reptology life science book

8/12/2019 reptology life science book

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AquaticTurtle Care Guide


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T ur t l e KeepingHas Never Been So Easy!

Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Reptol-ogy turtle product and welcome to the wonderful worldof turtle keeping. Turtles can make for fun and interactivepets. They can be fascinating to watch; many have attractivecolors and markings as well as great personalities.

Below you will nd some general guidelines to help youproperly care for your pet turtle(s). Please make sure to re-search the specic needs of any turtle species you decide to

keep, in order to provide them with the best care possible.

Housing Responsible turtle keeping includes selecting the appro-priate type of housing and correct size. Glass aquariums arethe most common type of housing available and are an ex-cellent choice for most pet turtles. Other options includeplastic tubs and both indoor and outdoor ponds. The adult size of your turtle will be the determining factorwith regards to how large a habitat you will need to provide.

Additionally, if you are keeping more than one turtle, largerhousing will also be necessary. Keep in mind that you can

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also start out with smaller sized habitats for juvenile turtlesand upgrade to a larger size as your turtle grows.

Fil t r at ion One of the most important aspects of successful turtlekeeping is maintaining clean water. A reliable ltration sys-tem will help to ensure your turtles health. Twoexcellent choices are the Reptology line of In-ternal Filters and the Cascade line of CanisterFilters. With many to choose from, makesure to select one that is an appropriatesize for your turtles housing. Turtles can be messy, so rememberto change the lters media on a regularbasis according to your lters instruc-tions. Regardless of which ltrationsystem you choose, you will nd it nec-essary to do regular water changes inorder to maintain the clean water yourturtle requires.

Did you know? Turtles drink the same water that theylive in and produce waste in, which is why it is so criticalto maintain pristine water in your turtles housing.

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Basking Spot A basking spot is simply an object that allows your turtleto climb out of the water completely and bask in the light forseveral different reasons, which will be discussed later. Now, not all turtles are baskers, so make sure to researchwhether or not your turtle requires a basking spot. However,many of the most commonly available aquatic turtles includ-ing sliders, cooters, map and painted turtles are active bask-ers. A basking spot can be as simple as placing a piece ofdriftwood, rock or several rocks piled on top of each other in

your turtles housing. These methods are not without theirdrawbacks however. For example, large rocks and driftwoodtake away valuable swimming space from your turtle, whilerocks piled on top of each other could potentially collapse on

your turtle, severely injuring your pet. A much better option is to use either a Turtle-Pier orTurtle-Topper. Both ofthese Reptology prod-ucts make excellent bask-ing spots with several ad-

vantages over traditionalbasking options. The Turtle-Pier is a

oating basking platformdesigned to t most turtlehabitats that will automati-

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cally adjust to your water level. The adjustable ramp allows your turtle easy access to the basking platform. The Turtle

Piers oating design allows your turtle more swim-ming space and is a great basking spot for mostsmall to medium turtles.

Add an optional Reptology Internal Filter 45to make your Turtle-Pier complete!

The Turtle-Topper is a unique and innovativebasking spot that is designed forplacement on top or your turtletank. This above tank basking plat-

form will t most standard rectan-gular tanks up to 55 gallons. Many

aquatic turtles are by nature activeswimmers and enjoy swimming indeeper water. Since the Turtle-Top-per is placed on top of the tank,it allows you to ll your turtle tank up almost completelyto the top. Free to swim in the entire tank, the result is ahealthier and happier turtle. Some additional benets of theTurtle-Topper include a greater volume of water which willstay cleaner for a longer period of time. Due to the deeperwater you are now free to use any type of lter you choose,including the powerful and easy to maintain Cascade lineof Power Filters which would not normally function in thelower water levels normally maintained in turtle tanks. Also,

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since the Turtle-Topper is supported by the top of the tank,it will hold the weight of larger and multiple turtles without

sinking keeping your turtle(s) completely dry.Light ing and Heat

In the wild, turtles spend many hours basking in the sun.By providing the correct types of lighting we provide ourturtles with three primary benets that a turtle would nor-mally receive from the sun, which are UVA, UVB and heat. UV is short for Ultra-Violet, and it is very important forthe health of your turtle. UVA encourages natural behaviorin your turtle including but not limited to feeding and repro-duction. UVB lighting allows for the synthesis of vitamin D3,which in turn allows for the absorption and metabolism ofcalcium. The correct UVB exposure is critical for your turtles

health and growth. Since turtles are cold blooded animals that rely on theirenvironment in order to regulate their body temperature,heat is the other important benet that a turtle will receive

from the correct lighting with regards to its basking spot. Byproviding your turtle with the appropriate UV and heat bulbs

we mimic the important benets of the sun. A good general rule is to maintain a basking spot that falls within the range of 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit, whilekeeping the water temperature approximately 10-15 de-grees cooler. To maintain the correct water temperature, areliable submersible heater such as the Guardian Heater is

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recommended. The Guardian Heater has the added ad-vantage of being virtually indestructible which is important

when it comes to our pet turtles whom are sur-prisingly strong! In order to ensure that you aremaintaining the correct temperatures, it isrecommended that you make use of Reptol-ogy Thermometers and Digital Thermom-eters to monitor the temperature of yourturtles habitat. Simply remove the backing

from the self adhesive sticker and place indesired location.

Feeding T ime Turtles are known for endlessly begging for food fromtheir owners, its part of their charm. A well balanced diet

is one of the keys to a healthy turtle. Offer as many differ-ent foods as possible, with a quality turtle food being thestaple of their diet. Highly recommended are Reptologys

Aquatic Turtle Pellets and Aquatic Turtle Blend as well as Pro-Balance Turtle Sticks. These three foods are all specially

formulated and vitamin enriched to meet your

turtles nutritional needs. As an occasional high protein treat, why

not try Pro-Balance River Shrimp which is a favorite of most aquatic turtles.

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Turtle keepers also need to recognize that many aquatic tur-tles diet will change as they grow, consuming more plant

matter as they mature. The addition of greens to your tur-tles diet will prove very benecial. Calcium is necessary for the general healthof turtles and for proper shell development.

Along with an appropriate diet and cor-rect lighting, we encourage the use of

Reptology Calci-Bone which is aconsumable source of calcium for yourpet turtle.

As well as being an additional source ofcalcium, we strongly encourage the use

of Reptology Tuff-Shell M.D. This medicated sulfa blockhelps to prevent common bacterial and fungal disease andhas the added benet of also conditioning your turtles wa-ter.

Tur t l e Saf et y Whether a childs or adults pet,there are certain precautions we

must make when keeping turtles.It should be stated that it isgenerally accepted that a turtle isnot an appropriate pet for a child under the age of ve. Concern over turtles and the potential risk for them tocarry the Salmonella bacteria has been a highly debated sub-

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ject for years even leading to the ban on sales of turtles witha shell length of less than four inches.

Every turtle keeper should make it a regular practice towash hands with a good antibacterial soap after coming incontact with a turtle and or its habitat. Additionally, neverclean your turtles housing in the kitchen sink. Parents shouldalways supervise young children when they are handling aturtle. Maintaining a regular cleaning routine of both our

hands and our turtles habitat will usually make any threat ofSalmonella a non issue. Following the above general guidelines and researchingthe needs of the species of turtle you are interested in willhelp to ensure your enjoyment of your pet for many years tocome. Take full advantage of the many Reptology turtleproducts available to give your turtle the best care possible.

Reptology, Life-Science and Package 2009 Penn-Plax, Inc.35 Marcus Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788 U.S.A.

www.pennplax.com 0902-SR

Happy Tur t l e Keeping!Happy Tur t l e Keeping!

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Basking Product sREP600

Turtle-TopperAbove Tank Basking Platform

REP601 Floating Turtle-Pier Automatically oats at water level. For turtles, frogs, newts & salamanders.

The new way to interact with your turtle! Natural aquatic turtle habitat maximum swim and basking space. Includes underwater resting platform. PATENT PENDING

As Seen On


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Replacement Sponges & Cartridges

Fil t er s &Fil t er Media

REP176Bio-Sponge 175

REP175Internal Filter 175

Aquariums up to 50 gal.

REP70Internal Filter 70

Aquariums up to 15 gal.

REP45Internal Filter 45 Aquariums up to 10 gal.

REP71Bio-Sponge 70

REP46Bio-Sponge 45 REP72Filter Cartridge 70

REP177Filter

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Food & Accessor ies

REP30Calci-Bone

REP40Thermometer

G105010 Inch /

50W Heater Up to 10 Gal.

G1010010 Inch /

110W Heater Up to 20 Gal.

G1415014 Inch /

150W Heater Up to 29L/

30 Gal.

REP42Hygrometer

REP43Combo-Meters

REP41Digital

Thermometer

REP31Tuff-Shell M.D.

PB20Aquatic

Turtle Pellets

PB21Aquatic

Turtle Blend


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Ter r ar ium Habit at Accessor ies

mor e gr eatr ept ol ogypr oduct s

coming soon!

REP402

REP650

REP403

Climber-Vine Creates a natural lookingenvironment

Bends to desired shape 5 feet long

Terrarium Waterfall Creates a natural healthy habitat Removable planter cups

Climber-Vine with Leaves Use alone or twist around other Climber-Vines

to create a realistic looking habitat Bends to desired shape 5 feet long

REP401 (Brown)

REP400 (Green)

For all yourreptile needs

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reptology life science book