General Care Discussion :: Maintaining the Tank

[mkukielka]

Hello,

I am a 2 week old turtle owner and have a couple of questions for the veterans out there. I have 2 turtles, 1 male and 1 female. Both are about 6-7 inches. I have a 40 gallon tank and am going to be buying one of the FilStar filters for better performance. With that said, how often should I be changing the water in the tank and how much water should be changed? Also, how fast can I expect the turtles to grow?

Thanks for your help!

[rsour24]

they should grow about an inch per year or so, slows down the older they get. also you should get a bigger tank, the turtles you have should be in a 120 gallon tank minimum. so an upgrade is very much do. change the water every 2 weeks. id do 25%-50% if you keep them in the 40 gallon. filter should not be cleaned for the first month so beneficial bacteria can develop. i have one of the filters you will be buying. i have the xp3 version, the only thing i dont like about it is that i should have gone with an xp4. i dont need it but would have been nice to have.

[mkukielka]

Ok I just bought a 120 gallon tank. How often do you suggest changing the water in this size tank and how much water should I change? Is there a limit to how deep the water should be? I've read mixed reviews on the rena xp4 filter. Everyone says it filters great but isn't good for turtles because they can get stuck on it and drown.... is this valid?

Also, if the water looks clear but smells a little, is that just the "good" bacteria growing?

Thanks for you help!

[vear]

Ok I just bought a 120 gallon tank. How often do you suggest changing the water in this size tank and how much water should I change? Is there a limit to how deep the water should be? I've read mixed reviews on the rena xp4 filter. Everyone says it filters great but isn't good for turtles because they can get stuck on it and drown.... is this valid?

Also, if the water looks clear but smells a little, is that just the "good" bacteria growing?

Thanks for you help!

You shouldn't need to change the water very often with a tank this size, I have a 75 gallon and I change about 1/4 of water every 3 weeks. Depends on you filter and your beneficial bacteria I guess. You'll see for yourself once your tank is established how often you need to change the water. You should fill the tank as high as you can without allowing the turtles to escape. You can build an atba (above tank basking area) for them and fill the tank almost to the top.

I actually own an xp4 and I love it! I think turtle drownings are most common with smaller turtles, but you say yours are about 6". If you're concerned about it, you can silicone the strainer of the input tube so it won't come off.

By the way, if the water smells you can do partial water changes everyday (while your tank cycles), it'll bring the ammonia levels down. Also, carbon in your filter helps a lot with the smell. Some people don't use it, but I do - if not my apt. smells like turtle. The carbon needs to be replaced every couple of months. The sponge and biological media shouldn't be replaced.

Good luck! Your turtles will be a lot happier in that nice big tank!