth on the bottom of the shell is that normal?
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 26, 2019 06:25 PM

Mealworm, dried shrimp, strawberrys, chicken breast, really small pieces of cooked or raw shrimp…
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 9, 2018 06:51 PM

I was in my yard walking inside and found a small baby hatchling painted turtle. I took her in and she is doing amazing. She is eating dried shrimp, raw hamburg and chicken. She is about 4 inches now. I named her from one of the ninja turtles Donatella. She is my baby girl.
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 29, 2018 06:48 PM

I rescued a smal 4 to five inch long shell painted turtle. He was hit before I could get to it. It doesn’t have any major cracks in shell. He did have a couple drops of blood on shell. Refused to put head our of shell for an hour or two. Front legs were visible but doesn’t use back legs for climbing, but has stood up on them when immersed in water. One eye looks swollen and membrane won’t open and other eye has a membrane over it with a tiny hole open. He continues to push on both with front feet. I want to let him go once he can see better. He gets wore out and acts like he is drowning when in deep water. So I have him in a small beverage tub. With just enough water for most of his shell covered and rocks on the other end with a lamp for getting completely out of water for basking. He spends a lot of time up there. But he does go down in water too. I bought turtle pellets and have them floating in water, but he hasn’t seemed to have eaten, since he was hit 2 days ago. The one vet who would look at him, wants 80.00 just for office visit. This is only a rescue and I can’t afford this. What do I do???
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 27, 2018 11:04 AM

I bought a captive-bred painted turtle from PetSmart. I brought him home and put him in our outside pond which is about 200 to 250 gallons. He’s active and eating. This winner do I need to remove him from the pond or do I just leave him there to hibernate? the pond is about 2 ft deep and he has a cave he hides in. he shares his pond with several goldfish. He has no interest in hunting
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 22, 2018 04:12 PM

other then lettuce what other easy things can you get for the baby turtle
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 9, 2018 06:37 PM

any advice on getting a wild one to eat. Currently she is healing from a broken shell. So far I can only get her to eat feeder gold fish and worms. She will be released once healed but its going to take about 12 weeks.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 30, 2018 05:23 PM

My dad was mowing the lawn on Saturday and seen a mama turtle laying eggs and made sure go around her to make he did hit her and we left it and thought nothing of I went out and checked on it and something had dug it up and all that was left was 7 eggs so we brought them in and now I got little eggs to wait on!!!!!!!!!
Posted by lilemmie, Jun 26, 2018 07:49 PM

my dad was out mowing the lawn and seen a mom turtle laying her eggs in the yard so he made sure to go around her and not hit her with the mower then we go out the next day and something found the nest and dug it up and all that was left was 7 eggs and we live outside of town and there is no wildlife place around us. So guess has turtles eggs cooking in her room! but thats ok it just adds to animals on our farm!
Posted by lilemmie, Jun 26, 2018 07:43 PM

Feed It lettuce
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 12, 2018 10:28 AM

“My husband found our turtle strolling through his shop. Being that there is a pond behind the shop, that where we assume he came from. Being that he is a painted turtle, we thought suitable to be named after a painter. Not knowing how to spell Michelangelo (thank you spell check for fixing lol) I named him Bob Ross. The kids are thrilled to see Bob.
We went to Petco and got Bob some mini crickets as this is what was suggested. He was sooooo happy! Took them right down then he also ate some dried shrimp (its in the pet food section named and is named Delite).
These guys have anxiety and like to generally be left alone (this is why they need somewhere to hide…Bob likes our fake grass and trees VERY much).
Posted by Anonymous, May 28, 2018 12:22 PM


i found a painted turtle this morning and i put him in water and put a dry spot for him to come out of the water when he wants to,i went to the pet store and got red small shrimp , the kid seemed to know about the turtle so he seems to be sleeping alot and not eating .I was going to get the secondary food that the kid told me to get if this guy dosent eat this shrimp,if anybody knows about what i should do about him eating please let me know. thx
Posted by Anonymous, May 22, 2018 02:50 PM

esskit
Posted by Anonymous, May 16, 2018 02:00 PM

I found a baby panited turtle at my grandparents and decided to try and keep it because it looked lost and hurt my mom suggested that a bird probably dropped it and i dont know what to do. Also on my way back home i saw a turtle on road so i jumped out and got it to the side it was going.
Posted by Anonymous, May 10, 2018 01:23 PM

I was golfing and I found this small little turtle next to my ball… I feared I hit him with my ball and killed him so I picked him up and he was perfectly fine. I decided I always wanted a new pet so I took him home with me and named him Tortuga. I got all the necessities I needed to keep a painted turtle as a pet and set everything up. He loves to swim and play find the food. I’m so happy I got him. My life was so bland until I found him to spend it with.
Posted by Anonymous, May 6, 2018 07:51 PM

To the anonymous poster about the turtle- what happened? Take it to the vet immediately!!! I’m sure you feel horrible about forgetting it, but the best thing you can do now is try to help it get better. If you got the turtle in 2nd grade, it shouldn’t have been your responsibility to fully care for it, so try not to blame yourself too much and just do what you can to help the poor little guy out 🙁
Posted by Anonymous, May 4, 2018 12:40 AM

To the anonymous poster about the turtle- what happened? Take it to the vet immediately!!! I’m sure you feel horrible about forgetting it, but the best thing you can do now is try to help it get better. If you got the turtle in 2nd grade, it shouldn’t have been your responsibility to fully care for it, so try not to blame yourself too much and just do what you can to help the poor little guy out 🙁
Posted by Anonymous, May 4, 2018 12:39 AM

To the anonymous poster about the turtle- what happened? Take it to the vet immediately!!! I’m sure you feel horrible about forgetting it, but the best thing you can do now is try to help it get better. If you got the turtle in 2nd grade, it shouldn’t have been your responsibility to fully care for it, so try not to blame yourself too much and just do what you can to help the poor little guy out 🙁
Posted by Anonymous, May 4, 2018 12:39 AM

i feel like if the dont eat worm and turtle pellets i suggest fine dry dog food or boiled chicken
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 27, 2018 08:28 AM

I have a western painted and he lives in a 40 gallon tank he is healthy and adventerus I take him with me sometimes and he rides in his box he seems to like it he also enjoys walking in the front yeard threw the brush and flowers is this ok
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 24, 2018 03:39 AM

So my boyfriend found a baby paint turtle outside of his house. We arent sure weather it hatch to early or what but we brought it in and gave it allot of water and dry area for it to sit on along with lighting, we even tried feeding it some shrimp but it refuses to eat or even move.Ifeel bad for the little guy and have no clue on what to do.help?!?
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 13, 2018 01:32 PM

So happy this afternoon..a brand new baby eastern painted turtle on the edge of my pond. I was surprised at early appearance as we had snow yesterday but 68 degrees this afternoon. What a delight to see. I also am a OCTL. My pond has many gold fish and perch and rescued turtles.. they all come up when i go out to feed them . Visitors are surprised to see them coming up to eat.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 12, 2018 09:19 PM

to the person below me you should feel like a little piece of crap. give that turtle to a good owner. you idiot.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 9, 2018 02:22 AM

oOF SO UM I…….. FORGOT I HAD A TURTLE FOR LIKE… 5 YEARS. when I suddenly remembered, I was so nervous to check on it, expecting a lifeless cold turtle. I had tears running down my eyes because I had neglected it for so long and I absolutely hated myself for it. I came in contact with it and FLINCHED SO HARD WHEN ITS DULL EYES OPENED SLOWLY!!!! I STARTED CRYING EVEN HARDER BECAUSE I HATED MYSELF FOR HAVING IT SUFFER FOR SO LONG I ran its dry cracked gray and white shell under lukewarm water then tried to feed it gently. It was so much smaller, and pale than I had remembered it back in 2nd grade when I got him. He used to be so active, ravenous, and green. I felt awful because it was so malnourished and grey… I thought he was gonna die. but i don’t know because everytime I check on the poor thing, he won’t eat anything I give him)): hELP SHOULD I GO TO A VET? OR GIVE HIM SOME TIME TO BOUNCE BACK
Posted by Anonymous, Mar 2, 2018 05:42 PM

my boyfriend has a painted turtle and has been feeding it different food like meat and ham
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 6, 2018 05:38 PM

We feared our painted turtle had drowned last night. It was at the bottom of the tank and appeared to be stuck/trapped in a log. It was completely lifeless. We moved it’s legs and arms to try to get some type of a response. It eventually released a bunch of water but continued to not respond to stimulation. At the request of my very sad nine year old, we left him in a bucket next to his bed. Sure, enough this morning the turtle is ALIVE! Is it possible he could have been hibernating? He is an indoor turtle, in a temperature controlled tank. We have had turtles for about 6 years and have never had anything like this happen.
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 24, 2018 12:21 PM

I have two painted turtles, one is very healthy swimming.. the other has a film over its eyes and just floats.. what exactly is wrong? And what should i do?
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 11, 2017 07:24 PM

hi i just bought two painted turtles< and when i bought them they said they are very friendly and loved to be handled but on hear it say do not. i go one for my nephew and he loves to play with him
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 3, 2017 09:08 PM

Dank
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 29, 2017 08:58 AM

Anyone ever have mites in your turtle tank? I just noticed these the other day and now need to figure out how to get rid of them. My painted turtle had been blinking a lot and now I figure they were getting in his eyes.
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 28, 2017 12:14 PM

“I love my baby Eastern Painted. Had ‘Tiny’ for 5 months and it is growing like a weed. So cute to observe when swimming and basking with legs outstretched.
I had a baby snapping turtle show up at my back door this Summer as well. We have a large female that crawls up into the back yard every Spring/Summer to lay eggs. Then back to the river she goes. I put the baby out in the river to fend for itself. One turtle is plenty to feed and clean along with a dog and fish tank in my small 1 bedroom apt.! LoL
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 6, 2017 07:41 PM


I am a Very Proud Owner of 4 BEAUTIFUL RED EAR SLIDER TURTLES (HATCHLINGS)! Also, I’ve recently discovered PAINTED TURTLES, which I’m looking forward to acquiring in the near Future! Hey, what can I say? I’m an Official Certified TURTLE LOVER! 🐢💗💖💎👌😜✌ -> SK3L3T0R
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 12, 2017 08:51 AM

“I live in the northeast and have a 900 gallon fish pond with several comets, frogs, and 1 painted turtle. Not sure what the painted turtle needs to survive the winter. I do keep a small disk heater in the pond to prevent the pond from completely freezing over. With the exception of a few plants there is no place for the turtle to hibernate. Will the turtle be ok over the winter in the pond or should I provide an indoor aquarium for the winter?
I look forward to your helpful response.
Thank you!
Posted by Dan B., Oct 6, 2017 12:54 PM


I have a painted turtle in my pond. Its not too deep but it freezes over in the winter. I had a smaller one last year and was concerned if he would survive there in the winter. I called a pet store and they said if ot freezes completely over, he would not survive because he would need food in the winter. I took him across the street to the lake where they said he would survive there in the winter. I cried when I let him go because he had been in my pond all summer. I had a larger one show up again in May and I’ve been feeding him/her all Sumner. I talk to him every day and if he’s under water and here’s me he will swim up to the surface and stick his neck out and look at me like he knows what I’m saying. Should I do the same this year? Take him over to the lake next month before the water freezes? I live in Michigan by Lansing in a rural area. I just adore him and hate to let him go, but I don’t want him to die either during the winter. Any advice?
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 21, 2017 06:44 PM

“My young 2″” Southern Painted Turtle lives in a 40g breeder tank, with 30g of FILTERED water[12″”], Penn Plax model 700 Filtering System, Zoo Med Dock, 150w Aqueon Heater[79F], Exo Terra adj. lamp holder, Sylvania 65w 485 lumen flood light dimmable to maintain 88-93 basking temp daily, Zilla 25 13w UVB @30 microwatts distance, both lamps on one 11 hour timer[6a-7p], water and basking temp metering, Two 18″” cut back to 12″” artificial leafy plants to hide/rest/sleep and plastic garland strip at one end of the tank. Tank has NO substrate and have to add a gallon of FILTERED water every 3 days due to evaporation. I have some 3 gallon jugs and fill up at the grocery store. Food/Treats: Saki-Hikari, Zoo Med Hatchling, freeze dried meal/blood worms or shrimp, Romaine and Cuttlebone 24/7. I feed “”Buddy”” in a separate container 2 times a day 1/2 portions a little less than the size of his head.
Check your basking temp daily as you will be amazed how much it can/will change, especially if you have an open window, AC, and or heating.

He loves attention, comes when he sees you, paddles like crazy to draw attention/begging. Every day, I lean over his tank or sit next to it for a bit, which he loves. His tank on separate enclosed wood stand, is located in the kitchen where I spend a lot of time, when not volunteering in the community. He can also peer out to the adjacent living room. When we do leave, he is so happy to see us when we return……begging???

People say not to locate the tank next to a window. We keep the sliding triple glazed window open at the end of his tank and check his basking and water temp daily. The AC/heating duct is located at one end of his tank. Based on room ambient temp/humidity over his tank, I can control water and basking temps. He peeks out into the back yard for feeder bird activity, all the time. He is in a perfect setting that keeps him well, alive, active, loveable, happy, and funny to watch.

My son will inherit Buddy and will out live him and will be passed on to his daughter. They know it and Buddy will remind them of grandpa and grandma. One of our granddaughters husbands has a Yellow Bellied Slider and is his fault…….we have Buddy! So, I know they can take care of Buddy too!

Keep your turtle happy/healthy with what he/she needs! Join a turtle forum too.
Teetertotter, Janesville, WI
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 11, 2017 10:18 AM


Painted turtles are said to be non-gregarious and disliking of human contact. We have had ours for 5 years now, since I found it in the yard, the size of a half dollar. She is now bigger than my hand, but wants to be fed by hand as well. She splashes when you come near and wants a couple of turtle treat sticks or a dozen dried shrimp. You have to use care when feeding the first one or two — she will nip when she’s hungry. But after that, she is quite docile. Oh yes — she comes when called too. She resides by herself in a 75 gallon aquarium — two filter systems, heat and UV lights and a floating platform.
Posted by AlanDoo, Aug 9, 2017 08:15 AM

“How many food pellets should I feed my western painted turtle?

Thanks!
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 21, 2017 05:20 PM


painted turtles need UV-B to help them absorb calcium. most glass in windows have UV block. you want your turtle healthy, hard shell get a UV-B bulb.
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 14, 2017 10:59 PM

I was wondering where you can get painted turtles ?, I specifically wan’t a southern painted turtle. I don’t want to adopt or purchase it online only because I don’t feel shipping it would be the best way for it to arrive in a healthy way that wouldn’t stress it out. Just wondering if you knew a place where a can adopt or purchase a southern painted turtle?
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 11, 2017 11:53 AM

“I found a Painted Turtle in the road upside down with the top portion of its shell broken in two specific places (shoulder area both sides); one side in particular is close to being completely detached from the rest of the shell. Despite the accident, and obvious loss of blood (not as much as you’d think), every part of him is moving pretty freely. I used blood-stopper powder (we use on our dogs nails if clipped too short) and it immediately clotted all areas. I medical taped his shell to help hold it together. My question: will the shell heal together again or is there any kind of glue or something i can use to help heal him for a while before releasing him? He actually seems un-phased by it mostly. it appears that sometimes his hind legs drag but then he moves then sometimes as well. Advise?

neileash@yahoo.com
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 7, 2017 10:07 AM


How much food should I give my medium sized turtle.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 4, 2017 02:33 PM

i only have 1 painted turtle in almost a year now but it’s acting weird lately. it’s been a week now since i saw its eyes opened, until now it’s closed. it was a very healthy and active turtle before but now it changed. cannot eat too because can’t see it’s food. is there anything i can do aside from bringing him to the vet? thanks everyone in advance
Posted by Anonymous, May 31, 2017 10:10 PM

“My painted turtle keeps jumping or throwing herself from her aquarium. She just started doing this recently. I have had her for about 15 years. Why is she doing this all of a sudden? I have had her since she was the size of a quarter. I would appreciate any helpful advice.
B. Lodermeier
lodermier39@gmail.com
Posted by Anonymous, May 23, 2017 04:44 PM


“I have two Southern Painted hatchling turtles. They are in a 30 gallon aquarium with a Turtle Topper basking area. The turtle topper is placed on top of the aquarium. A ramp provides the turtles access to the basking area from the water in the aquarium. I have river rocks and a combination of real and plastic plants, and drift wood in the aquarium. There is approximately 25 to 27 gallons of water in the aquarium.
I have A UVB light and a basking light over their basking area. Their basking area stays around 80 to 85 degrees.
My water with a turtle safe heater tends to run 74 to 75 degrees it is set at a predetermined heat setting and is not adjustable. I’m wondering if that is a warm enough temperature for them? They spend a good amount of time in the basking area.
I am also concerned about turning all their lights off at night and leaving them with no where to bask. Is it necessary to turn the lights off at night?
Thank for your help!
Posted by Anonymous, May 22, 2017 05:03 PM


Very helpful, Thank you.
Posted by Anonymous, May 19, 2017 11:46 AM

I have Two painted turtles my niece brought back from Florida. We have them in 10 gal tank with the filter,a rock and water. My question is what can I do to get them to be more active and to get them to eat? All they have been doing is sleeping and haven’t ate in a couple of days. What can I do???
Posted by dcramddj2003, May 7, 2017 04:34 PM

My husband brought home a painted turtle that he found upon the parking lot where he is employed. My kids wanted to keep the turtle. We put him in a large plastic bin with pond water, a rock and a small log so that he can climb on it. We also put plants, a few small weed flowers and bugs from the pond. We don’t have an aquarium and most likely will not be purchasing one. Should we send the turtle to our pond? It’s not shallow in the middle. Probably about 5′ deep. But, the turtle can perch itself on the sides of the pond. We have lots of frogs. There may be a snapping turtle but I have never seen it. My daughter said she has seen it. Would that be a problem? We have mallard ducks, geese, garter snakes, chip monks, squirrels, frogs, variety of birds including hawks, deer, raccoon, moles and a stray cat or two. At the side of our property, we have wetlands or swamp-like. It’s more shallow and thought that the painted turtle might be happier there. Please give your opinion on what we should do. I’m reading your information on this turtle and it seems there would be a lot more we would have to do to take good care of this turtle in order for it to survive and live a healthy life. Thank you!
Posted by Anonymous, May 2, 2017 08:28 AM

Another common symptom for a sick or not-well-taken-care-of painted turtle is an upward curve of the back of the shell. If the turtle is properly taken care of and is not sick, the back of the shell should go straight down. If you see this on your turtle, make sure you find out why this is.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 25, 2017 02:58 PM

I have 2 western baby paint turtles in a 75 gallon aquarium. That has a heater that stays at 80 degrees F. I also have a uva/uvb lamp that is 100 watts. Lastly, I have 2 filters. Keep in mind that turtles should be kept in an aquarium that is 10× their adult size. For example if there going to get 6inches they need a 60 gallon tank.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 24, 2017 11:36 AM

I have 2 western baby paint turtles in a 75 gallon aquarium. That has a heater that stays at 80 degrees F. I also have a uva/uvb lamp that is 100 watts. Lastly, I have 2 filters. Keep in mind that turtles should be kept in an aquarium that is 10× their adult size. For example if there going to get 6inches they need a 60 gallon tank.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 24, 2017 11:35 AM

“I have two Southern Painted hatchling turtles. They are in a 30 gallon aquarium with a Turtle Topper basking area. The turtle topper is placed on top of the aquarium. A ramp provides the turtles access to the basking area from the water in the aquarium. I have river rocks and a combination of real and plastic plants, and drift wood in the aquarium. There is approximately 25 to 27 gallons of water in the aquarium.
I have A UVB light and a basking light over their basking area. Their basking area stays around 80 to 85 degrees.
My water with a turtle safe heater tends to run 74 to 75 degrees it is set at a predetermined heat setting and is not adjustable. I’m wondering if that is a warm enough temperature for them? They spend a good amount of time in the basking area.
I am also concerned about turning all their lights off at night and leaving them with no where to bask. Is it necessary to turn the lights off at night?
Thank for your help!
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 22, 2017 08:09 AM


“I have two Southern Painted hatchling turtles. They are in a 30 gallon aquarium with a Turtle Topper basking area. The turtle topper is placed on top of the aquarium. A ramp provides the turtles access to the basking area from the water in the aquarium. I have river rocks and a combination of real and plastic plants, and drift wood in the aquarium. There is approximately 25 to 27 gallons of water in the aquarium.
I have A UVB light and a basking light over their basking area. Their basking area stays around 80 to 85 degrees.
My water with a turtle safe heater tends to run 74 to 75 degrees it is set at a predetermined heat setting and is not adjustable. I’m wondering if that is a warm enough temperature for them? They spend a good amount of time in the basking area.
I am also concerned about turning all their lights off at night and leaving them with no where to bask. Is it necessary to turn the lights off at night?
Thank for your help!
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 20, 2017 03:58 PM


“I have two Southern Painted hatchling turtles. They are in a 30 gallon aquarium with a Turtle Topper basking area. The turtle topper is placed on top of the aquarium. A ramp provides the turtles access to the basking area from the water in the aquarium. I have river rocks and a combination of real and plastic plants, and drift wood in the aquarium. There is approximately 25 to 27 gallons of water in the aquarium.
I have A UVB light and a basking light over their basking area. Their basking area stays around 80 to 85 degrees.
My water with a turtle safe heater tends to run 74 to 75 degrees it is set at a predetermined heat setting and is not adjustable. I’m wondering if that is a warm enough temperature for them? They spend a good amount of time in the basking area.
I am also concerned about turning all their lights off at night and leaving them with no where to bask. Is it necessary to turn the lights off at night?
Thank for your help!
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 18, 2017 10:44 PM


“I live in Wisconsin, and so I wanted to know if it would be okay to keep a baby Painted turtle in our
outdoor pond during spring and summer, without a heater?
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 18, 2017 08:48 PM


“I have two Southern Painted hatchling turtles. They are in a 30 gallon aquarium with a Turtle Topper basking area. The turtle topper is placed on top of the aquarium. A ramp provides the turtles access to the basking area from the water in the aquarium. I have river rocks and a combination of real and plastic plants, and drift wood in the aquarium. There is approximately 25 to 27 gallons of water in the aquarium.
I have A UVB light and a basking light over their basking area. Their basking area stays around 80 to 85 degrees.
My water with a turtle safe heater tends to run 74 to 75 degrees it is set at a predetermined heat setting and is not adjustable. I’m wondering if that is a warm enough temperature for them? They spend a good amount of time in the basking area.
I am also concerned about turning all their lights off at night and leaving them with no where to bask. Is it necessary to turn the lights off at night?
Thank for your help!
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 18, 2017 05:21 PM


My pet turtle, motor, we had have him for over a year and have been feeding him well but his shell on the edges are curving a little bit, should I worry
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 17, 2017 09:35 PM

Try JurassiPet, it works well.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 16, 2017 09:59 AM

A painted turtle showed up in our yard and has taken refuge in our outdoor fish pond. Our goldfish (several inches in length) live in a basement pond in the winter. They are due to go back to the outdoor pond. Will the turtle eat them?
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 15, 2017 09:09 PM

This page was so helpful! thank you!
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 15, 2017 03:29 PM

I have had my painted turtle going on 25 years now. Best pet ever
Posted by Anonymous, Mar 16, 2017 02:10 AM

km
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 16, 2017 05:34 PM

I heard that if a painted turtle’s shell is curving up at the edges, it means that they aren’t getting the proper care that they need, so if that is your turtle, I would look at the necessities again and make sure you know exactly what you are doing.
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 3, 2017 08:09 AM

Why do painted turtles have color
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 1, 2017 07:05 PM

I had a regular red eared slider it died 🙁 but it was my first turtle it wasnt good when we got him so it wasnt completely my fault. He wouldnt eat ( he did but barely) i plan on getting a new one and research more is there anything i need to know about a painted turtle or read eared slider. should you feed him worms if hes only like 1-2 inches?
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 1, 2017 10:54 AM

I have had my painted turtle for two years . She loves to sleep under my neck and crawls around and lays her head on my lip to get th heat from my nose
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 7, 2017 03:00 AM

Turtles are cool
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 19, 2016 06:33 PM

I’ve had my baby turtle for a little over a year now. He (I assume it’s a he) was found by himself, at a dog park with no ponds or natural water holes within miles. He doesn’t seem to have grown much from when I first got him. His shell is about 2 in. long, about 2 in. wide, but not as full circle. Sometimes his shell looks kind of dry, and curves up at the edges, which I assume is him molting or growing. I feed him about 3 of each different kind of food from his turtle food container: pellets (his favorite so far), dried mini krill, and dried baby shrimp. I’m wondering how fast do they grow, how much should I be feeding him? I take him out at least once every day/2days and he sits on my hand or my leg and sleeps.
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 7, 2016 06:47 PM

I have found my painted turtle floating upside down twice now, I’m worried sick! He is still alive but very lethargic and leaves his head way out. We went out of town and I think the boy who was feeding our dogs over fed him too many worms (found 6 alive under a rock). His water also gets chilly at night, I keep a bulb on in the day. Is he sick because of too much food? The water temp changing? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Hutch
Posted by Phutch6, Oct 10, 2016 04:10 PM

“We feed our baby turtle crickets, although its getting expensive, I am trying to figure out what else I can feed him, We have a ton of guppy fish, and we put a few in with him, but he just can’t catch em … lol will try other stuff in time, he eats from our hand now too. We just adore our turtle, but I am not gonna lie, it’s a ton of work…
We’re wondering about putting him’/her in a pond with our koi?
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 1, 2016 06:13 AM


how about watermelon, can eastern painted turtles eat it?
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 31, 2016 04:55 PM

thanks now i know what to do when i might get on
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 21, 2016 03:23 PM

I’ve had my painted turtle for three years now, when I first got her as a hatchling it took her about two weeks to get used to her new home and want to eat. Take your time to know your turtle, sit on the couch with them in a small tub so they’ll get used to hearing and seeing you. So this at least 15 minutes a day. Start with baby pellets and dried cranberries and soon it’ll be eating mosquito fish and guppies.
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 31, 2016 07:36 PM

If your baby painted turtle won’t eat go outside and dig up a nice worm. Make sure there aren’t any pesticides where you are digging or anything that can harm your turtle babies. Mine wouldn’t eat at first but it worked like a charm.
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 31, 2016 02:42 AM

If your turtle is not eating, then try out different types of food. My painted turtle hatchling absolutely REFUSES to eat anything but pellets and minnows that are swarming the tank. For a beginner, i went to a lake and brought back water plants, fish, bugs, and berries from the supermarket but my baby turtle just doesnt like them
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 27, 2016 10:33 PM

How often and how much should baby painted turtles eat? I don’t want to over feed or starve him!
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 7, 2016 05:24 PM

How often and how much should baby painted turtles eat? I don’t want to over feed or starve him!
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 7, 2016 05:21 PM

“@Anonymous:
Sounds like your tank turning green is an algal over growth. This happened to me when my tank was receiving sunlight from a window, a bit too warm, and there were many food pieces left over after (lack of) feeding. The water shouldn’t turn green in 3 days if you’re cleaning it properly and have enough water in it. Make sure you’re scrubbing all sides and corners of the tank to get all the dead algae b/c it acts as a great rough surface for new algae to grow on. I soak my empty glass tank in a very low bleach to water ratio for 15min before scrubbing; rinse VERY well & allow tank to COMPLETELY dry before setting back up. Try omitting natural sunlight & stick to a bulb, & make sure you’re not over-feeding. You can scoop out left over food with a guppie net, or feed your turtle in a separate container. Water filters also help reduce algal growth b/c the motion inhibits periphyton from attaching to surfaces.
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 4, 2016 10:35 AM


I found a baby painted turtle under a bale of hay and now I am keeping him as a pet. He will not eat the dried shrimp I bought him and his skin and shell get really dry. This is my first pet turtle. What should I do? emuf
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 27, 2016 09:07 PM

I have a juvenile painted turtle, he is probably about 2 or 3 yrs old and he will eat but barely, he will push it around with his nose and claw at it. What should I do? Help please!!!
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 16, 2016 09:34 PM

my painted turtle wont eat and i caught him in the wild what should i do???
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 13, 2016 06:42 PM

get a filter if the water keeps turning green
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 9, 2016 10:50 AM

the only way I have heard to tell male or female for painted turtles and red ear sliders is the front claws. The male will have longer claws than the female. During mating the male will tickle the female with the long claws.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 7, 2016 10:32 AM

the only way I have heard to tell male or female for painted turtles and red ear sliders is the front claws. The male will have longer claws than the female. During mating the male will tickle the female with the long claws.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 7, 2016 10:32 AM

for the people that found baby or hatchling painted turtles on land. If you are not near a pond it probably is a box turtle or some other land turtle.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 7, 2016 10:29 AM

I have a baby painted turtle and he eats dried meal worms that you can get in the pet section in Walmart and they also have Reptomin baby floating food sticks. Also Paint turtles usually only eat in water so set their food in their water so they can swallow it better. If you turtle is very small tear off small peieces because they can choke.I hope I answered some of you guyses questions 🙂
Posted by SH, Jun 6, 2016 10:33 PM

I have a baby painted turtle and he eats dried meal worms that you can get in the pet section in Walmart and they also have Reptomin baby floating food sticks. Also Paint turtles usually only eat in water so set their food in their water so they can swallow it better. If you turtle is very small tear off small peieces because they can choke.I hope I answered some of you guyses questions 🙂
Posted by SH, Jun 6, 2016 10:32 PM

I have a small hatchling and I’m having issues with the water turning green. I’ll clean his tank out and within a day or two the water and his landing will start to turn green. Am I doing something wrong? What can I do to fix this problem?
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 3, 2016 06:51 AM

I have a small hatchling and I’m having issues with the water turning green. I’ll clean his tank out and within a day or two the water and his landing will start to turn green. Am I doing something wrong? What can I do to fix this problem?
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 3, 2016 06:50 AM

ghhgmjhbm
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 2, 2016 07:32 PM

hello, my name is Alexis high.
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 1, 2016 08:55 AM

I found a small painted turtle around my house kept in small sled that holds around maybe 10 gallons and its half full it has rocks for basking and 2 little hiding spots its shell is about 1 inch in diameter I think its a baby I know that’s too small of a container and I am feeding it lettuce but it won’t eat it should I just let it go into the pond nearby my house and how do you tell what type of painted turtle it is?
Posted by Anonymous, May 30, 2016 08:25 PM

We found our painted turtle by our barn we have its habitat and everything it just won’t eat
Posted by Anonymous, May 25, 2016 08:35 PM

are there any other ways to tell if your turtle is male or female?
Posted by Anonymous, May 21, 2016 08:34 PM

Turtle dat is painted
Posted by Anonymous, May 9, 2016 11:45 AM

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Posted by Anonymous, May 2, 2016 08:24 PM

Just got my painted turtle 2 days ago and im worried because it hasnt eaten anything yet is it ill? i got it from a pound at a camp grounds its a female i believe its undershells red and it has long claws the only thing im missing is a heat lamp but im trying to get the money to get one
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 25, 2016 08:04 PM

easiest way to find out the sex of your painted turtle: If the bottom of the turtle is flat – it is a male (the yellow belly)…
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 20, 2016 03:56 PM

to the poster whose sister isn’t taking good care of the turtle… find it another home, please. By not cleaning the water, it will get sick and probably die – especially since it is in too small of an environment. There has to be someone who would be willing to take it. She isn’t feeding it enough either. They can be fed every other day and give them around 20-25 mealworms (I feed live mealworms) as long as they have greens to eat as well in between. You can give it spinach or kale…make sure it doesn’t get icky – replace it after a few days…As much as they say not to pick the turtle up – they are very personable! I talk to mine all the time and he listens to me and even swims around the front of the tank when he sees me come in the room. Do you have a friend that could give you a bigger tank? You can get them on sale at places like Petco or Petsmart – plain old tanks aren’t very expensive – but make sure you have a basking area and a basking lamp… they also need a UV lamp… but that’s not as important as right now cleaning up the tank and getting greens for the turtle….you can work on the rest little by little… note: get some Repto Guard Aqua Safe for the water… this takes out chemicals that are in tap water… a little bottle runs $3.00 and last a good while… Good luck!
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 20, 2016 03:10 PM

floppy weeners
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 8, 2016 03:35 PM

I really dont no much about my panted turtle i am fetting in fresh corn does that affect them in any way.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 8, 2016 09:37 AM

My son just got one from the ditch that crosses the Rio Grande river. Its small, maybe three inches.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 6, 2016 08:20 PM

“My sister got a turtle(pretty sure a painted turtle) from someone because they couldn’t take care of it anymore. However, I’m pretty sure she’s not doing the best of jobs. The turtle was sorta rescued by the previous owner because it lost a front leg, and part of it’s tail/shell before being found(and we’re pretty sure it’s beginning to have vision issues too) she doesn’t believe she’s doing anything wrong, but the tank’s 16X8in height is 10in. half full of water, Only a floating rock on the top for them to climb on, and the water’s very green. Plus there’s a filter that barely works and yet takes up a good chunk of space(Prolly around 1/10th or so of the tank.) and last but not least she only feeds them mealworms, and about 5 or so a day. I don’t know if you’re supposed to interact with your turtle a lot, but she does almost none, never taking it out of the tank, and as I said; there’s only a floating rock in that thing. The turtle is still young, but is that enough for a day. I do at least know it’s not really a balanced meal.

She doesn’t think she’s doing anything wrong, though. And she get’s really aggressive if I try to say something as well as the fact we can’t really take the turtle to a vet. I don’t want to watch this turtle suffer, but I don’t really know what to do! Help?

(Note: We don’t have a whole lot of money also, so getting a larger tank is out of the question, sorry)
Posted by Anonymous, Mar 21, 2016 03:09 PM


You can tell by the length of the nails if they are really long it is a female if there not as long then it is a male and that is how you can tell if your turtle is male or female
Posted by Anonymous, Mar 20, 2016 09:39 AM

“How do you tell the sex of a painted turtle?
connorsgma214@gmail.com
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 26, 2016 03:25 AM


Oops i meant pool!!
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 21, 2016 02:39 PM

Oops i meant pool!!
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 21, 2016 02:33 PM

“I found my turtle in my neighbors pond!!

Girl or Boy??

Any tips to find out???
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 21, 2016 02:31 PM


Deez nutz
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 11, 2016 09:26 PM

I recommend a 30 or 40 gallon tank, as it is nice to allow your turtle the freedom to move about comfortably. I personally have a 40 gallon for my 10 month old turtle. It sounds to me like the turtle you were given is a little over a year old based on the size you described. You can go to your local pet store and pick up a basic aquatic turtle pellets to feed as the main part of its diet. My turtle is still fairly young, so I break up the pellets into smaller pieces so that he does not have to fight with each one for a long time before he can actually swallow them. I like to supplement with dried shrimp and mealworms as well as fresh veggies and fruit. Make sure that you provide a basking area as well as proper lighting and heat. If you are uncertain about the details, please request help from the workers at your local pet store. Many of the items you will need can be found online or at retail stores such as Walmart, but please know what you are specifically looking for in advance or seek assistance from an animal expert. I hope that I was of some help! Best of luck, and enjoy your new friend!
Posted by Anonymous, Feb 6, 2016 11:39 PM

I just got my painted turtle. I don’t know much about them, she is about the size of a grown mans fist and she was given to me with no food, and in a 15-20 gallon tank.. Could someone please tell me the proper size tank I should have and what to feed her and what kind of stuff to get for her new tank when I get it. Thank you !
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 25, 2016 08:33 PM

To one of the guys below me….Get that turtle a proper sized enclosure. A 5 gallon tank is not an appropriate container for this turtle.
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 13, 2016 08:23 AM

To one of the guys below me….Get that turtle a proper sized enclosure. A 5 gallon tank is not an appropriate container for this turtle.
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 13, 2016 08:23 AM

I have 2 baby painted turtles. I dont know how old they are because i caught them in a pond, but how do you tell if there a female or male. I know the indent on the bottom of them, but the one isnt as big of an increase as the other turtle.
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 6, 2016 10:03 PM

my painted turtle 2 years old has been whining a lot.. stops after being feed.seems to be begging for food when he makes these purring sounds. eats well looks great, swims and basks often…whats up with the whining????????? please e mail with comments eric.soprano@yahoo.com
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 27, 2015 03:59 PM

Painted turtles make great pets and why not create your own pond with filters instead of complicated caging? I used the pond that used to be owned by my dad’s koi fish until some filthy cats intruded and killed them. They actually get along with red sliders my friend gave me and Asian box turtles My cousin found in the sewer. I’m thinking about giving away my friend’s sliders because it always climbs out of the pond and it scratches me when my cousin and I try to give it a soapless bath
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 14, 2015 06:35 AM

wetwebmedia.com amazing website where you can learn about anything wet!
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 7, 2015 11:53 AM

My painted turtle was given to me by a kid that found it by r lake. He was keeping it n a cool whip container. It’s shells is about 2ins. He has grown a bit. He is n a 5 gallon tank. It has a basking pier with steps. We have gravel n the bottom. We have had him over a yr. He was doing great til about 2wks ago. Started looking sad less movement still eating pellets but not as excited as usual. We got him 2 feeder fish. 1st time. He ate one that nite but the other is still in there. He has a covering over his eyes. He acts lathargic. There is shedding n the water as well as little bubbles. I’m afraid he is going to die. Can anyone enlighten me as to wat to do. Please.
Posted by dawn, Nov 30, 2015 07:01 PM

Our painted turtle looks as if it has bubble buggers coming out its nose what do we do if I can’t afford to take to a vet right now? Please help we found it when it was size of quarter now as big as my palm and read it could be a health problem
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 30, 2015 01:34 AM

jimmy0954 poops
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 12, 2015 11:20 AM

My wonderful friendly turtle seems to want to hibernate. What to do.
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 8, 2015 09:32 PM

I live in Michigan, and we found a Southern Painted Turtle in my dad’s driveway. I’m thinking, because of our weather here, that it must have been a pet. We asked the neighbors nearby and they all said it wasn’t theirs. We brought it home and I have decided that I love it and I’m keeping it! While it’s still warm here, we have stopped cleaning my daughters’ pool outdoors, and we let him have it, and he seems to love it! It’s become very close to a small shallow pond, about 6 feet in diameter and 18 inches deep. I’ve put grapevine and morning glory vine on top of the water for it to hide under, and I replace it periodically as it sinks. The bottom of the pool is covered with algae. I’ve added a small log for it to climb up on for basking in sunny days. As it cools, and the water temp is getting colder I’m prepared to bring it in and create an indoor environment. We’ve been feeding him earthworms, he loves to hunt for them along the bottom. He seems to be eating the sunken leaves also.But I’m curious, how much and how often we should be feeding him. I read online that I should be feeding a captive Eastern Painted Turtle every other day. Is that true about my Southern Painted Turtle as well? Or should he be feeding more often? Is there anything else I should know that I didn’t read in your super informative article?
Posted by Byrnes, Oct 5, 2015 10:05 AM

Is Rhubarb safe for painted turtle?
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 4, 2015 04:51 PM

i want to get another painted turtle to keep my first one company, is that okay?
Posted by Anonymous, May 29, 2015 10:18 AM

My painted turtles shell was molting last year. Is that ok??
Posted by Anonymous, May 10, 2015 04:49 PM

What do I feed baby turtles
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 18, 2015 07:01 AM

Lettuce is not a good food for a turtle it has no nutritional value and your turtle will become addicted and starve.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 8, 2015 01:40 PM

Hi, I am a 11 year girl who is getting 2 turtles and is trying to get info to prepare for it.
Posted by Anonymous, Mar 23, 2015 05:56 PM

I have a apainted turtle……Christmas has just passed.And, my turtle is not eating.the weather has changed here in Phoenix,Az. He has been sitting on the bottom of the tank.he has not been eating.Should I be concern ??When do they start to hibertate?
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 2, 2015 09:48 PM

I have a painted turtle along with a common snapper and a alligator snapper all in the same tank with about 20 to 25 gallons and they seem perfectly fine. I try to feed them off the land since they are wild caught and none exceed 2 to 3 inches. Also i noticed it helps alot if you can provide as much natural things as possible to make them more comfortable aswell as filters that are capable of doing atleast double the amount of water.
Posted by Anonymous, Dec 31, 2014 10:38 AM

My turtle eats his aquatic turtle food but not eats lettuce
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 22, 2014 05:20 PM

your site was very helpful!!!!! thankers so much:-)
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 16, 2014 12:45 AM

Hey anon poster. As long as you and anyone who has physical contact with the turtle washes their hands well afterwards and you take good care of it, your turtle will live a long happy life n you won’t catch anything it might carry.
Posted by Anonymous, Jul 9, 2014 06:58 PM

Actually, a turtle needs a minimum of a 55 gallon enclosure, except a hatch ling needs a 20 gallon.
Posted by Rachel S., May 7, 2014 12:40 PM