General Care Discussion :: Clear Film Developing ?? Help!!

[JNZBCBnLIL]

I feel like an awful mama to my baby RES because since my recent upgrade in the setup there has been a clearish film developing on the water and it seems a little on his shell- it's slimy and doesn't seem to be bothering the little guy because he's been swimming around more then ever and is getting more and more used to my boyfriend and i being around- here are a few of the things that changed in the upgrade (see photo gallery for photos "My Lil One- Completely New to This *UPDATED PICS*)- I got him a new basking area from Petsmart, a new 60 watt basking light, new rocks that are bigger (we ran all of them under water and dried them off before putting them in the tank), a new filter, and some amazon swords! I want to fix the problem asap so please let me know what this could mean and what I can do to fix it!

[N4784N R4613]

What brand of water conditioner do you use? Some will stimulate the development of a "slime coat" which is for amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, etc.). This should not be harmful to the turtles because the water conditioner is for reptiles, and amphibians. Also the film on the water might be from using to much water conditioner.

This is just my guess you should wait until someone with more knowledge posts.

[missibsu]

The water conditioner is a good guess. How much are you putting in the water? The amount could also be a factor.

What kind of pellets do you offer? Some pellets can leave a film.

Did you rinse everything that went into your tank?

[CountryGirl68]

What kind of filter do you have? Is it new? I've always experienced that with new filters. Usually, I have to rewash the entire filter within a week to get rid of the film in the water. I think it has something to do with the grease that is used to lubricate the filter motor.

[grey goose]

I get a film evey once in a while too. I think it might come from uneaten food (lettuce is suspect #1, as its in there all day). But I just run the aerator for about an hour, and it clears up.

[Andrew7769]

you could get a air pump or a small powerhead to stir up the water enough so the film dissapears

[TurtleFreak 65]

It could be skin from his shell when he was shedding, or could even be the outter layer of poo.

[sneakyburrito]

that layer of film is not skin from their shells. its the leftover turtle food. i had this film problem happen in my tank when i first got my turtles. all i did was change a filter cartridge, and wash the inside of the filter and all my problems were solved.

[Andrew7769]

or it could be undissolved water conditioner, do you add the conditioner directly to the tank or do you mix it in with a water change?

[marisa]

What kind of filter are you using? If the surface of the water isn't sufficiently agitated, a film can develop. Excess/uneaten food in the tank (some pellets that are more oily) can also contribute to a film on the water.

How often do you change the water and clean the filter and tank?

[sneakyburrito]

if your willin to spend some money to further agitate you water. you could buy a power head for like. 15 bucks. it moves water very well. Your turtles could even have a little fun and ride the current lol

[flutterby]

I bet even a simple bubble wand and a pump would work if money is an issue.

[JNZBCBnLIL]

I think it may be because the filter is not aggitating the surface like it should- it's underwater and just barely bubbles the surface! but is working great at cleaning the tank- I have a 55 gallon filter for a 20 gallon tank! We're going to clean out the tank tonight (we do every weekend so far) and so we'll be sure to clean the filter out as well- just in case it's from the filter itself! We feed him ZooMed hatchling aquatic turtle food- is that oily? It seems every weekend I'm going to buy him something new for his tank but i'm sure I'll get this right soon enough! lol I'm going to try a device like a bubble wand or whatever else you guys suggested to aggitate the top of the water since the filter isn't doing it. OoO and I add the conditioner to the bottom of the bucket I use to change his water before I even put the water in there so it's mixed really well! Thanks for all the advice! I hope I can get this right sooner then later!

[N4784N R4613]

I use that same food and I am pretty sure thats what is making my water surface oily. You should try feeding him in a separate container after you clean the tank and filter out. There may still be some oil in the filter and on the tank, so it could take a few weekend cleanings before it is completely gone.

[Allusion5275]

I had a similar problem with mine. Turned out my problem was algae. It formed what looked like soap scum on the top of the water. Clear with a slightly whitish coloring. Anyway, I got some Algae-Fix at the advise of the folks on the board and it cleared it right up.

I spoke with several turtle vets and a turtle breeder about water conditioners. All of them were of the opinion that water conditioners usually hurt more than help. The small amounts of chlorine generally don't bother turtles and they do keep the microorganisms more in check.

I go with sort of an in the middle view on it. When I do a change I add the following to my tank.

Water conditioner (1/3 the reccomended amount)
Algae-Fix (normal amount)
Turtle Clean

I am able to get by with a partial water addition/change about every 2 weeks. I drain the water down to about half the normal volume it is when it is full then add in the fresh to bring it up to full. I do a full water change maybe once a month but usually a bit longer.

Luke