Musk turtles are among the most popular turtles to keep in tanks, as they tend to be very easy to look after. On the whole, yes, you can expect a musk turtle to live happily in a tank that’s around 20 gallons in size.
Generally speaking, musk turtles need tanks that can hold at least 20 gallons of water. Ideally, two musk turtles should be in a tank of about 20 gallons to about 29 gallons of water to ensure that they have enough room to live healthily together. Therefore, it makes sense to err on the side of more room wherever possible. A small tank is likely to cause your turtles more stress – just don’t do it!
Therefore, if you have more than two musk turtles, remember to adjust the size of the tank to the number of turtles that you have – or, the number of turtles that you aspire to adopt. If you’d like to adopt more musk turtles in time, it’s a good idea to plan ahead by setting up a bigger tank than you might normally expect.
What turtle can live in a 20 gallon tank?
Generally speaking, there are plenty of turtles that can live in 20 gallon tanks, at least for a certain amount of time. Eventually, certain species will outgrow the space and will need a bigger tank. However, at least at the beginning of their lives, a 20 gallon tank should do just fine.
One type of turtle that can start out in a 20 gallon tank is a red-eared slider. However, eventually, they can grow up to twelve inches, at which point a 20 gallon tank will simply not be enough for them.
Generally speaking, all turtles will eventually outgrow a 20 gallon tank. While some choose to keep some smaller species in there, it simply isn’t enough for them. It is a good idea to start off with a tank of that size; however, once your turtle starts to grow significantly more, opt for at least a 30 gallon tank or even a 50 gallon tank, depending on the species.
As mentioned, many turtle keepers tend to plan ahead by investing in larger tanks, so they can eventually adopt more animals. If you feel that you’re going to really get into your turtle-keeping, it makes sense to invest ahead of time – these creatures grow quick!
How long can a turtle stay in a 20 gallon tank?
The amount of time that you keep a turtle in a 20 gallon tank depends on the species. While some species can stay in their 20 gallon tank for most of their childhood, some will outgrow them pretty fast.
For example, a red-eared slider can be in a 20 gallon tank for about six months, and maybe even the first year. After that, they will simply be too big for the tank and will need a bigger one. As was previously mentioned, a musk turtle could stay in a 20 gallon tank, but it is at the very least. Eventually, you should go up to a tank that can hold about 29 gallons of water.
A good rule of thumb is to have a tank of about ten gallons for every inch of the turtle’s carapace. Therefore, you should be able to keep measurements of your turtles as they grow, ensuring that you have plenty of space in the tank for them as they grow.
Remember that the appropriate size of the tank also depends on how many turtles you have in there. If there are too many turtles in the tank, then no matter the species, the tank will not be of an appropriate size, and it will damage your turtles and could prevent them from growing healthily. They could also become very territorial and become violent towards one another.
Is a 40 gallon tank good for a turtle?
Again, the size of the tank that is suitable for a turtle depends entirely on the species of the turtle. Generally speaking, there is no tank that is too big for a turtle; however, plenty of species live in tanks that are too small, whether they are alone or with other turtles of their species.
There are indeed certain species that can benefit from having 40 gallon tanks, at least for a certain amount of time, such as the mud turtle. This turtle can live in a 40 gallon tank when it is younger; however, it could quickly outgrow the tank, at which point it will obviously need a bigger one.
However, you do not have to worry about the tank being too big. That is to say, that a 40 gallon tank should do perfectly fine for certain smaller species of turtles, as long as you ensure that they have everything that they need.
A turtle needs to have access to water at all times, but they also need to be able to access the surface when they need to. They need the surface in order to be able to reach the basking area under the light. Without having access to that space, your turtle will not thrive in the tank.
However, as long as you can ensure that they have access to what they need when they need it, then a 40 gallon tank will do, even for the smallest turtles.
