General Care Discussion :: Water Water Water!

[bassoongirl1]

I've tried to read the section the main page about the water quality... but i havent had much luck! So... can someone tell me what type of water i should be using? Sorry if this is a stupid question!
Right know i have a rather small tank, so i clean it about once a week and refill with distilled water. Is that okay?
Also, I am hoping to upgrade to a bigger tank soon and i've heard about partial cleaning of the water. Can someone explain to me what that is, how it works and if i need any materals for that?
Please and thank you!

[mikee]

This is a short explanations of the bacteria process. What we are trying to do is duplicate nature which is very difficult. Some of us get closer than others. Stick to the basics and you will do well.

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/biologicalfiltrat.htm

[bassoongirl1]

but that is on the filteration, what type of water should i put in the tank?

[ohsnapitscharity]

i use water straight from the tap. put it in the tank and let the heater warm it before adding the turtles. takes an hour or two. ive had no problems doing this and both my turtles are healthy. they are RES

[bassoongirl1]

okay. what is the temp that you heat them too? the normal required water temp?

[BiteyBits]

You can use tap water it will be fine- you should use a water conditioner for tap water. Look for one that 'neutralizes' chlorine, chloramine, and hard water/minerals. Tap water is usually treated with chlorine or chloramine to kill bacteria, but the chemical can irritate a turtle's eyes. Or, you can leave out the tap water in a container for about a day and the chlorine will evaporate.

For partial cleaning, it means that you take some water out and replace it with fresh water. That's because it gets dirty, but you don't need to replace all of it every time that will prevent the filter from cycling and stress the turtles.

Basic supplies- a siphon, i suggest a self starting one or the popular python. The python attaches to a faucet and drains the water right out. I use a self starting siphon and a bucket. Fill the bucket with water from the tank using the siphon to pick up debris from the bottom of the tank, dump water, repeat until enough water is gone then replace the water with fresh water. I take my turtles out of the tank when I do this and place them in a secure container so they don't freak out.

Ohsnap is right, let the water heat up.


When I first got my turtles I used distilled then spring water(spring has trace minerals that are good for you) until I got all my supplies.

[BiteyBits]

How big is your tank and your turtle? Do you have filter/heater etc?

[bassoongirl1]

BiteyBits, thank you for your information!
im pretty sure my tank is only 5 gallons (i know its reallllllly small!!)
my turtle is about 1 1/2 - 2 inches - meaning i REALLY needd to get a knew tank!
i do have a water filter but its bad so i have to clean the water on a regular basis
but i do not have a heater, the water seems to stay pretty warm since there isnt much & i have a heating bulb with adds to the water heat.

i know my tank sounds like its not suitable, but i research things every night! I am in the process of finding a new filter and a new tank. Franklin seems to be happy with his home, though, because i havent noticed any abnormal behavior.

[mikee]

Any potable water that has been dechlorinated will be ok. Hard water will cause spots on the glass. You need a larger tank using the 10 gallons per inch for a guide. Purchasing a larger tank at this point will prevent you having to up buy at each stage off growth. Choose your filter accordingly. Try and stick to the turtle rules of the road and you will do fine.

[BiteyBits]

bassongirl, you're welcome! When you get a bigger tank also get a thermometer so you can see what the temperature is. I heard there's a $1 / 1gallon sale at Petco for tanks up to 55gal, until July something . . . 17 I think there's a post on here somewhere about it. It's a great chance to upgrade on the cheap!
Good luck