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Hello,

I have a 2 year old RES named Mr. Tortuga. Mr T. graduated from a 30 gallon tank to a 75 gallon tank because he has gotten so big. He certainly has a personality and when he sees me come into the room he swims over to me with his little arms and legs going crazy. I used to think he was happy to see me but I think he just wants a snack. I usually feed him every other day with some Fluker's Meal Worms, Vitakraft Reptile Gammare or his all time favorite, Tetrafauna ReptoMin. Once in awhile he gets a sardine or live bait fish. As you can all tell, I am not too experienced here and any advise would be appreciated. The most recent problem is that his water has been turning green. I have a filter that is compatible with the 75 gallon tank and use Reptisafe Water Conditioner and Turtle Clean when I change his water every week. Shouldn't his water stay clean for a longer period? Help.......

Thanks,
Mike

One problem with your water may be your filter. You said that you have a filter that is compatible with your 75 gallon tank. Filters are rated for fish - turtles are much messier than fish are therefore the filter that you need should be rated for at least 3x's the size of your tank. Many people with that large of a tank use a canister filter such as the XP3.

Also, is the tank near a window (sunlight)? If it is this may be leading to the algae bloom (green water). Another question (sorry ), How long is his heat light and his UVB light on per day? Sometimes when these basking lights are on for an extended period of time it can lead to green water, especially if any part of the light is over the water and not directly positioned over the basking area. Recommended light cycle is for an average of 12 hours a day on a day/night cycle. It can be a little longer in summer and a little shorter in winter though.

On the feeding part of your post, what veggies does he get? He should be getting a reputable pellet every other day, once-a-day, the amount that would fit inside his head if it were hollow (not including the neck) and veggies/plant matter daily. The other foods you listed can be given occasionally in a well-balanced diet as treats (once a month). They are high in protein which if overfed can lead to health issues, fast growth, shell problems/stress on internal organs. Also, meal worms OK occasionally if fed in moderation in a diet that is well-balanced (variety of veggies/plant matter daily, good calcium intake etc). Be careful with overfeeding them though, since their phosphorus content is really high. Phosphorus blocks the absorption of calcium which is important to keep your turtles shell and bones healthy.

Sorry for writing a book, so I'll stop now. Hope some of this helps.

No apologies necessary for the book. I have a Fluval 204 filter which is only for a 40 gallon tank. I think I need to purchase the 404 which is for 100 gallons. Should this be ok or can you reccomend something else? His tank is near a window (which he looks out while basking). His lights are on for more than 12 hours per day and is only over the dock. I will reduce to 12 hours. As far as his diet is concerned, I only just learned today that he should be eating veggies and plants. I read about what not to give him. Any suggestions on what I should feed hem and how much? I assume fresh veggies versus frozen are better? Thanks for the reply.

Focus on getting him to eat leafy greens such as Green or Red leaf lettuces, Romaine Lettuce, or Dandelion Leaves. These have good Vit A content and are usually the staple veggie for the day. Along with the greens, try shredded carrots (once a week or so), things like sweet potato, squash/zucchini, tomato (very acidic - occasionally) and there's probably a lot more I just can't think of at the moment.

The sooner you start a turtle on veggies the easier it is to get him to eat them. With him being 2 years and never ate veggies, it may require patience and/or tough love to get him going on them. If needed, you can withhold his pellets for a couple days while only offering the veggies. Also, soaking the veggies in tuna water until he starts eating them helps sometimes. These are just some suggestions if he doesn't take to the veggies immediately.

There's a what to feed and what not to feed list in the feeding section for more ideas.

Thanks for the advise. I will try the veggies and see how he likes it!

I have a 75 gallon and I use the xp3 filter...I made the switch from a fluval 304. The reason I switched was because the handle that holds the suction together broke, and I had heard this was a common problem. However, fluval has since come out with a new design that has supposedly fixed that. If the 75 gallon is going to be the permanent set up, then getting a filter that works for that tank is fine. If you ever plan to upgrade the tank, then you may want to think ahead when ordering your new filter.

See if your RES will also like to be fed in a separate, smaller container. Keep the water temp the same as the tank and the water doesn't need to that deep... enough to cover his shell. Though keep watch in case he flips over...

To All,

No luck at all! Mr. Tortuga will not eat any types of veggies. I left him with carrots and lettuce for three days and he did not even look at it. I tried feeding him his regular food in another container and he just gets angry and tries to get out. I did a complete water change last night, replaced the turtle dock, removed the rocks, and only gave 10 hrs of light and when I came home from work today, it was green again! Just one day and it was green. Could the new filter be bad? It pumps with a lot of pressure. I find it hard to believe Mr. Tortuga can be the source of such algae. Maybe it isn't algae? I am more worried about his health swimming in green water. Help.......

Thanks,
Mike

The algae won't hurt anything, at most it is unsightly.

What kind of filter did you end up getting? Your filter won't take the algae out. Even with a super scrubbed cleaning it may come back within a few days.

Don't give up on the veggies...they are very important. Have you tried mixing them with a little bit of canned cat food? Or soaking the veggies in some tuna juice overnight? Both of those methods are recommended as well.

Keep us posted.

Try soaking pieces of lettuce/whatever in some tuna juice.

Thanks for the info. I am happy to know the algae won't hurt him. I just put two boiled carrots on his turtle dock and he climbed right up and is eating them. I will try the lettuce in tuna juice next. Out of curiosity, does his diet have a direct impact on the algae? The filter is a Fluval 405. I have dog food. Maybe I will try that with some veggies. I will keep you posted. I am very surprised nobody has mentioned similar problems. Then again, I am pretty new to this. His 20 gallon tank never had algae. Thanks......Mike

I believe that diet plays a part in algae based on the particles leftover. I'm not sure if that is a direct relation or not. Just something I think was mentioned in the past...

I used to have this problem with my fish tank. Then I found out that you cannot totally get rid of algae in a tank. As long as there is a light source, water, poop and food in the tank, there will be algae. Unfortunately, algae will grow even in tanks with poor PH and ammonia levels. I'm not saying your tank condition is poor, I'm just saying that even then you will have algae.

Keep the tank away from direct sunlight and don't keep your tank lighting on for more than 10-12 hours a day. And try to get any scraps of turtle poop and leftover food out of the tank as soon as possible. It won't get rid of the algae totally but it will help.

The only other thing you can do is do a full tank clean-up, including the media. The only down side to this is that you end up getting rid of the bacteria that cycles the tank.

The nutrients in the water (from food, poop, etc.), warmth and light contribute to the formation of algae.