Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello guys!

I'm so flad that I found this forum. Hopefully you guys can help me out. My girlfriend has 2 slider turtles that she bought about 4 months ago. She has a 20 gallon tank with about 10 gallons of water in it. We have an "Aqua Clear" water filter that is meant for bigger tanks. When we first got the tank, the water stayed clear for about 3-4 days, and got a little cloudy a few days after. Now, the tank has been a yellowish color and it is difficult to see the turtles at times. We have already tried cleaning the tank 3 times this week, and have bought the replacement filter add-ons (filter sponge etc.). At first we did a complete water change, and then it was recommended that we do a 50 percent water change to keep some of the bacteria. Here are my questions.

1. Is the water in the tank supposed to be clear? If so, how can we keep it clear?
2. Why would the water in the tank turn yellow a day after we put fresh water in there and replaced the filter materials?

Someone save our turtles! LOL

Thanks for your time.

1. Is the water in the tank supposed to be clear? If so, how can we keep it clear?

Yes- clean water is key to the health of your turlte, dirty water can cause eye infections, skin problems etc.

2. Why would the water in the tank turn yellow a day after we put fresh water in there and replaced the filter materials?

How much and how often do you feed them? As turtles get bigger they need less food- some people only feed their turtles 2-3 times a week depending on the feeding size. This could be a major contributor to your tank getting dirty so fast. Also if your feeding them veggies such as greens this will dirty the water quickly. It helps alot to feed them in seperate water- I know it's a pain, but it keeps their environment cleaner. You can just fill up a tupperware tub and let them go at it in there, also most turltes deficate when they eat so if your lucky that will cut down on the waste in the tank.

Do you use a water treatment, like a chlorine remover?
I know that to keep the good bacteria in the tank you are only supposed to do partial changes, but I have found that the turtles are just too dirty, especially if you have rocks in the tank. I do full water changes every 2-3 weeks (I have a canister filter so that helps alot.) If your concered about the good bacteria skim off the top "clearer" water and save it to add back into the tank later and get all the gunk that has settled in the tank out!

Hope this helps.

What always worked for me in keeping the water clear was having some stones on the bottom too large to be eaten, only changing some of the water as you would in a regular aquarium, and scooping out any waste as soon as you see it and food scraps if not eaten within 15-20 minutes. Check that filter every few days to see if it needs to be cleaned. I feed my turtles at least every other day, but small amounts, so I don't have too much of a mess. Take a new, clean sponge and wipe the sides above and below water to keep algae down. You can wipe the turtles off too.