General Care Discussion :: Algae on shell

[amstelgirl]

Hi,

I just rescued a turtle a couple of weeks ago and algae has started to grow on her shell. Is this normal or should I decrease the amount of time the lights are on (currently about 10 hours)?

What methods are safe to remove the algae- other than using a toothbrush?

Thanks,
Jennifer

[BullDog]

You best way is to gently brush it off with a soft brush. You could also try a Q-tip.
10 hours for the lights on is good.
If it only started to grow since you got him, it could be a problem with his setup.

Could you describe his setup? We could give you some tips to help keep the algae to a minimum

[amstelgirl]

Shelley is about 7 inches in length. She is in a 75 gallon tank (about half full until we get a sturdier stand) with an internal canister filter and a heater. She has a heat lamp focused on her basking rocks and a 48 inch bulb with canopy over the entire tank. The water temperature is 80 degrees.

Her last home was a 10 or 20 gallon tank with just a regular household light bulb and no heater. When I brought her home, she harder knew how to swim.

Any more info needed?

[Chrisbarnett]

Is the 48" bulb a UVB bulb? you will need one if it isn't.

The water temperature is on the warm side. You should probably lower it to about 74-77.

[amstelgirl]

the bulb is UVB and I have lowered the temp.

[BullDog]

I agree, the water is on the warm side. You said you have an "internal canister filter". Is this a filter that is entirely in the water? Or is the filter outside/under the tank? If it's the former, I suspect that it's not providing enough filtration for your turtle, which can definitely contribute to algae.

Is the UVB bulb have glass underneath it? If so, I'm afraid none of the UVB rays are getting through.

The only other thing, is the tank near a window? The excess light from the window can cause algae in the tank.

A bit of algae on the shell really isn't too big of a deal. If you just give it a gentle scrub once and a while to keep on top of it, then it'll be no problem.

Of course, the key is "gentle", since turtles do have sensitive shells, especially on the seams of the scutes

[amstelgirl]

The UVB bulb does not have glass under it.

The tank is near a window but not in the direct line of the window. There is nothing I can do about that.

The filter is the biggest they had- a fluval for 50 gallons. I plan on getting a canister filter eventually-when I add additional water to the tank.

But if her health isn't in danger, then I won't worry too much. I can scrub the algae off of the shell.

Thanks,

Jennifer

[ILUV_Rocky]

Hi everyone, the same thing just happened to my RES. Its only a little bit not much. I also noticed my water was warm its 81. So I should lower the water temp, and make sure my water cond is, good? I have a bad filter, Im moving him to a 75 gallon tank I just got and ordering an XP3 online.

[mikee]

am-girl -- Your filter should pump at least 5 times the water volume that you have in the tank. Having one for a 50 gallon tank means nothing. That may be for a fish tank and that is not nearly enough.

[industrial_girl_2000]

An old toothbrush works great for brushing the algae off the shell. Brush gently, they won't like it, but it does work. Rinse under regular tap water, being careful not to get it in your turtle's eyes (tap water has chlorine which irritates the eyes). The chlorine in the water will help get rid of the algae too as you brush the shell.