General Care Discussion :: cloudy water

[christu]

I've been having trouble with my tank water getting cloudy very quick. Has anyone experienced this problem before? I guess i'll describe the situation a little more.

Zoe's tank is cleaned every two days. I have no filter yet, but plan to do so this weekend. Anyway, I changed it recently (less than 24 hours ago), and it's cloudy. I use tap water and add in a dechlorinator. Could her food or perhaps her feces? I don't know. Maybe its just the water. I had one of those white water conditioners in the water once, but took it out, thinking it the problem.

I think when I first got her and set everything up, the water lasted longer.

[packfan1]

About cloudy water. There could be few things to think about or check into for this issue. Water quaility, size of tank vs. turtle(s), filter, and feeding. I feed in my turtles tank and I have to change the water about every 7-9 days. It could be what I have seen written is "new tank" syndrome. I guess tanks take some time to get use to water, turtles and stuff. Water quaility is another area. Do you have a test kit? Might want to get one to test the water quaility so you can better prepare the water.
I don't think you should have to change the water so often. I have read some people will do 25%-50% water changes weekly and then a full one every month or so. I am fairly new but I come here often and read as much as I can so I can do a better job at keeping my guys in a quality set up.

[Chrisbarnett]

It's not new tank syndrome since you don't have a filter.

How big is the tank?

Packfan,
the 25-50% changes weekly and a full one every month or so is if you have a good filtration system. You have to clean the tank much more often if you don't have a filter because of build up of ammonia which can be toxic for turtles in high quantities.

[christu]

Well, its a 20 gallon tank, with only one turtle, and she's 4".

[octpusgirl8]

The cloudiness in the water is bacteria feeding on the ammonia and other waste from the turtle. The tank is pretty small for your turtle, even with a filter you would probably have a little trouble keeping good water quality. you should really have at least a 40 gallon tank for a 4 inch turtle. Untill you can get a filter/bigger tank, i guess all you can really do is more frequent water changes. Feeding her in a separate tub of water may help too.

[zoologist]

got $100 bucks to spare? go out and get a filster XP1. that filter is amazing. i have a 29 gallon tank and i have no problem with clarity despite the fact i have a handful of fish and a messy eater turtle.

how high do you keep the water in your tank? Should i assume its a twenty gallon long as opposed to high?

the turtle sulfa block is not causing your water to go cloudy, in fact that helps the water become conditioned.

[christu]

No, its a high tank. And I just bought a filter that pumps 120 gallons an hour. I'll see how this all works.

Do you run the filters 24/7?

[zoologist]

yes, you do.

[marisa]

Does the water appear cloudy after you fill the tank and then clear up?

[christu]

No, when i clean it out, its fine, but then it slowly gets cloudy over time. The filter seems to be working well. The water stays cleaner longer, but its only been about 24 hours or so. And she's enjoying the bubbles. . . I also bought a water heater too. She seems happier.

[SpotsMama]

Sounds like "new tank syndrome". It may be happening over and over every time you clean the tank if, by cleaning the tank, you remove all the "good" bacteria that process the turtle waste.

It's also possible that it's just getting dirty fast. That would be the case if the tank is too small for the size of the turtle or if the filter isn't up to the job. Do you test water quality? It would be helpful to know if you're getting a buildup of ammonia.

By the way, Zoologist, it's recommended that people not use the sulfa blocks because bacteria will develop a tolerance to the sulfa (which is an antibiotic) and then, when you need sulfa to combact an illness, it won't work. Best to reserve the antibiotics like sulfa for when they are really needed so they will still pack their punch.

There are similar blocks that do not contain sulfa but only calcium and they don't do any harm but don't really do much good either.