Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a 3-4 year old male RES and a 4-5 month old male RES. We have the Zoo-med 501 canister filter and do 1/3 water changes but thier tank gets so dirty we have to clean the whole tank and the filter every 1 to 2 weeks. It seems fine for about two days then the water gets so merky and it has an awful overpowering rancid oder. We use the product 'Turtle Clean' and just began to try the product 'No more algae', but it's no use. We do not have rocks at the bottom of the tank so there is nothing that could be grabbing the mess. We don't know what to do about this problem. Please help us!

How big is the tank and how much water is in it?
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A mans got to do what a mans got to do. A woman has to do what he can't.

Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 1999
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04

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sig file edited 1/29/05 [phw]

I believe it is a 20 gallon, and it is a little more than half way full. The filter is made for turtle habitats and says that it can filter up to 30 gallon tanks. The filter is working, there is just so much yuck that it gets clogged up very fast, within just a few days.

The easiest way i know to keep the tank clean is to take the turtles out and feed them in a separate container so that the water doesnt get so 'cloudy' and the filter doesnt get clogged so quickly!
Good luck in whatever you decide to do!
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~ Evie

Pets:
RIP 0.1.0 German Shepherd {Dusty}
0.1.0 German Shepherd/Collie mix {Shadoe}
0.0.2 RES turtles {Booger & Snot}
1.0.0 African Clawed Frog {Bingo}
0.0.2 Snail {Gary & Larry}

Are you sure the filter is working correctly? It may be a problem with the way its functioning. Or maybe it has to do with how much you are feeding them. If any food is leftover, it does contribute to the growth of algae and bacteria. Or do you have plants in your tank? They used to clog up my filter, preventing it from doing its job. Could be any of these things.

Sarah

The problem is your tank is way too small, no filter can keep up with two turtles in only 10 gallons of water. If you set them up in a 100 gallon tank with a good canister filter you would have good water quality.
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A mans got to do what a mans got to do. A woman has to do what he can't.

Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 1999
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04

____

sig file edited 1/29/05 [phw]

I've also got the Zoo Med 501 and a 20 gallon tank, though I've only got one turtle in it. (I know it's too small, everybody; hoping to get a 30 gallon soon!) My water's not always sparkling, either - unfortunately, I think that's just the way the filter seems to work. I also end up doing water changes and filter cleanings just about every week. My advice (besides also telling you to get a bigger tank if you can at all manage) is to advise getting a better filter, like a Fluval canister one, perhaps. I hope to be able to follow my own advice soon, but all I can tell you at the moment is that I think that's just what you get with the 501 - water that can range from clean enough to murky, for no real apparent reason.
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1.0.0 Crumpet
And on the eighth day, God created Alucard.

First of all, that tank is way too small and in reality, no matter what you do you will never be able to keep it clean. The rule of thumb for sliders is 10gallons on water for every inch on shell. So a 20gallon tank is only big enough for two baby hatchlings, or one 2-3inch turtle.

Go buy the biggest tank you can afford, for two turtles you will need AT LEAST 100gallon (filled at least 1/2 way with water) when they are done growing so if you can get one of those it will save you trouble because you wont have to buy it later.

If u cannot get a larger tank right now go to wallmart and buy a large rubbermaid container, they are very cheap and come in a variety of sizes. Set your turtles up in that until you can get a tank, or if you want you can keep them permanantly in the rubbermaid. You will need to buy a much larger filter for the larger tank.

Some advice on keeping a clean tank:

1. never do 100% water changes, no matter how icky the tank is. This simply resets your bacteria cycle and leads to the cloudy bloom you were experiencing

2. I worked at an specialty fish store for a long time, so i have seena nd used just about every anti-algae, ant-odor, anti-mess products out there and IMO they are all pretty much junk. You can keep algae down by keeping your lights on a timer and your tank away from sunlight and making sure all excess food gets removed from the tank or feed the turtles in a seperate tank. You can keep discoloration and odor down by having a tank that is large enough and clean enough.

3. If you still have problems with odor after they have been moved into a bigger tank, replace your carbon filter pad, or add one if there isn't one.

4. Routine maintenence such as weekly partial water changes, filter cleans, and algae scrubbing should keep your tank pretty clean.

good luck!
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0.1 Bearded dragon
0.1 mexican kingsnake
1.0.2 Leopard Gecko's
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
1.0 BTS
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
0.1 Bullmastiff
4.1 Cats