The northern snapping turtle (Elseya dentata) is a hardy native species that can live 50 years or more with good care.
Habitat & enclosure
Provide a minimum 5ft x 2ft x 2ft (150 x 60 x 60cm) aquarium for adults, larger if possible; juveniles can start smaller and be upsized. Allow a water depth of at least 30-40cm for free swimming while still letting the turtle reach the surface easily - keep juveniles shallower (no more than about 30cm). Provide a dry basking dock with a heat lamp (30-32C basking spot) and UVB.
Water quality
Use a strong canister filter (around five times the water volume) and keep the water around 26C year-round with a guarded heater. Test regularly for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, hardness and salinity, and change water routinely. Add turtle salt at about 1g per litre and use Calgrit in the substrate to prevent shell rot, buffer pH and maintain calcium.
Lighting
UVB is essential - use a quality 10.0 UVB across the tank, replaced every 6-12 months, on a 10-12 hour cycle, plus a basking globe to reach 30-32C on the dock.
Feeding & substrate
Offer a varied diet of turtle pellets, fresh fish, earthworms, shrimp and yabbies. Live aquatic plants such as Elodea and Vallisneria should make up at least 50% of the diet for this species. Feed juveniles daily and adults 2-3 times a week. Use fine river sand (mixed with Calgrit) rather than gravel.
Health
Handle minimally and watch for shell rot, swollen eyes and loss of appetite. In Queensland a wildlife licence is required to keep freshwater turtles.
The team at Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium can help with tanks, filtration and lighting.
Recommended products
Find everything for your turtle at Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium: tanks & stands, filtration, UVB lighting, heaters, water test kits and turtle food. A reptile licence is required in Queensland - see our QLD reptile licence guide.
