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Hi everyone.
I'd like to have some suggestions on why the water gets cloudy like 1 day after changing it. I have a 20 gallon tank. I have two hatclings and one 4" one. I first had a Zoo med 501 filter and that kept it clean for a couple weeks then I washed the filter and sponge and the carbon bag and the other little white thingies in there and that didn't work either it got dirty right away. So I purchased a filter from walmart for 20 gal and that didn't work either. After reading on here to get a filter for double or triple the gallons you have, I went to go get an Aquaclear filter for 70 gallons. I am now using a turkey baster to pick up big ol peices of poop and food leftovers . I know I need a bigger tank for them, but this is what I could do for now. I didn't know they had to live in a big tank and all this stuff until coming into this site. So my budget let me get a 20 gallon one but I think It's ok for now, and I need a bigger one in the future I am looking in the classifieds for cheap ones also. But Is there anything else I can do to keep the water clean??? It makes me angry because I hate to not be able to see what they are doing in the water and clear water is just beautiful
Thank you in advance everyone

Sounds like "new tank syndrome".
No worries, it's just a part of cycling the tank. There's a link here:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... k+syndrome

I agree with bullDog. It's just going to be cloudy for a few weeks while it "cycles" then it will get pretty again. One thing to remember - when cleaning the filter, don't wash off all the good bacteria in the bio filter (the little white thingies are the rings, right?) and also in the sponges. If you do, the tank will just cycle all over again every time you clean it! Most people just gently rinse these things in clear tank water.

I must say, though, it's going to be very hard for a 20 gallon tank to keep up with the ammonia load produced by 3 turtles, even with a good filter. Do you have it filled up with water as far as you can without giving the turtles an escape route? That will help dilute the waste.

Also, it would be very helpful in this case to feed the turtles outside the tank. Often they'll poop right after eating, so you'll be sparing your tank both the leftovers from their meal and their after-meal-poop!

Feed the turtles outside of the tank. I have a 20 gallon tank with 2 hatchlings and the food is what causes most of the mess. The aquaclear filter just isn't strong enough to pick up all the food debris.
When you get a bigger tank, you may want to seperate your turtles. I have my 2 hatchlings in a 20 gallon and my big turtle (probably around 4 in.) in a 60 gallon.

I can't add anymore water because the tank has an opening on the side to put a filter in and it has a little plastic thing to put there and I have that and a peice of plexiglass but I am scared to add more water I don't want to have a big ol leak especially right now that I cant do any bending because I had eye surgery and no one will help me.
Thank you all for your replies I just love this forum and all of you are so freindly and helpful :O)

Hope the eye surgery is healing well. I know that's tough.

As soon as you're out and about again, why don't you look into getting a larger tank one without the opening on the side. That opening just means you can't put as much water in the tank and it weakens the structure. Having a larger tank will make life easier in a lot of ways.

Thank you. The bad thing is that the tank is new, I think I'm just going to exchange it. I paid like $70 I think for it I got it at Petco. Thanks again for your help

do you have one of those turtle tanks? i've not had one myself, ever, but there are a lot of people who are adamantly against it b/c it means lower water levels. a 20L is fairly inexpensive, and you'll be able to raise levels. when you get into the bigger tanks it gets more pricy, but it is worth it.

as for the new tank syndrome, you have to give the beneficial bacteria a little time to build up. i went through NTS with my 20L gallon for like two weeks. with my 55L gallon only a couple days, but that was because i put the water from the old tank into the new one, since it already had a culture.

when you wash out the carbon bag, don't rinse it until the water is clear. that's a sign that your carbon is deactivated and the culture has been flushed out. so your tank has to go through the cycle again. i think someone here already mentioned that.

(note - in the context L=long )

I feed my turtle in the aquarium and the food that she doesn't eay disinigrates and sinks to the bottom... so when i clean her clage all of that comes up and clouds the wateri have to emty that water the refill it again

i use a turkey baster to kind of ''vacuum" out the debris. it helps. A LOT.

I use a gravel vaccuum that sucks the gravel up but not into where the water goes and then the gravel goes back into the aquarium but i also sucks up poop and food:) it was only about $13.00!

Yes to turkey basters!