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we are getting frustrated about green water, we have done water changes twice in the last 3 weeks and it is green again. we have a 50 gallon tank, 2 filters that used to do a really good job and they are not old, just bought over the summer, we have 2 lights on the tank and my husband thinks maybe the extra light is promoting green water. any ideas? any suggestions to tank cleaning? I am always worried about us not cleaning the tank right.

How long are the lights on each day? The two lights- are you talking about the basking lights:heat and UVB light? or Those lights and then another one? Is the tank near a window or does it get any direct sun sometime during the day?

Sorry for all the questions. Just trying to get a good idea what might be causing it. If you have any pics, it might help to post them for us to look at.

What kind of filters are they? Even if they used to do a good job, if they were bought for the size tank you have, as your turtles grow they'll become less effective (you need a filter rated for 3X the size of the tank).

Warmth, light and nutrients in the water from poop, debris, etc. all help algae to form (I'm assuming the green is the algae).

If you have your lights on more than 13 hours, cut back.

If you've got the tank in front of a window, move it.

What's the water temp? If it's high, turn it down to about 75-76F.

If your filters aren't doing the job they should, perhaps you should think about an even better one. To cut down on the nutrients in the water, do partial water changes.

As for the tank cleaning, diluted white vinegar and a good rinsing works well.

Another thing other than the lights, do you have the tank any where near a window? Natural sunlight will cause algae to grow in a heartbeat. Is it algae on the glass or the actual water turning green?

well I have changed the water, cleaned the filters we will see what happends...The tank is not by a window, there is no algae on the glass just the actual water turning green... This is a 45 gallon long tank with 2 whisper 20 filters...yes we will have to cut back on how long our lights are on they are usually on about 16 hours a day...our water temp is 68-70F, we dont have a heater...we have 2 uv lights...

When I changed the water tonight I refilled it much more than my husband normally does and they seemed to enjoy the extra space to swim, they were so cute! I am excited to see them so happy tonight. I just hope the water stays clear!!!

I believe that the two whisper 20 filters are only rated for a 40 gallon tank together. For a turtles tank you need a filter rated 2-3x's the tank size. The filters and the lights on for a long time are probably what is contributing to your green water.

Also, how much water is "usually" in there compared to how much you filled it this time? The more water that's in the tank, the better the water quality will stay(considering you have a good filter). If there's not that much water, it's going to degrade faster. There should be as much water as you can fill the tank with, without giving them a means to escape by as a general rule.

They definitely need a heater. Water temperature shouldn't be below 72-75 for an older turtle, and 78 is the water temp for young turtles with the basking temp between 88-90.

Believe it or not, green water is actually highly healthy for aquatic animals. A filter system is not going to help the green water much. It sounds like your tank gets a lot of light and is high in nutrients. Have you tested the water prams?

Whisper 20s do at the max, 105 gallons per hour. You are SEVERELY underpowered. Your best bet is to find a filter or a combination of more filters that will reach a GPH of 500. So, either one filter witha GPH of 500 or two with the rate of 250.

well our water has been clear now for about 3 weeks, we cleaned it, put a heater in and by the next day Stubby and Johnnie were like new girls, we put 2 packs in the filters and put a chlorine nutrilizer in and we got a large zoo med dock, some snails, ghost shrimp, some new toys and they have been great!