Habitat - Indoor :: SMELL ?????????????

[Eastro]

I got everything set up for my Baby RES. Lamp tank, everything. After a few days ike 2-3 days or so....the tank starts to smell..... is there anyway..i can get sick from this...or Any thing that could help get rid of the smell...and keep the tank smelling fresh...The filter... keeps the water clean but the smell is still there.

[turtlesrock77]

What kind of filter are you using? And what size is your tank? If the filter is too small for your tank, that may be the problem. There are other posts like this I think- try using the search feature.

[grey goose]

What kind of filter are you using? What kind of media is in it? How often do you clean it out? I use charcoal in all my Fluval canisters, change it once a month, no smells......

[Eastro]

I have a 10 gallon tank...but the water is not filled up all the way..its not even up to the middle. And I have a In-Tank Filter from Tetra

[Eastro]

theres enough water for him to swim around and stuff. Last time i changed the water was 5 days ago

[CountryGirl68]

You need a more powerful filter. Turtles are messier than fish and the filter should be 3x the size of the tank (ie: 20 gal tank = at least a filter for a 60 gal tank).

[flutterby]

I had a Whisper 10i in with my Firebellied Toads, with water that was maybe up to the top of the intake "holes" and it didn't do its job with what little water there was there (maybe a gallon of water total).

You need to fill your tank up with as much water as you can without enabling your turtle to escape. They're aquatic turtles, which means they need water and they love to swim.

As country girl stated you need a filter thats rated 3x your tank size.

[grey goose]

It' an OK setup for starting out with one baby. I'm assuming you already know you have to go to a larger tank. When you do, get a cannister filter like the XP3 or Fluval 405. With a canister filter, you can custimize your setup for your turts needs. The main problem with "cartridge" type filters is that when you change your biomedia, you have to throw it all away and start over. Plus I dont think the in-tank filters are capable of handling a turts load (if you know what I mean) no matter if its a large or small amount of water.
In the meantime, here's a few things you can do to keep the smell down:
Remove all uneaten food, waste, etc. daily.
Don't change ALL the water at once. Do a 25-30% water change once a week. In your case, thats probably less than a gallon. Use a conditioner in the new water, or let it stand for at least 24 hours before the change.
I don't know if the foam screen is seperate from the cartridge, but if it is, rinse it out well in the old tank water and reuse it. At least you'll have some benificial bacteria to work with when you change the cartridge.
As far as the smell hurting you, it would have to get pretty bad before that would happen, it would hurt your turtle first...remember, he has to live in it, and ammonia can be pretty nasty. It's always a good idea to wash your hands before and after you do anything in the habitat.
When you get a bigger tank and filter, remember bigger is always better. Get the largest tank and filter you can afford. Good luck.