General Care Discussion :: Turtle Poop

[SINI5T3R]

Anyone have any tricks to get all the turtle poop and waist at the very bottom of tanks without buying one of those things that cleans tank gavel? I dont want to take all the water out but i may have too if i cant get all the waist and food and crap off the bottom of the tank

[imderanged]

I scoop with a fish net. I think some people use a turkey baster.

[SINI5T3R]

Yeah I got alot out with the fish net myself but it didnt work too good, so i took about 80% water out and got the rest with like a plastic cup.. worked okay...

[Azfar]

I used fish net.

[rfjedi]

My koi eat it

[TurtleKeeper48]

Wait, do you have gravel on the bottom?

[jameshermanto]

my pleco eat it

[papoopeepoo]

before i had a koi to eat it, i used to use some extra vinyl tubing, started a siphon and sucked it up into a bucket.

[myboyblue]

Turkey Baster

[marisa]

Ditto to above for small tanks. A long-handled net for large tanks.

[svaughan]

The gravel "vacuums" for fish poop don't work properly for turtle poop because it is typically heavier than the gravel and the vacuums are too weak, even when broken up. I've had two RES turtles for 14 years and I did away with gravel around year four. I've consulted with several vets over the years and they all recommend doing away with gravel for the sake of your turtle's health (they will eat it, and re-eat it, and re-eat it...) and for the improved water quality.
If you want the tank to look nice, I would suggest river rocks if your turtles are small enough that they won't move them around and crack the glass. Once they get full-size you will benefit from having no rocks at all, or flat rocks from a rock quarry lining the base, but the turtles really don't care as long as they have some climbing/basking areas.

[LadyMiracle]

I have one of those siphoning tube things and it does not work at all. Ill have to try that Turkey Baster thing though.

[savage Rock]

i extended my filter out take bar to sit at the bottom of one side of my tank & my intake bar on the other side so that all the poop floats with the current and will eventually get sucked in to the filter. works well but is obviously not a quick solution. i learned it from user KevinG from one of the threads in the 'equipment reviews'

the pleco also helps, along with the soon to be addition of a cory catfish