Habitat - Indoor :: How to prevent moldy smell?

[Parker's owners]

We have a juvenile Painted turtle. For the first few months his tank was fine, but now, even after changing the water every week at which time the tank, styrofoam floating log, underwater bricks and rock (for a cave) are scrubbed. The tank has a heater, filtration system, and Zoomed UV flourescent light. The smell is somewhat better after it's weekly water change, but never completely gone now.

What can we do?

[BullDog]

What size is the tank and how many gallons is the filter rated for?
A tank that is too small and a filter that is inadequate can make it smelly...

[Parker's owners]

Our turtle has a carapace of about 4 inches across and he is in a 20 gallon tank that is filled with 10 gallons of water. The filter is a 20 gallon filter.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yup, there's your problem. You need at least 10 gallons for each inch of shell, so you need at least a 40 gallon tank, mostly filled, to keep up with your turtle. You are probably also stunting the growth by keeping him in a smaller tank. Your filter, you want it rated to exchange 5 times the number of gallons per hour, so if you have a 40 gallon tank, you want it rated to exchange at least 200 gallons per hour. I have a 40 gallon tank, filled with 30 gallons of water, my filter exchanges 350 gallons per hour, and no stinky tank!

[hdaisog]

Once you upgrade the tank and if you still have issues with the smell, try some different filter media. Usually a combination of carbon, filter pads, and ceramic rings works well.

[Parker's owners]

Thank you for your suggestions. At the local pet supply supply place, they have 40 gallon turtle tanks that can be filled half way (and the filter and UV light can be placed in it easily). But half way would only be 20 gallons. The other choices were fish tanks - there was a 40 gallon tank that could be filled most of the way, but it wouldn't accommodate the filter, light, and floating log as simply - would need some rigging up to do that. Should we keep looking for another tank, or go with the 40 gal filled half way? What would you suggest for our 4" shelled turtle whose tank always smells?

(We will be getting the more powerful filter that moves 330 gallons.)

Thanks again for your help for our smelly tank situation.

[TheComputerGremlin]

You only have the one turtle? I'd go with a 55-90 gallon FISH tank, don't bother with those "turtle" tanks, they are overpriced and can't be filled fully. A 90 gallon tank filled halfway I think would be around 50 gallons, which would be fine with your filter. And it will allow room for you to expand as your turtle gets bigger. Look around Craigslist and your local newspaper, spring cleaning is here and people will want to get rid of huge tanks. (And most turtle tanks have some weird filter/lighting rigging, nothing is made that's ideal, so when you take pictures, you can just neglect photographing the top!)

[Bumby's Mom]

Get the biggest tank you have room for and can afford. You can also go with a rubbermaid stock tank which will cut your price in half or more and they don't weigh as much as the glass does.