General Care Discussion :: Cloudy Water

[redmeadow]

I know this has been probably posted over and over but I seem to be at wits end with the new tank setup. We inherited a baby turtle 2 weeks ago and it’s 1.5 inches in a 10G tank. We don’t have any substrate or plants in there. We have a new canister filter, water heater, basking dock for it but the water is pretty cloudy. The first week we changed out about 75% of the water and since then I’ve been reading info on forums about cycling so in the past week we changed 25% of the water and rinse out the filter. We also put ½ cap full of the dechlorinate solution and the appropriate amount of Turtle clean solution in but it is still very cloudy. There’s no green or any traces of algae growing anywhere. I’ve read that it could be the tank still cycling so should we be patient and continue to change 25% of water and hope that it eventually clears up? Any suggestions?

[seano997]

When I first took my turtle to the vet I asked her pretty much the same question you have. She said that a full tank cycle could sometimes take up to a month. I would just wait it out and continue with the partial water changes. The cloudiness is usually from bacterial blooms I believe.

[wezeles]

SUBSTRATE!... Although a lot of people like a nice clean tank substrate is key in filtration. It gives the good bacteria and algae a place to grow on and they are what produce the chemicals needed for clear tanks and a healthy filtration...

When i first got into aquariums with fish i had the same problem excellent water changes top of the line filters all the chemicals it needed and still cloudy water...

I found with turts you need plenty of substrate a good layer on the bottom makes all the difference in the tanks.

Now when you do your water changes make sure to get a big gravel sucking hose to change out water... the down side to substrate is it holds in the waste and if not cleaned properly can make ammonia and nitrate levels too high...

aquariums are a science and an acquired skill... I now only do 10-20% water changes once a month and monitor the ammonia and nitrate levels weekly...

The tanks are a breeze to take care of now... an occasional a new filter and small water change and they stay perfectly clear all the time... once in a while you will have to scrub off the algae build up but its easy... Tanks do take time to "setup" usually after 2 weeks to a month you should be in the clear and the water cloudiness should be under control...

I haven't had a cloudy tank in over a year now... all i get is about 6 hours of stirred up debris when i do a filter and substrate cleaning... then its crystal clear once again...

good luck!

[wezeles]

Also NEVER NEVER when you do clean the tank 75% or more water never scrub the glass of the tank clean... The only reason to do this is if your putting a brand new pet inside of it with all new substrate and decorations... in which case you will have to cycle the tank again.

What happens is you actually get a film on the tank of good bacteria and algae that builds up over time, this helps keep the tank clean and gives you the crystal clear water after it has been effected not only in the filter but all over the tank.

When you do start getting green algae, and you probably will if any of the basking light reaches inside the tank at all, just use a soft plastic brush or scrubbing sponge made of plastic to clean the green algae out. Don't scrub the whole wall of the tank just the effected area.

Algae is the most annoying part of cleaning these tanks when they are set and honestly it isn't too bad if your light source is mainly hitting the basking area. I have to scrub my tanks once a month usually do it with a filter change because then the new filter will suck up the bacteria and algae just scrubbed off and help cycle the tank much faster.

[redmeadow]

When we did the 75% water change we didn't scrub the tank at all. Just siphoned the water out and in with the new.

[worldpeace]

wezeles - I have to agree and strongly disagree with what you are saying. Everything you're saying makes sense and is true EXCEPT the gravel in turtle tanks. Gravel is an absolute No! No! because it can cause serious damage if it gets ingested by the turtle.

[wezeles]

For sure world peace!
Never use gravel small enough to for them to eat!
That's why i didn't say gavel just said substrate...

Substrate can be just about anything though...

Most people prefer river rocks for the substrate.
Glass rocks or drips are also good just watch for broken pieces.

I have seen some pull off sand which has proven to be harmless if they ingest it, but its very tricky to use if not done right can clog a filter very quickly and even kill the filter.

Whatever you choose make sure it is larger than there heads or so small it won't have any chance of impacting them.

Then research how to use it and clean it, and make sure you have enough to cover the entire bottom of the tank thoroughly. You will want a good 1/2 inch or more off the bottom covered.

Also make sure you tank can handle it! some tanks don't have tempered bottoms some do the weight on the glass can be too much. Check it out

[mike hill]

Red-dow - Larger tank and larger filter will work better!

[redmeadow]

so it's been 5 days since I've posted and the water is still cloudy but it doesn't smell. I'm going to be changing out 25% of the water today. Does that mean I'm going to have another bacteria bloom resulting in cloudy water forever? Oh and I've added some large river rocks, about 5 of them each being 3"x2" in size for substrate.

[TurtleKeeper48]

What you need to do is to go to the pet store, buy the "master test kit" and test your water every two days while your tank is cycling. Do partial water changes through out the cycle to prevent anything from getting too out of whack. One would suspect that your ammonia may have gotten pretty high, then as it came down your nitrites went up very high and that is when the bacteria bloom that causes the cloudy water started. You should do partial water changes to keep the ammonia in check, then it will start coming down on it's own and nitites will appear and you'll do partial water changes to keep nitrites in check (so you don't get bacteria bloom) until nitrites start coming down on their own and nitrates appear. Then your tank will be cycled.

I just learned this stuff myself because i had to. I've found that all of the reading and in the world can not replace testing your water and letting the results of the test determine how often and how much water to change.

For what it's worth - we have two turtle tanks and both cycle easily without ever having a bacteria bloom... so it might be worth looking into your filter - is it moving enough water and does it provide adequate biologocal filtration?

[jay2487]

TurtleKeeper has got it right. i would also add a couple things. The smaller the harder, especially with a waste emitting machine like a turtle. I read somewhere that one hatchling has the same bioload as 10 1" comet golds. A 10gal tank is going to be a B**** to cycle and even worse to keep in pristine condition. Your going to have to buy bigger anyways might as well do it sooner than later and save yourself a bunch of maintenance. Your turtle will thank you;)
Also, if you have tap water(city water, chlorinated public works water) then you have to dechlorinate it. If you add the tiniest bit of chlorinated water then you might as well empty the whole tank and start again because not only have you killed all the Beneficial Bacteria your trying to grow but you have guaranteed it wont even stat to grow until all the chlorine evaporates. I don't like to use dechlorinators simply because I dont trust it. You may do it right for 100 times, have a well established tank, then one day you slip up and boom all the BB is dead and your starting over again. The exact same thing the chlorine treatment is doing can be accomplished by simply filling up jugs with the amount of water you'll be changing, and letting them sit out for several hours. It will allow all the chlorine to evaporate and if you get into the habit of doing that you will never mess up. As for the substrate, it is true that it gives a great place for bacteria to grow, but of course do not use normal fish gravel from walmart, it is too small and the turtles will eat it and could die. I went to Dunco Materials, it is a national company so I'm sure you can find it. Buy the golf ball sized assorted rocks. You can get a truck bed full for like $20, I knew a guy and got two 5 gallon buckets full for $7. They make it simple to suck turtle sized waste up using a syphon vacuum through the big gaps.

[wezeles]

Even walmart in the garden section has some nice river rocks huge 25-50lb bags cheap.

Good luck!

Don't worry once you get it cycled and running for a bit you will rarely have to deal with this issue again.

Just be patient everyone starting out thinks that cloudy water is dirty water and change it out over and over again causing it to stick around even longer.

And get a test kit for sure, even after it is cycled and running well its a good idea to check to tank once a week or so to make sure the levels are in check. If they are you do not have to change out as much water every time meaning less chance of having to let the tank cycle again.

[redmeadow]

So we're looking at upgrading our filter to a fluval canister. I know we have 10 gal tank now but we're looking into 40-55 gal and we want to have the right filter. Would you recommend a fluval 205 or 305? Or any other suggestions.

[redmeadow]

Ok so I'm reading reviews and consumer reviews are saying that the Penn Plax 1000 is better than the Fluvals.
This is how the standings are in consumer reviews on Petco's site.
1. Penn Plax
2. Eheim
3. Marineland
4. Fluval

any ideas?

[redmeadow]

ok so we just ordered the Filstar XP3