Habitat - Indoor :: High Ammonia Levels

[sweetnspoiled55]

i just checked the ammonia levels on my turtles tank, and they were extremely high. I just changed the water yesterday, and the smell is so bad. i have a Rena XP3 filter, so i would think it should be working just fine on my 40 gallon tank. this happens often, right before i change the water it smells, then after i change it, it smells, and then seems to go away a few days later. is there something im doing wrong??

[SpotsMama]

When you changed the water did you also clean the filter? And if you cleaned the filter did you wash the bio media (rings, stars, sponges) in regular water or tank water?

If you wash the bio media in regular water (like tap water) you wash away all the good bacteria that make the bio filter work. Since the bio filter is what transforms ammonia and nitrites into harmless components, when it's not working the ammonia rises really quickly.

How many turtles do you have in the 40 gallon tank? What size are they? If there's too much turtle in there the filter may be struggling to deal with the heavy load of ammonia.

[sweetnspoiled55]

I only have one turtle in the tank. I didnt clean the filter, but i just did a few weeks ago, and even then the smell was there. I've seen products that remove or transform the ammonia into good things. are those safe, and do they really work?

[industrial_girl_2000]

How big is your turtle? Do you feed him/her in the tank?

One thing that helps keep my adult RES's tank cleaner is when I feed her in a separate container with water in it. Otherwise her tank turns into a sewer within a matter of days.

[sweetnspoiled55]

i would love to be able to feed my turtle outside the tank, but i go to college and dont have much room in my house of 6 to have an extra feeding area. He is about 5-6 inches

[marisa]

What exactly was the ammonia level?

How much water is there in the tank?

What media are you using in the filter?

The turtle is a little big for that tank. Do you have anything else in the tank?

[sweetnspoiled55]

the ammonia level was about 4.0, the tank is filled almost to the top, i have a microfiltration pad, the microfiltration foams, and i believe carbon. in the tank are some large rocks, but thats about it.

[SpotsMama]

Aha! Do you have any ceramic rings or stars? The XP3 doesn't come with them but there's a basket for them. You have to buy and add them separately. They make up the heart of the bio filter.

The stars and rings are very porous. Good bacteria that convert the ammonia and an ammonia by-product - nitrite - into harmless chemicals grow in the pores. It takes some time - sometimes weeks - for the good bacteria to grow in a new bio filter, so typically in a new filter the ammonia is high for a while, then it goes down and nitrites are high, then it subsides and all is well! As long as you don't kill the good bacteria in the bio filter - by washing the rings and stars, for example, it will control the ammonia and nitrites.

Of course, if the tank is too small for the turtle so that the ammonia concentration is too great then even a good bio filter won't be able to cope with it.

The sponges in the XP3 also serve as bio filters, though less efficient than the rings and/or stars.

What may be happening is that you've got weak bio filter activity functioning on the rocks in your tank, which are porous. When you change the water, you wash them all away so that there aren't enough left to deal with the ammonia. When the bacteria grow back, the tank may stay clean for awhile until the ammonia load again overwhelmes it because the tank's somewhat too small for the turtle.

Just a theory! Does this sound possible? If so, solutions might be to (1) get a bigger tank and (2) get some rings and/or stars for the middle basket in your XP3.

Feeding your guy outside the tank could be very helpful. You don't really need a big tank for this. Just a tub with a couple of inches of water would do. Just be sure the water isn't too cold or too warm.

[industrial_girl_2000]

i would love to be able to feed my turtle outside the tank, but i go to college and dont have much room in my house of 6 to have an extra feeding area. He is about 5-6 inches

Just for clarification: It's not an extra feeding aquarium that I am talking about. I am talking about a plastic 2 1/2 gallon size laundry pan: fill with water, put turt & food in there till he is done eating, take turt out, and dump the water down a toilet or laundry sink. Put pan away (I stash mine in the cabinet under my aquarium).

I have been feeding my turtle like this for 17 yrs. It works great & is really easy to do!

[sweetnspoiled55]

i dont have the rings or stars, so i will try them. i know there is also an ammonia remover that can be put into the fliter, how does that work?

[SpotsMama]

I've never tried it. If you can manage without any chemicals you don't strictly speaking have to have, that would be best. I'm thinking here that if you put the ammonia remover in the water, then the ammonia eating bacteria will never have a chance to get established. In the long run, it's best to have the bacteria - the price is right (they're free!), they last forever (unless they are washed away or killed by some chemical or other) and they do a fantastic job.

If you've got rings and/or stars in your filter, and your ammonia load isn't too terribly heavy (probably not with your tank size but may be getting close) then those bacteria will grow and will do a good job for you.

[sweetnspoiled55]

ok thanks!