Reptile & Amphibian Forums

**NOTE** No purchases have been made, this is an informational inquiry ONLY!

Has anyone any knowledge of whether or not any fishtank type aglaecide is safe to use in turtle tanks, in tank as directed or as a dip for plants/ tank furniture?
I have a "turtle dock" for my Southern Painted's basking site, which is apparently recieving adequate UV lighting, as it turns pretty deep green and or brown every week, regaurdless of how well I scrub it during weekly cleaning. the basking light is on for 8-9 hours a day, and there is no alternate light currently in use. (just so I dont get yelled at, on warm sunny weekends, he has a "pond" he spends his afternoon in whilst his redheaded mom hides in the shade watching)

Any and all information will be helpful and the best care will be taken for my beloved pet, even if it means a third dock is my only option.

Cheryl in NJ

I'm sorry that it has taken so long for someone to answer you. I hope you haven't given up yet. TECHNICALLY, algecides marketed for fish are supposed to be safe for turtles. I asked an exotic vet who treats fish and turtles regularly...yes, he treats fish. He claims that fish people are his best customers. Anyway, I'm always cautious with chemicals. I think that it is better to be safe and not use them.

Some dark colored algae can be harmful, but most green algae is actually beneficial. You might want to take an algae covered item into a reputable, highly knowledgeable fish store for them to identify.

I leave the sides of my containers, rocks, and any other decorations coated with green algae in my semi-aquatic turtle setups. I'll even leave the slime. Much of this material contains nitrifying bacteria, which is good. Literally, it helps purify your water. I still change the water weekly or more as needed and monitor my levels. My theory is, you cannot completely keep your water free of nitrogen compounds and other potentially harmful chemicals. So, I prefer to allow a little natural equilibrium to become established. Then, if my levels spike before I have a chance to catch them, the bacteria and algae can give me a hand. Nothing takes the place of water changes and monitoring, but having some algae and bacteria in the aquatic environment is good, provided the species is not dangerous. I think it's worth a decrease in aesthetics.

Wow, there sure are a lot of NJ people on this site. I grew up there. Cheers!

I forgot to mention this, but the fact that your tank grows algae so readily could be due to a few factors. Your filter may not be removing waste efficiently enough. If there's too much organic matter in the tank, the algae will often thrive. Also, too much aeration can actually be a bad thing. If the water has too many available gases, the algae will sometimes take off. This could be from too strong of a bubbler or a lot of turbulance at the water's surface. You may be able to correct the issues that are making your tank such a haven for algae. Oh, one more thing...live plants in the tank will often outcompete algae for food and gases. A few healthy, established plants can provide some help in combatting algae. The downside is, your turtle will probably eat them down to nubs!

Here's a good rule of thumb to follow. There are exceptions, though. Beneficial green algae thrives in high light...much the same light that is good for turtles. Harmful or annoying brown or red algae thrives in low-light conditions. You may want to increase full spectrum lighting in your tank.

In this pic of my young Blandings turtle, you can see the algae on the sweater box wall behind the turtle. The smooth rock is now also covered in brigh green algae. I don't scrub this off.

Interesting Blandings turtle. I've looked closely at others that appear to have more distinct white and brown areas. Well I'm very worried about the one you have pictured. I'm very curious as I've seen this before...I'm referring to the brown sploches on the outside and back of your turtles shell. Only 1/3 of the scutes are affected that have the questionable discerning brown splatters. I think you should ask a few of the established experts on this forum their opinion just to be safe.

please don't be offended as I'm just looking out for the turtles best interest. I know that you post often and have this pic often posted ...but it seems something is not right with that turtle....almost like parts of the top layer are rotting. Do you keep her in a good basking area or in shade... How often is she immersed in a wet condition?
Petri

Ken,
i left out that there is a dark brown ring on the outermost front scute... it breaks up and continues in the back. It appears that this is happening with the most recent growth as opposed to older growth. I would have it checked by a vet. Just concerned.

Petri

Thank you. No I hadnt given up but I was beginning to think I should.
I agree when in doubt, youre probably better off not using it. Someone mentioned it may dye him pretty shades of blue ( which isnt nice as I like his vibrant yellows and oranges LOL) I did ask my herp vet, but he too wasnt 100% sure either way.
thanks for your suggestion about the types of algae.. there is a good fish store that I think can help me with that.

I think part of the reason so many turtle lovers are in jersey as its a challenge.. you cant buy them here but its OK to own them (love NJ laws)
thank you again!
Cheryl