Habitat - Indoor :: Smelly Water

[LKitsch]

I have a 200 gallon indoor turtle pond. On ocassion, it will stink up my house for a few days. Aside from a water change, which is do-able but a pain in the neck, how else can I eliminate it? Are those expensive water treatments, like "TLC" for ponds or "Turtle Clear" worth the money? I do a regularly scheduled water change once a quarter; of course, the pond is equipped with a powerful filter pump. Thanx!

[DavidY]

Rinsing out the filter media often will help. Do you run carbon in the filter? That will definitely help remove the odor causing stuff from the water. Also, how much do you feed your turtles? If you overfeed them, the water will foul up more quickly.

I'd love to see pictures of your indoor pond! (edit: never mind...I just saw a picture of it from one of your old posts. Very nice job! It looks huge.

[marisa]

Do you have any substrate on the bottom of the pond? If so, it will trap debris quickly and will contribute to a smell.

[LKitsch]

Yes, I do. Are you suggesting I get rid of it? I really like it---looks better, provides a contrast to the turtles' dark shells when you look in; seems more natural. I suppose I could more thoroughly wash and clean it when I do water changes.

PS: I clean the filter twice a month. And yes, I have a carbon element in it. I try to avoid overfeeding, but you know how that is. Any advice on those treatment additives?

[marisa]

I'm not a fan of additives and don't use them, so others will have to give you their opinions on them.

How much of what kind of substrate do you have in the pond? Do you take it all out when you do a cleaning? Washing it more thoroughly would help, but if you've got a lot of rocks on the bottom, to take them out and wash them (and sometimes scrub them) down would get awfully tiring to me.

[LKitsch]

I have a combination of coarse gravel, rocks and stones. I do not take the substrate out when doing a water change---for a 200 gallon pond (8 ft by 4 ft by 3 ft deep) that would be quite a chore.

Since I keep feeder minnows in with the turtles, when I do a water change, I leave about an inch or two of water. I use a python hose with a gravel suction end, but don't do a very thorough job cleaning and rinsing the substrate.

You are right, changing the water is one thing---taking the time and making the mess to clean the gravel and rocks thoroughly is a lot of work. And BTW, since it is a pond with a rubber liner, I do not scrub the sides as one might do with glass.

I know I could eliminate the odor by doing a thorough cleaning, but it's a lot of time and effort. Perhaps I should have rephrased my inquiry to "how do I minimize the odor with minimal effort?"

[SpotsMama]

The simplest way to do it would be to simplify that substrate. I use Turtle Clean and I think it helps because it breaks down the solid stuff quicker so the filter can pick it up, but I doubt it would do much for a pond the size of yours. The minnows should help some with the cleaning, and I've heard that ghost shrimp are even better. But I think as long as you have those rocks on the bottom you're going to have a difficult time.

By the way, are you sure that pond only holds 200 gallons? Sure seems bigger than that. My 100 gallon tank is 5' by 20' by 18".

(EDIT) I looked at the photo of your pond and it is awesome! Really beautiful! I agree the rocks look good but I'd be very concerned that the turtles might eat them. Have you read any of the threads on here about turtles that have eaten gravel and then die? They get impacted or else cut up inside - it's very sad. I'd for sure take out anything small enough for them to eat. Then, if you could keep a single layer of the large river rocks perhaps that would give you the look you want and be easier to keep clean than the gravel that's in there now.

[industrial_girl_2000]

I have a 200 gallon indoor turtle pond. On ocassion, it will stink up my house for a few days. Aside from a water change, which is do-able but a pain in the neck, how else can I eliminate it? Are those expensive water treatments, like "TLC" for ponds or "Turtle Clear" worth the money? I do a regularly scheduled water change once a quarter; of course, the pond is equipped with a powerful filter pump. Thanx!

Turtle clear is good for smaller tanks (55-75 gals). For a larger tank (90+), you can go with something a little more concentrated.

I can't remember the brand (I'll try to look it up for you!!!), but I bought a bottle of some enzyme ("waste degrader") cleaner solution at a local saltwater shop that specializes in very large (90+) tanks & saltwater setups. I only need ONE tsp at a time for my turtle's 90 gal setup vs. with "turtle clean" I needed to use 1/3 of the gigantic 8oz bottle ("12 capfuls"). These kinds of enzyme cleaners work very well when you have an adult RES with massive amounts of poop. However, keep in mind that the solutions don't handle the waste from veggies very well ("fiber") and that you will still have to clean out the filter more often since it will get clogged more from the fiber-waste.

Enzyme waste degraders definitely help manage the smell/cleanliness better in-between cleanings. They don't replace the need for regular water changes, but the water quality will be better throughout. I still do 100% water changes once/month.

Question: do you have a drain in your 200 gal pond or do you have to haul buckets? Reason why I ask is because your situation is perfect for a "python" water drainage system. You hook it up to your faucet (indoor or outdoor) turn on the water, and PRESTO, the pond drains itself. Flip the valve, and PRESTO, your pond will fill automatically! No hauling buckets! I got my python 6 months ago and LOVE it.

[LKitsch]

Yes, I've been using a python hose for years. I actually run it from the outdoor spigot and it works fine. I'd love to know the name of the enzyme you use. I have tried some concentrated pond stuff called "TLC" and it works OK, but not great. Thank you!