Habitat - Indoor :: cloudy water?

[diesel]

hi: i am new to this forum and need some help. i have owned a RES for 17 years and have never had a problem with his health or water until now. recently, i changed his water, cleaned his tank, cleaned the gravel and his basking rocks and set him up like i have for the past 17 years and the next day, his water was stinky and cloudy, like milk. i use an fluval 3 carbon submersible filter, a submersible heater (average 78 degrees), 20gal tall tank, carapace of 8 inches and despite the water condition, he seems happy. it is me who is not! he is shedding right now and im wondering if the water is too warm for him. this seems like a great forum and open to all feedback. thank you.

turtledove and diesel
cape cod, mass.

[LurycNitsuj]

Welcome! well, for a turtle that big the tank is much too small and that could be one reason as to why the water is so cloudy or dirty.

[BullDog]

As Lucy said, the tank is quite small for a big turtle.

For the water condition, it sounds like new tank syndrome. This happens when you do a full water change. It takes a few days, or even up to a week, for the beneficial bacteria to build up.

If you haven't already, have a browse at the main site, www.redearslider.com
It's never too late to learn something new about your RES

[TheComputerGremlin]

I would give it a couple days, maybe check out your filter media. It is also possible, depending on where you live, that the tap water may have changed. I know that in two of the three areas that I've lived, around the first of the year is when they decide to boost the chlorine levels. My water is constantly milky until the chlorine gets out.

[mikee]

BD -- I am inclined to agree with you. The tank is too small and the filter is certainly too small. -- Diesel -- You should consider an 80 gallon tank at the rule of thumb is 10 gallon per inch. In your present situation I would suggest that you start over and when you get a hint of cloudiness make a 50% water change and do that until you get it back to normal. From what you have said you are lucky that this has not happened before now. Good Luck !!

[diesel]

hi RES folks. thanks for the feedback and suggestions. i conclude that i am dealing with 'new tank syndrome' after all. i did do the 50% water exchange trick with no improvement. i have well water so the source is consistant and i do know that the tank is to small for my boy. also, i have used the same filtering system for years with no problem - i guess i have been lucky. i am going to put him in a smaller tank for a couple of days, set up his original tank and let it de-chlorinate and look for a larger tank at the local swap shack, as i live 100 miles from the closest pet store.

thank you all!

turtledove and diesel

[TheComputerGremlin]

For finding a new tank, I don't know where you live, but you can check Craigslist or look online to find some good prices. You can also keep him in a really big Rubbermaid container for the time being, until you can get him a bigger tank.

[BullDog]

I agree with Gremlin. You can get a 50gal rubbermaid container for less than $10 at any big box store or hardware store. That should last a few months while you have a look around for a tank. Your other option is to look at stock tanks. You can get them at any farm supply store. I was looking at them recently, and the 100gal stock tank was just over $100. Can't get a cheaper option than that!

I wouldn't put him in a smaller tank if I were you, since the 20gal is already cramped. The cloudy water isn't overly harmful to your turt if you do a partial water change every day (like maybe 25%).

[diesel]

hey RES peeps:

i love the idea of a giant rubbermaid, 50 gal bucket until i find a giant aquarium and buy a giant heater and filter. i will miss seeing him, as he comes to me for food in the glass tank. in the meanwhile, i am trying to let his tank stabilize without him in it. i like this site and am grateful for the advise i have received. thanks. diesel and turtledove.

[mohamadfar]

use carbon active on your filter to romove cloudy