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should I clean my 20 gallon tank?

How big is your turtle? Do you feed your turtle in the tank? What other creatures do you have in the tank? What kind of filter are you using? How much water do you have in the tank?

my turt is about 2" i feed him while he is in the tank, he is the only creature in the tank at the moment.(i plan on getting another res) i have a filter designed for a 20-40 gallon tank, and it is about 3 4ths full

Just from what you say, I'd probably do a cleaning/water change every 1-2 weeks. Even if the water looks clear, it may not be clean--there are substances that are not visible to the eye that aren't good for your turt (and you can't see pee).

well i just cleaned it two or three days ago, and it is already looking cloudy, and the is this thick, clearish crud surrounding two big river rocks and his water plants.

Getting another RES may seem like a simple idea, but it can literally double your expenses if they refuse to get along (especially if there is a male in the mix). You may want to wait until you have the resources to support another turt.

Cloudy water happens often with recent water changes. Should go away in a day or 2.

Does the water turn cloudy like this after you clean it and then clear or does it turn cloudy and then just gets cloudier/dirtier. If it's the latter, then what is the filter you're using? If it's not powerful enough, it won't be able to keep up with the waste your turtle makes (and feeding your turtle in the tank isn't helping). You said you have a 20-gallon tank and a filter that's designed for a 20-40 gallon tank. That's not all that powerful--having a filter that's designed for a 60-gallon tank would be better (when they say 20-40 gallon tank, they most likely are assuming the filter is going to be used for fish. Turtles are different--they produce much more waste). Most submersible water filters (if that's what you have) aren't that effective.

The crud build-up (clearish?) between/around objects could be because the water isn't circulating well and/or surface of the water isn't being agitated enough.

the filter i have is an...aqua-tech 20-40 power filter the measured flow is 160 gph.

I've only seen this filter in boxes, but if it's anything like the Aquaclear, it should do an adequate job of agitating the surface/circulating the water. (But I don't know if the 20-40 gallon model is powerful enough.) You didn't say whether this cloudiness happens when you clean the tank and then clears or whether the tank water gets cloudy and just seems to get dirtier with time...

well the tank is new, until just recently i was quite uneducated about res and i kept him in a death bowel for 1 year! but now i have a tank, and its ben a few days and my res is very happy with his new home,but it is already clouding up. also, he does NOT want to stay out of the water. i have him a really nice basking spot under the heat lamp, but as soon as I set him on it, he just slides right off and continues swimming and exploring

If the tank is new, then it's likely new tank syndrome, and as Steve noted, the cloudiness should clear up. If the tank just starts to get/look dirty quickly (the cloudiness doesn't clear up), then I'd look at the filter.

For the lack of basking, what is the temp of the water and what is the temp of the basking area? A water temp of 75-76F would be good. The basking area should be high 80s-90F (about 10 degrees warmer than the water so he'll want to bask for the warmth).

You did say he's new to the tank, so he's probably also adjusting to his new home (good that you improved his habitat). Give him some time and check those temps (use thermometers).

thank you so much for all of the help!

Forgot to ask--does your turtle have a UVB light as well as a heat light to bask under?