General Care Discussion :: benign neglect??

[kikicool]

Hi there. So I am a bit fastidious with the turts, normally. Usually, I vaccuum the tank every day for extra food particles and poops. I change the water, about 20% about once a week. Then once a month, I do a full change and scrub everything inside and out.

Well. As of recent, I've been swamped with work (which is a good thing, kind of). And I have been terrible about keeping up the maintenance. I finally did hte full water change after about 6-8 weeks!! (gulp). And I cleaned everything.

The tank was a bit stinky, it's true, because I had been barely keeping up with the vaccuming. Anyhoo, here's my question. I've had Hermie for about 3-4 years. This is the FIRST time I've seen him shed full scutes! They're here, there, on the floor of the tank. I know this is GOOD for him. My question is, is it better to let the tank get a little funky? I'm wondering if this led to his growth spurt!

Thanks!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Okay, first, lost scutes don't mean growth, so don't associate the loss of the scutes to mean that he's growing. Growth is gradual, over time. Being that your turtle is 3-4 years old at least, no more spurts. Any lost growth is just that, lost. Calcium will help with the gradual growth, though, so make sure he's got cuttlebone pieces.

Most of the people on the board have filters, which you didn't mention. Using a filter, you won't need to do that sort of cleaning. In fact, if you have a good filter, you only need to clean the tank fully and completely when it gets really bad, maybe once a year actually. You can continue with the 20% water changes, but you won't need them as frequently either.

I wouldn't recommend letting the tank get funky, per se, but get yourself a good filter and let it do the work for you.

[kikicool]

Oh I do have a filter--a good canister filter. I just didn't realize that changing PART of the water was good enough. Good to know! I have always provided cuttlebone and a varied diet, and the right lighting and temp etc.

He wasn't a baby when I got him, so I'm not sure just how old he is. You think he's done growing at 3-4 years? I always thought they grew their whole life span. Not so?

[Nin10doGC]

I'm pretty sure it isn't a good idea to do a full change.... there are certain bacteria or something that help with water quality and smells I think, if a tank gets a good cycle it maintains itself pretty well from what I understand.

[megcornell]

Kiki- partial water changes are the best thing you can do for a tank. If you do a full water change you wipe out the beneficial bacteria which help cycle the water. In essence before you had been completely wiping out the biological component of your filtration.
The way I handle my turtles' tanks is to do partial water changes (like 25% or a little more) every two or three weeks and to add extra water every other day or so to account for evaporation. You can do partial water changes more or less frequently depending on how dirty your water gets.

As for the growth, turtles grow the fastest their first year of life but they do continue to grow afterwards. I'm not sure if they always grow, but for the first decade at least, they are getting to their 9-12 inches.

[SpotsMama]

Just in case there's any misunderstanding - changing the water and cleaning the filter are two separate issues. A good canister with a adequately sized tank needs to be cleaned every month or six weeks. Clean the bio media (stars, rings and sponges), by rinsing them in tank water so as not to kill or wash away all the beneficial bacteria growing on them. Replace the carbon and micro filter pads (if you're using them). Rinse the container thoroughly. The whole process takes around 20 minutes for my XP3.

[mikee]

K-cool Your partial water changes are good but take a look at your water exchange in regards to your filter pump. You need to make sure that you have at least a 5 times the amount of water you have in your tank. Don't let your tank get dirty as clean water means good health for your turtles. I do my water changes every couple of months and clean my filter every month to five weeks. Good Luck! m.

[kikicool]

Thanks guys for all the tips! So good to know--it will make my life SO much easier

Mikee: what do you mean about water exchange? What should have 5 times the amount of water in my tank? Thanks!

K

[Arisu]

I think he means the GPH rate (gallon per hour) for your filter. The general 'rule' for turtle filtration is using a filter than can cycle 5x the amount of water in your tank within an hour.

(Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong)

[kikicool]

Oh, okay! Yes, mine is for a bigger tank than I have. Good!

[mikee]

KiKi - I did not complete my thought on that one. What I mean by "5" times: I mean you need to have a filter pump that exchanges your water in the tank at least 5 time per hour. I would consider that a minimum. Turtle need a lot more water turn over than fish as they poo a lot more. When referring to a larger tank that still my not be large enought You have to think of gph when it comes to turtles. Twice some number or three times some number may not be large enough. Check with the manufacturer to see how many gph your filter pumps puts out. Thanks, ARsu. m.

[kikicool]

I just checked that out, and looks like I'm good. Think I was just changing everything too often.

[ytse411]

Ok everyone - is what I've been doing for 15 years not the best method?

Magnum 350 filter - about once a month I dismantle the whole thing and clean all the pieces in tap water as they are all mucked up... I replace the blue spongy filter as it's completely nasty and I won't clean or reuse that! ...clean out the tubes, etc.. dump out the activiated carbon and add new carbon.

Drain and fill the tank with tap water. I'll add water every 2 weeks or so..but sometimes it does get stinky. I really think she likes fresh new water!

no?

[marisa]

How big is the tank? I do partial water changes, but every once in a great while all water is removed and fresh water is put in. I think, unless you're dealing with a really huge enclosure that can approximate a biosystem, at some point a total water change is necessary. Resuable media should be rinsed out and kept in the "old" tank water until the filter is ready to be used again.

[ytse411]

150 gal, but only about 75-80 gal of water in it... ugh..so if I rinse out the filter, the tank water will turn icky, smell, etc.. yuck!
I guess I could try it...would save $$...WHY are foam filter thingies so freaking expensive?! It's FOAM!!!