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Everything You Need for a Healthy Turtle Tank
25
items Supplies that keep our turtles happy & thriving! We have one red ear slider and a map turtle.
Sections
6
Aquarium Filters
Basking Spots & Lamps
Turtle Diet & Treats
Tank & Turtle Care Guides
Tank Maintenance Helpers
Turtle Tank Sand & Aquascape Setup
Aquarium Filters
These are my top aquarium filters for turtle tank setups. All have good filtration capacity, good quality construction, and are easy to use and maintain.
This basking platform fit the bill in so many ways- both a platform AND filter in one.. performed great for our red ear slider setup. Add ceramic bio balls as the filter medium to have even better filtration if you have a turtle. We have a large 75 g...
REPTIZOO 120GPH Turtle Tank Filter & Platform
If I could only recommend one turtle tank upgrade, it would be a high-capacity canister filter. Aquatic turtles create a heavy bio-load, and this filter keeps water cleaner, clearer, and healthier than most standard aquarium filters. The larger media...
Fluval FX2 / FX4 / FX6 Filter (all great at filtering waste!)
One of the best budget-friendly canister filters for turtle tanks over 75 gallons.
Penn-Plax Cascade 1200/1500 GPH Canister Filter
If you’re trying to maximize your tank filtration without breaking your wallet, the SunSun HW-302 is hard to beat. It lacks some of the refinement Fluval filters have but provides surprisingly great filtration capacity for a much lower cost. We have ...
SunSun HW-302 3-Stage 265GPH Canister Filter
Basking Spots & Lamps
One of my favorite turtle tank accessories. This above-tank basking area gives turtles more swimming space while still providing the dry basking platform they need for shell health and natural behaviors. We used this with a smaller tank setup in the ...
Thrive Terrarium Turtle Elevated Basking Loft - PetSmart
If you’re upgrading turtle lighting, this is the UVB fixture I’d choose. The T5 output provides stronger, more consistent UVB than compact bulbs and helps support healthy shell growth, calcium metabolism, and overall turtle health. Perfect for red-ea...
Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit Fixture Desert 12%
This is one of the gold standards for aquatic turtle UVB lighting and I highly recommend it.
Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 HO T5 UVB Lamp, 22" L, 24 Watts | Petco
These bulbs work great for turtle tanks! I have two setup on our tank and our turtles enjoy basking under them on their floating dock. You can get them direct from Fluker’s, or major pet stores.
Splash Proof Halogen Light Bulb - Heavy Duty - Fluker Farms
Turtle Diet & Treats
This is the staple food in our aquatic turtle tank and the pellet I recommend most often. It’s high in protein, floats well for natural feeding behavior, and both my red-eared slider and map turtle eagerly eat it. We still supplement with leafy green...
Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Diet - PetSmart
An inexpensive way to offer supplemental calcium for shell health. My turtles nibble on it as needed, and I like having it available in the tank as part of a well-rounded diet
Zoo Med Turtle Bone, Pack of 2 | Petco
I keep mealworms and shrimp in the rotation of food I use for our turtles, along with fresh veggies & a few berries as treats. Our turtles have thrived on this blend.
Grub Bag Turtle Treats Insect Blend - Fluker Farms
Tank & Turtle Care Guides
This checklist here is a great quick way to make sure you are prepared for your new friend. It has some great recommendations for filters & lights
Pet Turtle & Tortoise Supply Checklist - PetSmart
Another great guide for setting up your turtle tank the right way for your turtle to thrive
Aquatic Turtle Tank Setup 101: A Beginner's Guide - Chewy
Tank Maintenance Helpers
If you don’t use something like this in your tank, odds are you will be battling sludge, algae and other slimy things. I use this religiously!
API Turtle Habitat Sludge Destroyer, 8 fl. oz. - Petco
Every water change in our turtle tank starts with a quality water conditioner. This product quickly neutralizes chlorine and chloramines found in tap water and helps make new water safer for aquatic turtles and beneficial bacteria. We also use this e...
Seachem Prime Fresh & Saltwater Conditioner
Turtle tanks accumulate waste much faster than fish tanks. This TopFin siphon makes routine water changes easier and helps remove debris before it affects water quality.
Fish Tank Vacuums & Aqaurium Gravel Vacuums - PetSmart
Healthy turtles start with healthy water. This kit helps monitor water quality and identify issues before they become problems, especially in heavily stocked turtle tanks.
Aqueon 7-in-1 Aquarium Test Strips, 50 Ct
You need this. A simple thermometer can prevent a lot of problems. I like being able to quickly check water temperatures and make sure the tank stays within a healthy range for my turtles.
Amazon Best Sellers: Best Aquarium Thermometers
Turtle Tank Sand & Aquascape Setup
I use this as part of the turtle tank aqua-scape, it helps filter particles and debris in its own way.The lava rock also adds a place for our aquatic plants to grow in between, ours thrive here! Always rinse it very well before adding to your tank.
Lava Rock - Black - Landscape Rocks - The Home Depot
This is the sand I use. I made sure to rinse it thru a strainer/sifter 2x until it was not as cloudy before adding to the tank. The filter eventually cleared it up in a few hours and it looks pristine!
Pool Filter Sand 50 lbs All Natural
Starter tank setup recommended:
I recommend it for smaller aquariums, quarantine tanks, or juvenile turtle setups up to about 30 gallons. The real-time temperature monitoring makes it easy to see exactly what’s happening in the tank without needing a...
Fluval E 100 Watt Electronic Heater - Amazon.com
75 gallons and up: This is one of the most advanced aquarium heaters available and a great choice for larger turtle tanks. What sets it apart is the built-in digital display that continuously shows the actual water temperature in real time, making it...
Fluval E 300 Watt Electronic Heater - Amazon.com
Anubias is my favorite live plant for turtle tanks because it attaches easily to lava rock, tolerates low light, and holds up better against curious turtles than most aquatic plants. The thick leaves create a natural look while helping improve water ...
Top Fin® Anubias Barteri Live Plant
Java Fern is one of the easiest aquatic plants to keep. It thrives attached to lava rock, requires very little maintenance, and adds a natural jungle appearance to the aquarium. Perfect for beginners and turtle keepers alike.
Live Aquatic Plants for Fish Tanks for Sale | PetSmart
Petco has some of the best aquarium supplies, if you need a new setup for your turtle tank always check here! I am using a 50 gallon setup with twin dome housing lights and splash proof bulbs. Pool filter sand, and two filters. This keeps the water p...
Turtle Tanks, Aquariums & Terrariums - Petco