General Care Discussion :: need help..to see if cleaning and feeding thing is right

[PenTurtle]

I've had Crush since 12/28/06, and have had a problem with green water ever since. I've cleaned his tank almost every 4 days since the end of december. I've been doing alot of reading on this lately, and i've heard all the suggestions of a separate feeding bin..of which after tonights cleaning..I am trying that now. Also, when i put the clean water back into the tank, before i put the last two pails in, i put the water conditioner in, and the water didn't turn out as cloudy as it normally was. I think by doing that, it mixed the conditioner around in the water. I have two whisper filter, and and air filter. yes..a total of three filters in this tank. Right now, Crush seems very happy..i just took him out to give him food, and he did eat a little, but then got very agitated, and i put him back in the tank. He's swimming around in the plastic plants and seems to be happy. He hasn't sat on his basking spot yet, but i figure he's just happy to have clean water, so he's enjoying it! LOL I truely hope this works. cleaning this tank every 4 days is too much work. but i am determined to get this right! Any suggestions will be helpful!
thank you!

Penny

[JNZBCBnLIL]

how big is your tank? what kind of food do you feed him? what kind of conditioner are you using? do you take the plants out and wash them under hot water when you clean the tank? do you clean the filters out everytime you clean the tank?

I don't know a lot about water conditions but these are some questions those who do will probably want to know!

[steve]

How many gallons is the tank? Is there exposure to sunlight? How long are the tank lights on for?

[PenTurtle]

I have a 75 gallon breeder tank, that's only a little less than 1/2 full. The tank is sitting in a corner with a narrow small window to it's left, but a big window to it's right. but he doesn't receive any direct sunlight. I do keep the uv light, i believe a 130 or 150 watt, is on all the time. gosh..i hope that's not wrong. please let me know soon..i want to keep him happy and alive. I have a warming light, but someone suggested that that light might be the one making the water green. So I haven't been using it lately. but since this place here is the guru of information..i'm going to start taking my suggestions here. hope this gives you enought info..let me know what you think! Thank you!

[PenTurtle]

Just saw the 1st post..i'll answer those questions too..I have Turtle Clear, but did not put that in last nite when i cleaned out the tank. by the way, the water was very clear this morning! last nite i put in a water clarifier and Aquasafe made by Tetra Aqua. I have three different kinds of foods, but have only been feeding him the Aquatic Turtle Food by Pretty Petts, they are different colored pellets. I also give him, Reptile premium sticks by wardley, and sometimes, the reptomin by tetra fauna. we were thinking that reptomin was turning the water green, because they are green, but i don't know if we are just foolish or not. Every time i clean the tank, i clean the filters, and sometimes, i just clean the filters like every other day. I wash the plants and the dock off when i clean the tank, but i haven't been using hot water, just warm water. hope this answers all your question..i need the help! Thank you!

[steve]

Lighting times should be similar to season. So they need to be off at night. And even if the tank is not in direct sunlight, it can be very strong and will reflect off objects. What brand is the 130/150 bulb? Mercury vapor bulbs provide UVA, UVB and heat... I've seen them at 100W and 160W. They are big and cost around $50 online.

If you have a fluorescent bulb, they only provide UVA and UVB but not heat. They are very low wattage. I don't have any hands on experience with the kind of filters you have, but stronger filtration is recommended.

[missibsu]

Are you offering any kind of veggies? Introducing them when you are attempting to make a feeding switch might not be the best, but the veggies will help improve his overall diet. The sooner the better.

Sounds like you are getting the hang of things!