Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit Review | Things You Should Know
So, finally, you have decided to own an aquatic turtle for your entertainment and pastime fun. I must congratulate you on making such an excellent decision. Indeed, turtles are one of the best pet companions that you can find. Aquatic turtles, with their introverted nature and perseverance to sickness and diseases, make your petting life easier.
However, you need to find the right turtle tank and kit for the pet. In this case, Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit beats everyone with its eco-friendly creation and availability of everything within one package. It has UVB light, a proper filtration mechanism, and sufficient space to make your turtle happy with a feel of its natural habitat.
Hence, it’s no wonder why people choose the Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle kit to accommodate their favorite turtle and tortoise.
And in our review of the item, we are going to find out its benefits, drawbacks, and worthiness. Finally, we will come up with our expert and honest opinion on the turtle tub kit.
So, take some time to read the review- if you love your aquatic turtle.
What Is Aquatic Turtle?
Since we are reviewing a proper tub kit for aquatic turtles, it is crucial to know the actual characteristics of a marine turtle. This way, you will know which turtle type should you put in this Zoo Med tub kit. Also, it will enable you to set up the turtle tube kit with greater efficiency and customization.
So, here is our thought on the aquatic turtle kit-
An aquatic or semi-aquatic turtle will live both inland and in water. For most of its lifetime, it resides in the water for food and rest. However, during the basking hours and breeding sessions, many of them live in the wildland near their water source.
You will mostly see three kinds of aquatic turtles suitable for petting and breeding. These are:
- Northern map turtles: The northern map turtles are endemic species to North America. It grows from 3-10 inches on average, and females are larger. They have a brown or olive-greenish carapace that helps in easy identification of them.
- Painted turtles: From the extreme north of Mexico to southern Canada, painted turtles are the most widespread aquatic turtle species in America. They will grow around 4 inches to 10 inches. These species live in freshwater and are noted for their beautiful painted carapace or hard shell.
- Red-eared turtles: Across the USA and the rest of the world, red-eared turtles are the most popular pet turtle breed because of their gentle and amicable nature. Also, they are less prone to sickness which helps the petting even if you are a beginner in this world.
The best part is that Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit can accommodate all these three popular turtle breeds. So, it doesn’t matter which turtle you have bought. It will love the coziness of the Zoo Med tub kit and live happily.
Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit Review
Zoo Med has established a perfect reputation of its own for manufacturing the best turtle kits in the industry. They have a focus on quality instead of quantity. So, the number of their packages for aquatic turtles and other breeds is limited.
However, even with such limited models, Zoo Med has continued its legacy of making your turtle happy and long-living. And this Turtle Tub Kit for aquatic species personifies the same. It is built from recycled materials to boost the natural ecosystem and has a perfect size.
Also, you can either buy the kit as a whole or as different parts separately depending on necessity and budget. It comes increasingly beneficial for most turtle owners.
Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit Benefits and Features
The Resemblance to Natural Ponds:
Scientists have seen that turtles feel stressed whenever they moved to a different site. It happens because of their affinity to a natural habitat or pond. So, you should always focus on putting your aquatic turtle close to its natural lake surrounding to help it reduce its stress level.
The Zoo Med Turtle Tub Kit will help you do the same with its 100% similarity to natural ponds. Firstly, the water space is sufficient to move within the tub quickly. It is useful for proper basking and reproduction.
Next, the turtle tub comes with a built-in natural bush and non-toxic plastic-made decorative plants. All these join to replicate the natural pond situation for aquatic turtles. Hence, it feels glad to be in the terrarium.
A Perfect Terrarium:
Zoo Med has included an excellent terrarium with the package. For those who don’t know what a terrarium is, here is the answer.
A terrarium is similar to an aquarium, which comes with natural and miniature plants to replicate the instinctive habitat of the turtle and fish. Zoo Med has taken the terrarium benefit to the next level with the inclusion of every possible decorative plant.
Also, the handicraft placement of the decorative items is so close to nature that the aquatic turtle thinks it is better than his old ponds. So, you are relieved from the tension of how the turtle will welcome the tub kit.
Ample Terrarium and Water Space:
The Zoo Med terrarium comes with 40 gallons of water capacity. So, it can comfortably accommodate an adult turtle or two growing species. As per the thumbnail rule, each inch of turtle size needs 10 gallons of water.
This means you can easily place one 4” to 5” turtle within the tank. However, if you want a container to rear up juveniles, Zoo Med offers you to get a 20 gallons terrarium with the package.
So, you can choose between the 20 gallons or 40 gallons turtle tank for sale as a terrarium to fit your turtle necessity.
UVB Lighting:
UVB lighting is crucial for the health and breeding of turtles. Notably, the lack of UVB lighting will hamper the basking of aquatic turtles which is necessary for the regulation of body temperature. Also, it results in Vitamin D deficiency syndrome that causes the immature death of a turtle.
When you purchase the Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Kit, it comes with 100W bulbs for lighting and UVB-ray generation. So, you won’t need to invest additionally in UVB lighting. Moreover, the UVB light and deep dome fixtures are durable, and thus, they won’t require frequent replacement.
Furthermore, 100W lighting creates enough heat to keep the terrarium warm. So, it also relieves you from buying a heater.
External Canister Filter:
As a turtle owner, you must keep the terrarium clean. It is crucial because dirty and unclean tank water will cause several health hazards to turtles. Also, a lack of a proper filtration system reduces the growth rate of turtles.
Zoo Med includes a canister filter with a package that helps you eliminate all the harmful effects. The canister filter effectively performs mechanical, chemical, and above all, biological filtration. Hence, the tank remains clean with proper water flow.
The canister filter with such wonderful filtration keeps the terrarium close to nature. Thus, aquatic turtles will thieve in it.
Includes Turtle Food Sampler:
Zoo Med is generous enough even to include a turtle food sampler with the tub kit package. Gracious enough, it will help you save a few bucks when you purchase the turtle kit. The food pack is of high-quality ingredients and is made for turtle growth.
Additionally, you get a red cherry shrimp treat to entertain your loving turtle. It will boost the turtle mood within the terrarium when you 1st replace it in the tub.
Eco-Friendly Design:
Zoo Med has taken special care to build a brilliant piece of the terrarium. One example of their particular attention is evident with the use of 100% recycled material to construct the tub. Also, they have deliberately left away any toxic substances that can harm the turtle.
Furthermore, the recycled design also keeps the environment clean and boosts the natural habitat of turtles. The eco-friendly design also helps you maintain a healthy tank environment for the turtles. Thereby, the turtle will be less prone to disease and sickness.
Dual Purchase Option:
You can either buy the whole Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Kit or each part separately for the indoor turtle pond. The separate purchase comes beneficial if you are on a tight budget or just need one kit element. For instance, you may require a UVB light option or decorative plants. You can easily choose the one without being intimidated.
Furthermore, when you purchase the complete turtle tub setup, you will save quite a substantial amount for you since buying different parts from different manufacturers will cost you more. Next, the entire buying brings uniformity since everything is arranged systematically.
Lightweight Design Helps Transportation:
The total unit weighs only 55 pounds. At first glance, it might seem huge. But when you see it includes the terrarium, UVB light, natural light, canister filter, and food supplements for the turtle, it becomes minimal.
However, the terrarium weighs around 45 pounds, and so you can move it from one place to another at home. It will help you with the easy cleaning of the tank area at home.
Easy Cleaning:
One of the most problematic issues with a turtle tub or tank comes with the cleaning purpose. Zoo Med beats such issues by miles with the already-added Canister filtration. The filter keeps the water clean, so, you will need to replace the tank water less frequently.
Affordable Pricing:
One of the best benefits of the Aquatic Turtle Kit from Zoo Med is its competitive pricing. Although it offers every essential kit and gear for turtle petting, the pricing is surprisingly low. In fact, the turtle tubs’ cheap price is affordable for everyone.
Furthermore, if you are on a tight budget, any way you can purchase the Zoo Med terrarium separately-incredible indeed.
Pros and Cons of Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit
| pros | cons |
|---|---|
| Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Kit extensively replicates the natural turtle habitat. | The packaging needs improvement. |
| You can either buy the whole kit unit or different segments separately. | Easy scratches on the outdoor walls. |
| The turtle tub kit is made from 100% eco-friendly and recycled material. | The user manual isn’t easy to understand. |
| UVB light helps the natural basking and reproduction of turtles. | |
| Canister filter boosts biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration. | |
| Forty gallons terrarium supports ample spacing for adult turtles. | |
| Decorative plants boost the turtle’s mood. | |
| Ample land area for natural basking. | |
| Easy setup and transportation. | |
| Not so expensive. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Although it might seem obvious, the turtle kit includes ‘turtle food.’ Jokes apart, the Zoo Med kit includes 7.5oz of turtle food pellets from Zoomed Aquatic and 0.5oz of high-quality red cherry shrimp treat. I must say, the turtle in my tank enjoys both delicacies.
Yes, you can include the turtle tub kit outside. Many people use it on the porch or in a shady space. However, make sure the sunlight doesn’t fall directly on the tank. So, use a canopy to cover half portion of the tub kit
Yes, plastic tubs are often an excellent alternative to aquariums. However, make sure the tank has enough space to accommodate the turtle. Ideally, it should hold 40-60 gallons of water, at least. Also, if the tub is tall enough to stop turtles from climbing, you don’t need to add additional lids to it.
UVB light is crucial for turtles’ basking and reproduction. Ideally, you should use 5%, 3.5%, or 2.5% UVB light for turtles to thrive in the tank. Zoo Med has made the UVB lights with such specifications.
Final Notes
The turtle tub setup is the most crucial thing to look at even before you purchase the turtles. It should replicate the natural turtle pond condition and support enough UVB and lighting that turtles find in the outdoor space.
The Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Tub Kit is a rare combination of all these necessities. Once you own it, the turtle will love it. Also, its eco-friendly design means the turtle remains unharmed while it enjoys decorative plant crafting.
In short, the Zoo Med turtle tub kit is a must-have item if you own an aquatic turtle.
