Habitat - Indoor :: NEED HELP WITH WATER ASAP

[rosemary]

35 gal tank, fluval canister filter w/biomax, 78 degrees, 2 res apprx 4" , one map approx 3" and newly added 2 8" Plecos, week ago started feeding different pellets (Wardley) turtles hated it, didnt eat it and it totally messed up water, turned brown and stinky, oily film on top, ugh! did complete water change, clear for a day and then back to stinky and cloudy, did another complete water change, this time rinsing gravel, still went back to stinky and cloudy? been using " turtle clean" and have done 50% water changes daily, still goes back to stinky and cloudy, hadn't had any problems till new food, scared bad water is gonna make everyone sick but also scared water changes are going to stress everyone, I did mess up and change out all the biomax and have since read that i got rid of the "good" bacteria, dont know what to do next,HELP
what do I feed the plecos? have algae wafers but worried about that messing water up too
PS dont worry too much about tank size moving to 120g or pond asap

[marisa]

For starters, you could remove the gravel--it tends to trap debris and odor, even after it's been cleaned. (And it could pose a problem for your turtles if it's eaten and gets impacted.)

[rosemary]

thanks , have been thinking of that as a possible solution, but scared of all the stress im causing these guys with all the changes, probably will have to do it anyway

[Marcus.85]

I think you just have way too much animals in there, and an inadequate filter.. what fluval is that? 105?

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Yeah Marcus.85 is right, three 3-4 inch turtles in a 35 gallon is to small for them and they are most likely making it dirty a lot quicker then they would in a bigger tank. Try a air pump and bubble wand to get rid of the oil film on top of the water.

[rosemary]

thanks for all the help, tank is smelling much better after adding stess zyme that the pet store recommended , still cloudy tho, also added bubble wand which the plecos are loving, working on a used 100 to 120 gal tank for now and try for pond next spring, what is the best filter for that size tank , the fluval i have now is supposed to be for up 50gal, can i just add another one of those?
also what is up with the turtle shaped heath guard things? I thought they supposed to be beneficial but now Ive heard they arent

[steve]

Do you take the turtles out when you are doing the water changes?

[marisa]

The Dr. Turtles (or similar products) are marketed to help prevent disease, but in reality, they're a waste of money. If they contain sulfa, repeated use of them just makes the tank inhabitants resistant to the drug; also, the form of calcium used in them isn't readily available for use by your turtles.

With size tank and bioload you have in there, a good filter and regular (partial) water changes will do the most to keep the water healthy. (And taking the gravel out would still be good).

You can add another filter or get an even better one for the new tank you said you're getting.

[rosemary]

Waters back to normal and everyone is peachy! thanks again for all the help, as far as changes, during full changes the turtles come out so the water can get back to temp, and for partial they stay in and i refill slowly enough that it doesnt change water temp more then a few degrees. anyone want to recommend the best type of filter for when I get larger tank (100-120gal)? also what is the best way to provide calcium for them? i read somewhere i should give them snails?

[steve]

An XP4 or FX5 would be good for those sized tanks. If you want additional calcium, I would try cuttlebone (in the pet store's bird section, and remove the hard backing and clips).

[papoopeepoo]

For the record, it is imperative for good biological filtration that you have surface agitation. The release and intake of gasses is very important for the oxygen-loving bacteria that turn waste to nitrate.

[rosemary]

Good news is I got a great deal on 150 g used aquarium! Bad news is that its not really 150g closer to 100g (didnt know until i got home and thought about it more) other bad news is that its FILTHY! The guy has had it set up for two turtles for the past 6 years, had about 8 inches of gravel in there, that had NEVER been cleaned Can anyone please tell me how to "clean" it so it will be safe for my turtles and Plecos? also how long do I let it "cycle" before putting them in and should I use my filter fromttheir old home to help with getting some beneficial bacteria?

[steve]

I replied to the other post, there are some cleaning tips here: http://www.customaquarium.com/maintenace.htm

What kind of filter is their old one? Does it have bio media?

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Cleaning it can be made easy by using a razor blade to scrape off any hard stuff on the glass and use some vinegar/water to clean it out.
Also fill it up to the top outside and leave it for a few days to make sure it does not crack or break.