General Care Discussion :: Cloudy Water!!!

[Laineestar]

I am new to the turtle World. MY turtles Tank is very Cloudy. (Not Eating Much). I have 2) A Year and a Half RES. I Cleaned the tank on Teusday but Today the Water is looking alot Worst? Is there anything i put in to clear the water up? I have a Filter in it. I also put a turtle Tab in there yesturday for Nutrients.


Lainee

[Shavannah]

Did you put an aqua safe conditioner in when you filled it back up? What did you use to clean the tank out with? If you use carbon filled filters, did you rinse them in cold water before placing them in the filter? These are the only things I can think of at the moment.

[Laineestar]

I did not use any Water Conditioner because i did not know it was Safe for them? I did rinse the Carbon for the Filter. I think it's because they are not Eating well? There are pieces of Food all over the tank. They Ate the feeder Fish i gave them Yesturday but will not Eat the turtle Pellets. My friend told me they Love the pellets an Ate them 2 times a Day for Her but will not Eat them now? I had the turtles since Saturday. The Water Temp is around 72-75.

Lainee

[Shavannah]

Try to keep your turtles' water at a constant temp, for their age 1 1/2 yrs., 75 is good. Make sure their basking temp is 10 degrees higher, and that they can get completely dry on the dock. Both turtles should be able to fit on the dock together, so one doesn't 'hog' the basking times they both need. Try adding Tetra AquaSafe, follow the directions for the amount of actual gallons of water in your tank. How big is your tank? For each turtle, they should have 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, not including the curve. So, for 2 turtles, double that. Just make sure the water level doesn't allow them a chance to climb out. The conditioner will help remove chlorine and chloramine and heavy metals. I add it when doing a complete tank clean, upon refill before I put the turtle back in. If you don't want to clean it again, since you just did, take the turtles out for a little while when you add the conditioner to let it cycle through the filter. It may be safe to leave them in, I don't know for sure. Maybe the best thing is to just empty the water, wipe it out with paper towels and refill it and add the conditioner.
Someone else may have another idea, if you want to wait for other's suggestions. But the chlorine and chloramine in the water definitely needs to be removed. Let us know how it goes!

[Shavannah]

Also, use a fish net or turkey baster for smaller pieces, and remove the excess food daily. Only feed your turtles pellets every other day or 3 days, enough to fit into their heads if they were empty. Give them fresh vegetables daily. There's a list in the Nutrition section 'Sticky'. Make sure both are eating a similar amount. Some people take their turtles out one at a time and feed in a rubbermaid or plastic tub with a little water for swallowing. Since you have 2 turtles, this may be a good idea. They do their 'bodily excretions' after eating, so this will help keep your tank cleaner. Just rinse out the tub after each turt is finished. You should only feed once a day, around the same time each day.

[Laineestar]

They are in a 10 Gallon Tank for now? I have a 55 gallon tank i want to put them in but i need to get something to put it on? I was thinking about moving them into the living Room because it's about 5 Degrees Warmer in there.


Lainee

[Shavannah]

Do you have other pets? If not, you can put it on the floor temporarily. Fill it up with water for a 'test run' to make sure it doesn't leak if you got it used. And make sure it's placed out of 'high traffic' areas and away from vents or drafts. They need a lot more water than 10 gallons. Set it up as soon as you can. Read the Basic Care section on the main site page, it will help you to know what they need in terms of basking area, lighting, filtration, etc. Go to the Photo Gallery section to get ideas too. Post some pics when you get it done. We love seeing the turtles and their set ups! Do you have any pics you could post of your turts now? Make sure not to use any gravel or rocks that are small enough to fit in their mouths. What genders are your turtles? If you have a female, read up on 'nesting areas', but that will come as she gets older. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask, we're always here to help if we can.

[Laineestar]

I don't have any pets but i have a 2 year old? I don't mind setting it up on the floor but i don't reall know where it will go right now? I have to make room. We have a really Drafty house in the Winter. I have no Idea what Genders they are? They do have some Gravel in the Tank.I don't think they can Swallow it? I have a hooded light for now. The kind that you have on the top of Fish tanks. I don't know if that is ok or not? i will Post Pichures soon. Thanks so much for the info!!!!

Lainee

[cprcheetah]

With a tank that small and 2 turtles it's bound to get cloudy. They are probably adjusting to their new home since you mentioned you've only had them since saturday. Water Conditioner is generally safe (look on the bottle). If not the chlorine in tap water can irritate their eyes/systems. I would get them in a bigger tank as soon as you can. Turtles generally need 10 Gallons per inch of shell. Also do they have anywhere to bask? Do they have a basking light? If not you are going to get shell rot. Follow Shavannahs advice and read the main site, as well as all the stickies it will help you learn the basics of good turtle care.

[Laineestar]

I don't think i have seem them Bask yet? I Sit on the Rocks for a few Seconds then go back into the Water. I was at the pet Store and i got this stuff Called turtle Waste Eliminater.I am going to see if that will Clear the Water up? They did not have any Water Cond. The only light they have is the Light on the Hood.

Lainee

[cprcheetah]

I got some of the Turtle Clean from the pet store and it helped not visibly but helped the ammonia and nitrite/nitrate levels in my aquarium. The tank Zekes in has been set up for 2 weeks now and has not had a water change, no issues of cloudy water except when the filter got clogged. But unclogged it is working great now. What kind of filter do you have and what size tank is it rated for? Generally want one at least 2X the size of your tank. Turtles produce a lot of waste. My boy eats his unless I get to it first....gross but that's what they do in the wild sometimes too. Do you have fish in the tank with them?

You need to get them a separate basking light. The hood light is not adequate.
This talks about the basking spot
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14
This talks about proper lighting for turtles
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10

Here is some more in depth information from the basic care site:
Lighting/Basking
http://www.redearslider.com/index_lighting_basking.html
Water Quality
http://www.redearslider.com/index_water_quality.html

[SpotsMama]

Another good water conditioner is called Reptisafe. It's bright blue and comes in a plastic bottle. Did you see anything that looked like that? If the pet store is stocking turtle waste eliminator they ought to be stocking Reptisafe too. Is there another store around that might have it in stock?

When a filter is new the water will sometimes get cloudy at first but then clear up. In your case, though, a 10 gallon tank is really small for two turtles and it will be impossible to keep its water clean.

[Laineestar]

I saw the Reptisafe stuff but i did not get it? I will be going back in a few Days. My Freind had them for the last year and She said the Water was always Clear. Unless it's my Water?i do not have any Fish in with them. I had some Feeders but they te them. It's a small Filter. Not sure what kind? How much Water should i have in the Tank? I have about 4 inches. Some Gravel on the bottom of the Tank. I have Large Pebbles for the Basking Area. I will take Pichures Tomarrow and show You?


Lainee

[turtlesrock77]

You should fill the tank up as much as possible without allowing them to escape. They love to swim! How small is the gravel? Any rocks you have should be larger than the turtles head because if they eat it (which they probably will eventually) it can hurt their digestive systems. At least that's what I gather from things I've read...

[steve]

Laineestar, a small 10 gallon tank with your turtles is going to produce dirty water fast. Even with a filter, small ones are not really enough to keep a small amount of water clear. Gravel doesn't help since it traps waste (and as mentioned above - it is also a health hazard). If they also eat inside their tank, as opposed to a separate feeding container, you can expect the water to become dirty even faster. Just a note: Stick with regular and frequent changes for a small tank. Adding water condition is safe, but it's main purpose is to remove chlorine or neutralize chloramines. I advise against using other chemicals, like Turtle Clean, even though people have had success with it.