Escape

[Aspen35]

I have a painted turtle who loves to explore outside his tank... when I do water changes, I can’t fill up the tank all the way to the top, because he’ll climb over the edge. I know I need some kind of lid, but I’m not sure how to do it. There’s a box with a ramp that lets him go up and get his light and dry off, so that leaves only half of the tank open to put a top on. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Herpin Man]

I don't use a top for any of my turtles. They do not require deep water. I provide rocks in the middle of the tank for basking. If you feel like a lid is necessary, you could easily make one to fit your needs.
I have found that vinyl stock watering tanks are much better for housing turtles than aquariums. I also have found that it's usually a poor idea to let your turtles roam around outside the enclosure, if that's what you're doing.

 

[GuppyBreeder180604]

buy a large and heavy piece of acrilic as a top but i would recomend you to make the turtle a small pond since they kinda need a lot of water as they grow, at the moment i have a 55 gallon pond with a perimeter outside in my garden my turtle can go out and swim but also bask in direct sunlight and the fence prevents her from escaping, just keep in mind that when your turtle grows it will need a bigger pond or tank my turtle for example i am plaing at the moment to expand her pond from 55 galons to 550 gallons. So yeah a piece of acrilic will do for now but i would recomend a pond for the long run.

 

[Aspen35]

buy a large and heavy piece of acrilic as a top but i would recomend you to make the turtle a small pond since they kinda need a lot of water as they grow, at the moment i have a 55 gallon pond with a perimeter outside in my garden my turtle can go out and swim but also bask in direct sunlight and the fence prevents her from escaping, just keep in mind that when your turtle grows it will need a bigger pond or tank my turtle for example i am plaing at the moment to expand her pond from 55 galons to 550 gallons. So yeah a piece of acrilic will do for now but i would recomend a pond for the long run.

he's in a 55 gallon currently, he'll get an upgrade when he outgrows it. We have a large pond, though, if he needs it.

I don't use a top for any of my turtles. They do not require deep water. I provide rocks in the middle of the tank for basking. If you feel like a lid is necessary, you could easily make one to fit your needs.
I have found that vinyl stock watering tanks are much better for housing turtles than aquariums. I also have found that it's usually a poor idea to let your turtles roam around outside the enclosure, if that's what you're doing.

I thought painted turtles needed more water (deeper, just more space in general) than other types? He does really enjoy swimming. When I said roaming around, I just meant he enjoys scaring me when I find him balancing on top of the filter!

 

[Retired Viking]

I do not use a lid and leave the water low.

 

[Herpin Man]

Please don't release the turtle into that pond, unless that's where it was originally collected.

 

[Aspen35]

Please don't release the turtle into that pond, unless that's where it was originally collected.

We dug the pond ourselves, it’s in the backyard. We’ve added goldfish and some other turtles in there.

 

[mhancock]

Surely the pond is too cold?

 

[Aspen35]

Surely the pond is too cold?

Lol mayyybe just by a few degrees.