General Care Discussion :: Is the vet Right???

[Skdbrd]

OK the vet told me that the wrong PH in the aquarium could very easily cause the bacteria to grow that causes shell rot??? IS THIS ture....and if soo what is the proper PH for RES's as of now mine is about 7 or 8
shoud I lower it?!!

[cam722]

I thought 7.0 is neutral?

[steve]

7 or 8 is good. Do you know the pH of your tap water? Partial water changes should help balance it out.

[marisa]

Some species of turtles (dbt's, for example) require a specific ph level or they'll develop shell problems. RES, however, can tolerate a fairly wide ph range. That said, around 7 would be good, even a tad lower. Water that's slightly acidic is considered to be better able to prevent bacteria from growing. If your ph level isn't extreme, however, I think the level of cleanliness of the water (achieved through water changes/partial water changes) is more important to the health of your turtle's shell than just looking at the ph level.

[Skdbrd]

well the tank is 75g and i have a Rena xp3 so I guess I have enough filtration.....what do u guys think??

[marisa]

How many gallons do you have in it? How often do you do water changes/partial water changes? Testing for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates would give you a good idea of what the water quality is like.