African Sideneck Turtle — care sheet

Beginner–Intermediate. Genuinely hardy and forgiving, which is why they're sold as beginner turtles — but "hardy" isn't "low-effort." A single adult still needs a big filtered heated tank, real UVB, and years of consistent water changes. Get the setup right up front and the day-to-day is easy; underestimate the tank and filtration and you'll be fighting dirty water for a decade.

Omnivore, and in the wild an opportunistic one — aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, small fish, plus some plant matter. In captivity, feed a quality aquatic-turtle pellet as the base plus protein (earthworms, insects, occasional whole small fish) and leafy greens/aquatic plants. Young turtles (under ~1 year) run about 50% protein / 50% plants; adults shift to roughly 25% protein / 75% plants, with the protein offered only 1–2 times a week.

Minimum 90–110 gallons of water for one adult. A single juvenile can start smaller, but budget for the full-size tank — a 4-foot-plus footprint that holds 90+ gallons — because they grow into it fast and never stop needing the swim room. One turtle per enclosure is safest.

75–80°F (24–27°C) for adults; keep it no cooler than 70°F and under 85°F. Hatchlings and juveniles do best a touch warmer, around 80–85°F.

Deep enough to swim freely — a good rule is no deeper than about 1.5× the turtle's shell length, so an adult wants roughly a foot or more of water. They're strong swimmers, so more depth (with easy access to the surface and the dock) is better than a shallow puddle.

A powerful external/canister filter rated for at least 2–3× the tank's actual water volume — turtles are messy, high-waste animals and undersized filtration is the #1 reason tanks go foul. Pair it with a partial water change of about 30% every 1–2 weeks.

A dry, stable dock (haul-out platform or floating basking area at least as big as the turtle) kept warm by an overhead basking bulb, with the basking surface at around 95°F (35°C). It must be genuinely dry so the shell can fully dry out between swims.

Lights and basking heat off at night is fine as long as the room (and therefore the water) doesn't drop below the low 70s°F. Keep water no cooler than about 70°F (21°C) at any time.

A linear UVB tube over the basking dock — Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO 5.0 or Arcadia Forest 6% — in a reflector, mounted roughly 13–14 inches above the basking platform. Run ~12 hours a day and replace the bulb every 12 months (UVB output fades long before the light looks dim).

Bare-bottom is easiest to keep clean and safest (no impaction risk). If you want a planted, natural look, use large river rocks too big to swallow or a fine sand bed; avoid gravel small enough to be eaten.

Dust food with a calcium (D3-free) supplement regularly, plus a reptile multivitamin occasionally. A cuttlebone floated in the tank gives a handy free-choice calcium source and helps keep the beak worn. Proper UVB does most of the D3 heavy lifting, so don't rely on supplements to replace the bulb.

About 9–11 inches (25–28 cm) carapace length; females larger than males (males to ~9.8"/25 cm, females to ~11"/28 cm).

Commonly several decades, and up to 50 years with good care — plan for this turtle to outlive the tank, the house move, and possibly your kids' childhood.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Swollen, puffy, or sunken eyes, or eyes crusted shut — see an exotics vet.; Soft, pyramided, or misshapen shell, or a flaky/discolored patch that spreads — possible metabolic bone disease or shell infection (shell rot); get it checked.; Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, bubbles from the nose/mouth, or floating lopsided/unable to dive evenly — possible respiratory infection, an emergency for a semi-aquatic turtle.; Refusing food for an extended stretch, unusual lethargy, or not basking at all despite correct temps.; Straining or unable to pass eggs (gravid female), or any visible injury/bite wound.; Any of these warrant an appointment with a reptile/exotics vet — this record is for triage, not diagnosis..