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should i try to make my turties a natural habitat, like w/ real plants and rocks and stuff

I figure as long as you have the necessaties you can decorate however you want. YOu need a basking area where they can get dry, filter, reg house bulb for heat, uvb bulb, and of course water. For hatchlings it is good for them to have plants to hide in to reduce their stress level. Since they are aquatic turts make sure you have a good amount of water (3/4 full) for them to swim in. The thing about real plants is that the turtles will eat them. Now if you are fine with going out and buying more when they are all gone, more power to you. I have fake plants in my tank and my turts bit at them once and now realize that they aren't food and they just hide in them. Turtles will eat rocks probably b/c they think its food. If you are going to have rocks in your tank they need to be much larger than your turtles head. They cause a lot of hassle though when cleaning the tank and many people have bare bottom tanks. As for other stuff, any fish put in the tank will most likely be eaten.

For some wonderful ideas on set ups, you can browse the photo gallery. For what it's worth though, it is a lot easier to clean when you have less items in the tank. While they look nice, they become a pain in the butt!

do i HAVE TO have 10 gallons of water for every inch they are?

cuz my parents won't let me and my sis get them a tank that will hold that much

they say that the tank will be of no use once our turties die cuz we don't know how long they'll last. lol.

tell them with the proper care they can live for years upon years some till 20 or 25 years old

They could live longer than that. Let your parents know a turtle is not a disposable pet just because they are inexpensive. They should spend some time with them and they will realize they are not like fish. In addition, you and your sister should let your parents know you are willing to work and do chores to help provide the necessities for your turtle.

For less expensive options, you can buy a rubbermaid container at walmart for under 15 bucks. It's a lot less than glass tanks. With proper care your turtle can grow with you, go off to college with you, and move into your first house with you! Couldn't ask for a better friend, lol. A thought for your parents...why spend the money on a pet that you don't think will live? And if it is living and has a probability of living a long life, why not make it worth the pets life? I was surprised to find that turtles have a personality, let them see that personality, and they will be attached. You can also print some of the basic information and care pages from the site and let them see them. Maybe they won't take your word on it, but from one adult to another?

yea. we don't use a tank cuz they won't let us buy one. so we use a rubbermaid container.

and plus, my mom is stubborn. and she won't listen to me and my sis. we keep telling our parents that they have necessities just like us and that spending money on them is no problem and that it's all worth it.

the money is no object as i'm willing to use my own. but they (well, my mom) says 'it's not about the money'

plus it's summer and i guess i have nothing else to do but play w/ the turties!!

If 'it's not about the money', then what is it about? Wouldn't she want you to be responsible for your turtle's life?

Also, hatchlings shouldn't be 'played' with. They are usually stressed from adapting to a new environment and are not used to being handled. Not to mention they are still fragile and developing. Eventually, once they are more comfortable with you, you could take them out more often.

she says that if it's gonna be so much work, as in so much we have to do for them (the turties), than she'd rather us not have them.

but i don't get why she won't do and/or get them their necessities in life cuz she's not the one who's gonna take care of them. me and my sis are gonna.

i read that they like to have a place to hide in. what would be the best recommendations you have to put in there for them?

Do you have any old flower pots laying around? I have a plastic one, it won't sink, but I put a couple of larger rocks in it to hold it down. I also have a large piece of pvc pipe that they like to lay in, but I figured the flower pot would be more available to you.

if your parents won't let you get a large tank now....they may change their minds once the turtles grow....try using a desk lamp with a reptile light bulb in it and point it toward the container you keep them in...make sure they have a place that isn't underwater to bask in....and change their water often,because without filters the water gets really dirty fast (we had to do all this when we were in the process of moving and trying to keep the turtles safe)...maybe if your parents see you doing all this they may realize you're responsible enough for a tank.