General Care Discussion :: quick question

[mikeandmurdock]

murdock jumped out of my hand today and fell on the floor upside down. he seems fine, swimming and eating normally. would i know if there was something wrong with him right away? also do you think i could put my tank in the dishwasher to clean it?


-mike

[the_orphaned]

Mine did that also before. Just observe him for any signs of injury. Also, try and see if there are any shell injuries lie fractures and the like. What is your floor surface made of? Wood? Tiles? Cement? Just check for minor fractures and cracks because those can be very dangerous for him.

Tank in the dishwasher? Either you have a really small tank or a really huge dishwasher... but no, hand clean the tank. Dont and never try to wash it with the dishwasher...

[scripta_elegans]

DO NOT put the tank in the dishwasher. There is soap residue in there if you can see it or not. How far did the turtle fall? Was it on carpet? If it was a long way and a hardwood florr, I might go to the vet just to be sure. If it was a short fall on thick carpet, he's probably fine.

[mikeandmurdock]

i have a wood floor. ill check to see if there are any cracks, it was like 3 foot fall.

i have a 10 gallon tank, it can fit in there. I noticed that Ive been cleaning the tank like 1x a week. is that normal? Maybe my filter isnt powerful enough?

[cprcheetah]

I agree....don't put your tank in the dishwasher....soap residue.

[steve]

How big the turtle and how big is the tank?

[mikeandmurdock]

there is no cracks that i can see. hes about 1 1/2 inches.

[Hoooneylynn]

Plus, think of the bacteria that could be left behind in your dishwasher.. You wouldn't want salmonella or anything else on your dishes. It is possible, you can't get rid of everything. Even when I take my turtle out of the tank and dry her off with a dish towel, I don't even wash the towel. I throw it away within like two weeks and get a new one from the dollar store... Don't want that stuff in my wash machine or on my clothes.

[the_orphaned]

Is the water clear? Or are you just trying to get rid of the "crap" that your turt leaves around? Is it algae? If its just the water, drain the tank leaving only an inch of water or so using a pump and just put in na fresh batch of water.

I clean my tank every 7-10 days to maintain it. Its not that the water is actually dirty, but just a "best practice" thing since they (turtles) would want clean water as well to drink. Since they pee and crap in the water, I would clean it on a regular basis so the salmonella build up wont be as bad since thats how the bacteria develops quickly.

Also, smaller tank means that you have to clean it more often so i suggest you getting a bigger tank so you wont have to clean it as much.

[mikeandmurdock]

well there is green stuff on the bottom of the tank. the top of the water kinda looks oily. dont really have room for a bigger tank. apartments in brooklyn are only so big.

[the_orphaned]

Hmmm, looks lie you have an algae problem for the green stuff. Too much light? Can you post a pic of your setup with an area shot?

As for the oil problem, I think its due to the food that you feed your turt. What do you feed him anyway?

As for the tank size, you'll eventually want to get him a bigger tank if you want a healthy turt. Remember, 10 gallons for every inch of shell.

[mikeandmurdock]

ive always fed him reptomin.