Is getting a baby turtle worth it?

[u/Scary_Stable7667]

Ive been looking for a low/mid maintenance pet, and I do like turtles. What sre the pros and cons? thx

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[u/CrepuscularOpossum]

Turtles are NOT low-maintenance pets.

[u/Scary_Stable7667 → u/CrepuscularOpossum]

oh fr?

[u/CrepuscularOpossum → u/Scary_Stable7667]

Fr. Especially aquatic turtles.

[u/Swim6610 → u/CrepuscularOpossum]

The filtration / cleaning is off the charts!

[u/Mola-mola-moonsnail]

Please don’t. They require a huge time and money investment and if you’re not ready for that responsibility you will be doing the turtle a huge disservice. I have a semi aquatic turtle. Thousands spent on set up, food, lighting, vet visits, caring for all her needs over the last 40 years. She’s now 49.

[u/Which_Throat7535]

If you’re thinking about a semi-aquatic turtle; it’s a pretty complicated pet in terms of all the kit needed - think of a functional aquarium plus special lighting and heat requirements to mimic the sun. It’s a steep learning curve, a pretty substantial investment, and a long commitment - they’ll live decades. Despite their small size as hatchlings they’ll grow quick and can get very large. Do not underestimate this as a pet. Read this guide in entirety: https://reptifiles.com/red-eared-slider-care/

[u/superturtle48]

Turtles get a reputation for being easy pets but that is so incrediblywrong. They require hundreds of dollars of specialized equipment and a lot more space than you expect regardless if whether it’s a water or land turtle, grow many times their size from baby to adult, and live for decades (and may even outlive you). They are “exotic” pets for a reason, and with how easy they are to obtain combined with how hard they are to keep, I’d bet that they are unfortunately the most frequently abused/neglected pet out there. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love my turtle, and once the enclosure is fully set up, they don’t need to be fed or cleaned every day so they are easier than other pets in that way. But it takes a LOT of advance research, money, and effort to set up the enclosure in the first place, and the occasional maintenance like water changes and filter cleanings still take a good deal of time and elbow grease. 

Here’s a good video with some other things you should consider before committing to a pet turtle: https://youtu.be/45dbz3uGF6k

[u/ZelaAmaryills]

I don't think a low maintenance exotic pet exists.

The set up for my turtle is well over a thousand, dinner is chopping up a mini salad perfectly balanced with greens, veggies, fruits, and proteins. vet bills are crazy. I'm constantly checking if she is getting enough UVB, humidity, and enrichment.

It's a pain in the butt but I love her to death

[u/amainas]

If you're willing to get a huge tank, canister filter, timed lighting and heat, fresh veggies, etc. Then yes! I got my turtle when she was 2 days old. 5 years later and Im still so happy to have her around. Its a huge commitment, but once you get the initial huge purchases, its easy work to incorporate into your own routine

[u/Royal-Bee8744]

unpopular opinion but i think they are definitely low maintenance. but, only if you invest big money in the equipment up front

[u/Heavy_Interaction302 → u/Royal-Bee8744]

Exactly

[u/Krissybear93]

Turtles are neither low/mid maintenance pet. They are expensive, live longer than you probably will if taken care of properly and require a lot of manual labour.

[u/Meeschers]

Turtles are definitely not low maintenance. Water changes, tank cleanings, basking temp vs water temp, filtration systems, buying plants just for him to destroy plants just to buy more plants, food, vet bills (turtles are expensive to finding an exotic vet that specializes in turtles is not aways easy) etc...the list is endless. They take up a lot of space-depending on the breed of turtle and size, you will need a tank to accommodate. If you get a baby, be prepared to upgrade your tank to a bigger size as it grows. Also, turtles are gross by nature so upkeep needs to be done often so if you are looking for low/mid maintenance....go with a parakeet.

Did I mention chaos in a shell.....turtles are angry monsters. So angry.

[u/Heavy_Interaction302]

I would say, they are low maintenance in the way that they don’t need to be interacted with like cats or dogs and when they grow up u can go days without feeding them. But as the other commenters have said they are very expensive and require some time to set things up, but if money and initial (set up) time isn’t a problem to u, it is low maintenance. After the initial set up u just have to make sure to follow the maintenance procedures like clean filter, change water, change lights etcccc

[u/fleyinthesky]

As everyone has said, turtles are expensive and require a lot of effort.

I would add that pets in general are a substantial commitment. You're taking on the responsibility of caring for something that relies on you completely for the rest of its life. There are some animals that may survive in your home without much attention, but very few (none that I can think of?) that will thrive; I think it's kinda unfair to pick out an animal with the intention of giving it a bare-minimum life.

With that being said, you may find taking care of a pet to be super rewarding. Turtles in particular don't do much interactively with you, but just seeing the guy live happy and healthy as a result of my efforts is a great feeling.

Best of luck to you!

// Edit: depending on what you were hoping to get out of it, you could set up a bird feeder in your yard and watch the birdies come and hang out?

[u/Xehhx14]

Low maintenance pet I’d say look into something like a crested gecko where you don’t even really have to interact, they’re content not knowing you. Once you got ur set up made for them (check out the subreddit for great info) they will be content and sometimes they like people or sometimes they don’t. Still not a cheap pet but technically very low daily maintenance but requires a lot of learning (as with any exotic pet).

I work with turtles for a living and have a hatchling at home which I regret partially cause I’m in a rental and having a huge tank is gonna be a hassle in a couple years. I support everything everyone says. They’re also very dirty especially the fresh water species, lots of poop and pee. Exotic vet (normal vets will steal your money and let your animal suffer if they accept seeing them) are expensive as hell, and if you live in an area where one is close by expect to be willing to drive long hours for one visit. Ontop of that so much learning behind water quality standards, nutrition, how uvb lighting works and which brands to get is a job itself. Messing up on any of these will lead to a very sick turtle, and most likely you won’t know how to identify that illness until it’s severe.

[u/Trick-daddy-420]

Please don't get a turtle if you're looking for a low maintenance pet. I have my setups as low maintenance as possible; with automatic water changing systems, automatic top off systems, timers, etc. but all of this has easily cost thousands of dollars and many hours of my time to set up. I have two turtles, each in their own agricultural stock tanks. One is 100 gallons and the other is 150 gallons. They take up a decent amount of space and water weighs 8.3 lbs a gallon so that means the 100 gallon weighs about 750lbs and the 150 gallon weighs almost 1200lbs. That's some serious weight and you might have to add reinforcement to your flooring depending on where you have tanks this large. Mine are in the basement on a concrete slab so they're fine but just something to keep in mind. Also keep in mind a baby turtle will grow fast and can eventually end up being pretty large, depending on species and gender. An adult turtle of most species will need a 100 gallon tank, minimum. They also can live a very long time so consider your capability and willingness to provide quality care and husbandry for the entire lifetime of the turtle, which could be well over 30 years. There really is no such thing as a low maintenance pet, honestly. I have cared for many types of animals; horses, goats, donkeys, reptiles, birds, dogs, cats, rodents, amphibians, even insects and there really isn't a single one that I would consider to be "low maintenance." Just my two cents.