Posted by:
PHRatz
at Sat Aug 27 09:28:58 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by PHRatz ]
>>Is it soft PH 6.0- 6.5 ? With aquarium salt ? Does carbon in Fluval filtures ,etc really make a difference ? How do you prevent shell rot ?
It kind of depends on what turtle species you have & what you keep them in. A pond would be a different story but for my aquariums where I have a western painted & a yellow mud, which are both very small aquatic turtles; frankly I don't pay attention to the pH. That's because I drain my tanks & thoroughly clean them once a week. I know there are people who won't agree with me on this & that's fine but I don't agree with the idea that if your filter works well enough you don't need to clean the tank for a month or more.
That's because turtles aren't fish & IMO they shouldn't be treated like fish. The water may look clean after a week but that doesn't mean it is, turtles produce a lot more waste than tropical fish do.
I disinfect the tanks with a mild bleach solution then I rinse out the filter well but keep the carbon for a month. The carbon does make a difference in water clarity, my water gets dirtier looking the older the carbon is.
Prevent shell rot through cleanliness. Shell rot is disease mostly caused by bacteria, although a fungus could cause it as well. When the water is clean the turtle is clean... however on tank cleaning day I do use a soft brush to clean the turtles before I put them back into their fresh tanks.
If the shell feels slimy then they have bacteria growing on them & I want that off of them.
I'm sure someone else will have something different to say but this is my opinion. 
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PHRatz
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RE: What is the ideal aquatic turtle water condition ? - PHRatz, Sat Aug 27 09:28:58 2005