substrates for the bottom of the aquarium

Question
Good Morning. Squirt is my YBS turtle, he wil be 2 in march. But besides that, I just bought him a new home for christmas and have been doing some research on what to use for the bottom. I know that it's a "touchy" & almost "personal opinion" topic but Squirt is my baby and I want the best for him of course. In, his old home I use gravel but now he is getting bigger and I've been reading that sometimes they can eat it and choke!! So, I did more research and everyone has their pro's and con's about things; some say that sand is good, or river rock, and I've even read that crushed coral is a good alternative. I know tutrles like to dig, so it would only be natural for there to be some sort of substrate on the bottom of Squirts tank. My goal is to make a natural and safe living environment at the same time. Any suggestions on what one should use? Hope to hear back from you soon!

~ Nicole & Squirt

Answer
This does vary amongst who you ask, but I think the logical choice is river rock or river pebbles that are large enough not to pose an ingesion hazard. It is not so much choking on the substrate that is the problem. It is the turtle getting impacted on it after swallowing.

Sand can only result in getting stirred up and clogging filters. That seems like a no brainer "no" answer to me.

Crushed coral can have some of the same negatives as having sand, and because it is coral, it is going to be very abrasive or sharp if not crushed finely enough. This can reult in damage to your filters if stirred up, or injury to the limbs of a turtle who always likes to dig in the substrate.

I say rocks or large river pebbles. Not much that can be said against this. It is also easy to remove and clean, unlike the other options.