About a year ago my kids found a tiny little turtle in the back yard. We looked it up on the internet and decided it was a baby water turtle, put a tank together for him, and named him Scooter. We have loved having him around. The kids feed him and watch him swim around the tank. My question/problem is that he is still super tiny. He has barely grown in the year we have had him. I called the pet store and they said I have the wrong kind of light on him and am stunting his growth. So, what I want to know is have I harmed him by not letting him grow? Do I HAVE to get the UV light or should I just keep it how it is?
I will start this off by saying I am not a turtle expert. But, two things here.
1. Turtles of almost all species do not grow quickly. So, it is nothing like having another type of reptile, much less a kitten or puppy. Most "full grown" sized turtles, of whatever species, are over 15 years old. And even if badly kept, most turtles will live for 10 - 20 years. well kept, 50+ years.
2. You should get UVB on the turtle. It will help him be a healthier animal. There are various problems that can result, pyramiding for example. But, in difference to animals like bearded dragons and iguanas, since they live so long, and take so long to grow, the effects at this point are not necessarily detrimental.
The first thing you should do, is figure out what actual species of turtle you have. "Water turtle" could describe hundreds of species of turtle. Where do you live? Where did you find him? DO you have any pictures?
This will help you figure out the best way to care for him. Also, how do you have your tank set up? Does he have a warm basking area? There are a few ways to set the tank up, so if you let me know what you have to start with, I can help you improve it from there.
Fishbone's post is informative for someone who claims to be "not a turtle expert".
Yes, turtles aren't exactly known for growing fast. They are well known for their long life span. Some species may remain small after decades or even hundreds of years. Without growing much within a year shouldn't be a concern.
It might be helpful if you post a photo here for people to identify the species.
What have you been feeding it? It can also be an important fact in the growth rate.
I had a tiny red-eared slider and he actually grew fairly fast. I wished mine would have stayed small, but not at the expense of his health of course. Like @Fishbone said, the first thing to do is to identify what kind of water turtle you have. If you have a red-eared slider, you definitely need a sun lamp for him and a place for him to climb out of the water sometimes. They LOVE to sit and bask in the sun, they close their eyes and stretch their legs out, it's so cute! Be sure to research the proper distance too, you don't want the sun lamp too close. I would also read up to make sure you're feeding him enough, if I recall mine always had a voracious appetite. Best of luck in your turtle endeavors!
Turtles are fun to have,but yeah do not grow very fast from what I have experienced. Always kept turtles when younger, don't remember what kind of turtles they were but some of them we had from catching them and others from a pet store,I know we had some sort of paint turtle at one time from the store but he didn't live very long,we suspect he was sick the whole time from when we got him to the day he passed away. Creatures are sensitive to their surroundings especially reptiles, best bet is to have the correct light and food for them,make sure everything is correct and do a lot of research, most people won't do research as they "Think" they know what they are in raising such sort of animals.
