Before you purchase your turtles, you will need to make sure you have everything set up and ready. To create a safe and healthy environment for your turtles, you will need the following:
Class 1 Reptile Keepers Licence: In New South Wales, it is illegal to keep reptiles without the appropriate licence. Each Australian State has different legal requirements. A NSW Reptile Keepers licence can be obtained from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service .
An aquarium: A 3 foot (90cm) aquarium is the minimum size required. A 4 foot (120cm) or larger would be ideal.
High Quality Filtration: Turtles are very messy animals. They eat in water, urinate in water and defecate in water. A high quality filter is essential. The best type are the canister filters.
Water Heater: This needs to be thermostatically controlled, to maintain a constant water temperature of 22-24° Celsius.
Land Area: It does not need to be very big - just big enough for your turtles to get out of the water and dry off. I recommend the floating turtles docks. These attach to the tank with suction cups, and have two rails to allow the dock to move up or down as the water depth changes. Whatever you use, make sure that your turtles can climb onto it easily.
Basking/Heat Lamp: This needs to be position directly over the land area. Make sure it is close enough to provide heat, but not close enough to burn your turtles. If the turtles can reach it, they can burn themselves.
Gravel/Sand: Whatever you choose for the bottom of your aquarium, make sure it is not going to trap a turtle's head or leg, as it will quickly drown. Gravel can be used but river sand is a much better choice.
Aquarium Vacuum: Used to remove turtle droppings and uneaten food scraps, and to drain the aquarium at the same time. Regular water changes are essential to keep your turtles healthy.
Lighting: Most turtle keepers use fluorescent tubes to light their turtle tanks. These are long lasting, efficient, cheap to run, and provide good lighting.
