Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have just purchased an east african sideneck turtle two days ago. i have a 30-gallon tank, using a magnum 350 deluxe cannister filter system along with an undergravel filter plate. when i first set this up the water was crystal clear, now 2 days later, it is getting cloudy. the only reason i purchased the magnum 350 and set up the tank like i did was because i read multiple sites that said that this was the best way to go in a small tank set-up. any ideas on why the water is getting cloudy so quickly. thank you

hey,

Do you have gravel in your tank cos that makes the water go cloudy very quickly plus turtles eat the gravel and poop it out which effects the water quality and your turtles health (impacting and toxic water!). Turtles gravel=food, no gravel turtles=clearer water for longer. Hope this helps.

hey,

Do you have gravel in your tank cos that makes the water go cloudy very quickly plus turtles eat the gravel and poop it out which effects the water quality and your turtles health (impacting and toxic water!). Turtles plus gravel=food, no gravel plus turtles=clearer water for longer. Hope this helps.

Its just like a fish tank, the water cycles, its clear and then its cloudy, should clear up in a day or 2 if the tank is cycling correctly...

Occassionaly a new setup will have a sudden bacterial "bloom" until a microrganismic equilibrium sets up and then will clear. However, beware of undergravel filters that draw the large amounts of turtle waste and uneaten food down into the gravel. While it is working, all should be well and an oxygen-using bacterial flora will help keep things reasonably clear (although not quite as clear as a cannister or outside filter) BUT.... if the filter system shuts down for any significant length of time, say while you are on vacation, an anaerobic bacterial flora will soon develop in the nutrient rich and now anoxic gravel, and this includes the organisms that cause botulism. I speak from sad experience on this after finding several rare turtles still barely alive but fatally paralyzed after a filter shutdown. This happened twice before I finally figured it out.

Erico,

Wow tough break with your turtles, Im guessing they died after being paralyzed. That sucks! Providing the filter doesnt break down, what do u think is the maximum amount of time you could leave turtles by themselves (vacations etc). How long were you away? Does the toxic bacteria build up quickly? I presume not having gravel would decrease the build up of the 'bad' bacteria? Sorry for all the questions, just curious in case I ever have to go away for longer than a week or two.