Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello...I have a question, hopefully you all can help. I have noticed an oil like film on the top of my turtle's water. I have tried to break it up with the filter's output of water but it keeps returning. What is this and what can I do to prevent it. The water is otherwise clear.

Thanks.
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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals"
--Immanual Kant

I have a quick question regarding your post. Does your turtle shed his skinn at all? Sometimes the dead skin can form a layer of "stuff" on top of the water.
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1 Dog ~Charmin~
1 RES ~Loquat~

Yes but its more oily than it is like skin.
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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals"
--Immanual Kant

I had the same problem and someone told me it was from the reptomin pellets (thank you whoever that was). I didn't believe it because my turtles eat their food so fast so it doesn't get a chance to sit in the water. I started feeding my turtles in a big bucket instead of their tank and I haven't had the problem since.

As a matter of fact he does eat his Reptomin in the tank. I'll be sure to try that, it might be the solution!! Thanks!!
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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals"
--Immanual Kant

Hi. My RES produces her own oil slick when she's been eating salmon or other fatty meats (yes, she's a 19yr old RES & still a full fledged carnivore - but then that's a story for another message thread...). Anyhoo, we often find that there's an oily layer or even white blobs of grease/fat after she's eaten - both as a result of oil on the meat's surface and from stuff she's pooped out. Our solution, like that of Turtlemoon, was to feed her in a secondary tank/tub (actually it's just a giant tupperware container that we can leave in the bathroom or put out on the porch so she can bask after feeding). We also try to keep her in that until she's pooped in order to minimise the oil slicks in her big tank. Don't know if this applies to your turtle, but hopefully it'll help you solve the mystery...

i thought that would break up that oil layer? and then i saw that fluval had an attachment that works like a protein skimmer.
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