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How's it going everyone? I got my turtle in Nov 2015 but I have a few questions about water changes/filter maintenance. I have a bare bottom 40 gallon breeder about 3/4 of the way full with a fluval 406 filter. In the bottom 2 chambers of the filter I have carbon and in the top 2 I have ceramic. I use a fish net every day or so to get whatever solid waste out I can. I clean the sponges in the filter and change the carbon every 1-2 months. I changed 1 chamber of ceramic for the first time about 2 months ago and changed the second chamber today. Since I got the turtle I only did 1 full water change (I think it was in April or so) and a couple of partial changes (probably 6-8 gallons out, 10 or so in). Other than that I add water every couple weeks (I have a couple 5 gallon jugs I leave filled and use as needed). For the most part the water is clear and there aren't any odors or anything coming from the tank so I'm assuming what I'm doing is working for the most part. However, last week I noticed some spots where there was like a 'film' on top of the water. Just wondering if my filter setup/frequencies of changes are good and what that film might be and how to get rid of it. As always thanks again for all your help!

If the film is clear/oily looking, it's probably protein. To get that into the filter, you'll need something to stir up the water--air stones work, but power heads create a stronger flow. I think you can also buy protein skimmers. Another quick thing you can do is position a cup so that it's almost entirely in the water but empty, and then tilt the lip just below the water surface so the top layer of oily water slowly pours in. (This is more important in fish tanks, since that protein layer can inhibit oxygen exchange in the water, but I don't think it's exactly harmful to turtles--just a potential source of nitrates in the water, maybe).

I personally change about 30% of my water once a week (or more if I'm late on a water change). It sounds like you've got a good filter, although cleaning it once a month could help (just rinsing the sponges in a bucket of tank water, and cleaning out tubes). Even though I do all that, though, the protein layer still shows up (and I've got my turtle on a balanced diet, so he's not just getting protein-rich food every day). Good luck!

thanks! the film does look oily so chances are it's a protein layer. I try to do the filter change once a month but unfortunately it doesn't always work out that way. When I do the change though I do clean all the hoses, wipe all the film and stuff out of the inside of the canister, etc. I rinse the ceramic in tank water but the new carbon packs and sponges I spray with a hose to try and get as much of the crap out as possible. I'll do a partial water change more frequently but I'll also take a look at her diet/feeding schedule to see if I can get rid of the protein that way over time. As of now I feed her once a day and alternate between carrots, some type of leaf (red leaf lettuce, spinach, mustard leaves, etc) pellets, cuttlebone, & the occasional guppy (every 2 months or so).

Could the oil slick be from poop or just a collection of shed skin?

That sounds like a pretty good diet--they do need protein, and it's probably coming from the turtle (shed skin or poo) rather than directly from the food anyway. It's pretty easy to get rid of the film once you know how to do it (the cup thing is super easy, and doesn't require a real water change). I'm not sure it's possible to get rid of it entirely, but if anyone knows how, I'd like to know too!

A circulation pump pointed up since it will agitate the waters surface will take care of the oil slick issue. I would also like to point out you don't need to replace the ceramic rings you just need to rinse them in tank water and reuse them. You can buy a sun sun pump from ebay for around $10.00

steve wrote:Could the oil slick be from poop or just a collection of shed skin?

It's possible but I don't think so. I scoop out poop whenever I see it (almost daily) so it isn't sitting in the tank terribly long. From what I've seen the skin that sheds is a lot thicker than what I'm seeing on top of the water. If you're saying there is a slime/residue on the skin that sheds that could be floating to the top that's very possible because she has been shedding lately (both skin and scutes).

It could just be a collection of things, it seems that kind of stuff just attracts each other when on the surface.

Kansasslider wrote:A circulation pump pointed up since it will agitate the waters surface will take care of the oil slick issue. I would also like to point out you don't need to replace the ceramic rings you just need to rinse them in tank water and reuse them. You can buy a sun sun pump from ebay for around $10.00

I was thinking about getting a bubble bar and pump for along the back of the tank, do you think that'll agitate the water enough? I was also looking at powerheads but not sure what size i would need for a 40 gallon breeder. Amazon has 800 & 528 GPH that attach to the side and ones that sit on the bottom of the tank that range everywhere from 70-800 GPH. If I go the power head route I don't want to get something that makes it impossible for the turtle to swim.

Yes, a bubble wand will work for surface agitation. Well it did for me in a 100 gallon stock tank... it only required a small Whisper pump.

In my 40 gallon breeder I used a maxi-jet 1200 with no issues with my baby turtles swimming. In fact they did and still do like to swim in the current. I like circulation pumps vs bubblers. They do a great job of stirring the water and waste. Bubbler's dont. As far as size I'm not sure they make one that's too powerful for a 40-gallon breeder tank. I do not recommend maxi-jet pumps. I like the cheap sun sun that I wrote a review on.