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for some reason there's an oily film on the surface of the water in my RES's tank. i even tried doing a complete water change and cleaning the whole tank with really dilute bleach and rinsing it really really well then also changing the filter cartridge. my turt still is happy and eating and moving about, so it doesn't seem to be harmful to him. but has anyone encountered this? i don't want it to become a problem! thanks!

Debby and Sesame

is ur tank new? is there much movement in the water? sometimes if the water stays calm for a long time, film will develope, if its a new tank thats normal! if u do the neccessary water kit tests and they all show fine readings, there nothing to be worried about

i've had the tank set up for about 3 months now and this filmyness just appeared about a week ago. i have a pretty good filter in there (for over 2x the tank size) so it moves the water around quite a bit i think. i'm planning on taking a water sample to the pet store tomorrow to get it tested and get my own test kit for future use. i wonder if it could have anything to do with the pH or ammonia or nitrates?

Have you changed the food that your turtle is eating? Offering more than usual? Sometimes the foods you feed or the amounts can contribute to this problem.

hmm i started out giving him 4 nutrafin pellets a day, and have since gradually raised that over a couple of months to 5 and now to 6. maybe i will try feeding him a pellet less the next couple of days. i do feed him in a separate little tank to keep the big tank cleaner, but i offer thin pieces of carrot in his tank to eat at his leisure. would this just have to do with the waste he's producing? thanks for the input.

Try agitating the surface of the water more. What filter are you using?

Do you use water conditioner? Because some stimulate a "slime coat" that looks greasy on top of the water. I think it's harmless, but that's a possibility, I use reptisafe and it makes the water a little filmy on top.

i have a whisper 40i for a 10 gallon tank right now - i have a really little guy, he's not quite 2 inches yet. i don't use a water conditioner, i've been refilling the tank with filtered water, and i've been doing this for 3 months with no problems or filmyness. it's curious why it would just start happening.

i'm going to take a water sample in to the pet store tomorrow to see if any chemical levels are off. and i'll try feeding sesame a pellet less over the next week. maybe 6 is just too much for him right now and his waste is causing the film.

i will keep updating on this strange problem!

sesame wrote:for some reason there's an oily film on the surface of the water in my RES's tank. i even tried doing a complete water change and cleaning the whole tank with really dilute bleach and rinsing it really really well then also changing the filter cartridge. my turt still is happy and eating and moving about, so it doesn't seem to be harmful to him. but has anyone encountered this? i don't want it to become a problem! thanks!

Debby and Sesame

Sometimes my turtle's tank will get this oily film on the water after eating some oily fish for dinner (like salmon). I don't feed her in the tank (have a separate bowl for feeding), but the oily film shows up the next day (from her waste). I don't make it a point to feed her this kind of food every day (it is a treat for her).

The oily film disappears in a day or two without me having to do anything. I should also mention that I use a "waste degrader" (in conjunction with her waterfall filter) in her tank water which helps break down her waste too. This helps keep the water cleaner.

How often do you clean the filter and change the media?

I've found recently that I also have a slight film on the surface of the water. I think part of it is not enough aggitation of the water (the output nozzle is currently pointed semi-down). Although, the way Ralph begs, you'd think that'd be aggitation enough!

Did you eventually get rid of the film?

And update on my tank - Last time I did a partial water change, I aimed the output nozzle upwards, ever so slightly. The film is gone now...

if anyone's paying attention to this post, here's the conclusion i've reached on the filmy water problem.

the film on top of sesame's water is simply a compound that is part of his waste. the water in the tank tested normal for nitrates, ammonia, and pH. i feed him in a separate tank to keep waste in the tank down, and taking his diet down by a pellet for a week hasn't really helped the filmyness. agitation of the water surface, however, will mostly get rid of it (at least for a while). commercial turtle waste remover is only a temporary fix. while it's kinda ugly, on the bright side it is not harmful in any way to the turtle. my little guy is happy, healthy, and playful.

so the best bet here is probably a water agitator if your filter doesn't really push the water around well enough.

hope this helps someone out!

Debby and Sesame