Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wanting to buy an algea eater to put in my turtle enclosure.

Recently the algea has go out of controll.

My turtle is kept in a 50 gallon plastic bin. I do weekly water changes. 20 - 70% each time.

What is a algea eater that could stand high amonia levels?

I think you would have to worry more about the algea eater becoming lunch for the turtle. Instead, try to correct whatever causing the problem... is the tank in the sun? How long are the lights on?

High ammonia levels should never be a problem. If it is, then it is a problem for your turtle as well (although he/she may be able to "get by" better in poor conditions).

If you don't have a filter, you need to change 100% of the water every few days. I've kept RES's in similar setups as yours and it is not hard to drag it over to the tub and do a quick empty, rinse and fill.

Again, I agree with Laurie that the fish will sooner than later be killed by the turtle.

The turtle is indoors.

The lights are on 12 hours a day.

I am using two weak filters. A power filter and a internal. I am saving up for a fluval 404.

I guess I'll just clean the algea off at the weekly water change.

I use a 3 gallon bucket to remove water. I dump the water outside and repeat. lol. The turtle of course is put in a temp enclosure during this.

I never tested the amonia levels.. I just know the water gets VERY cloudy aa day or two before a water change.
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Some tips for controlling algae. This tips refer to the green algae, not the brown. Brown algae is caused by bacteria and is very differnt to get rid of.

1. Light control. Make sure the tank is not getting any direct sunlight (near a window etc..). If the lights are not on a timer try setting them on one so that there is no chance of them getting any extra light.

2. Nutrient control. Excess food and poop in the water is the main cause of algae blooms. You can eliminate this by either feeding in a seperate water filled containor, or removing any uneaten food immediately. Removing the poop immediately helps too. Both food and poop can be removed by either a fish net or a turkey baster.

3. A better filter. You will probably find that when you get your heavy duty canaster filter that some of the algae goes away.

4. A larger tank size. The more water there is the less the nutrients that algae feeds on will build up. How much of the 50gallon tub is filled with water? And how big is your turtle? If he is over about 4-5inches then even if the tub is filled completely it is too small and he is producing too many nutrients for your filters and water changes to keep up.

5. More frequent, smaller water changes. Changing more than 50% of the water at once is actually a pretty big set back. It restarts your nitrogen cycle and actually makes it easier for algae to grow. Try doing small (10-15%) water changes every other day until you can get a better filter system.

Try taking a sample of your water to a good tropical fish store, ideally a speciality store will be best as they have the most acurate test kits. A lot of places like Petco and other large chains use not very good quailty test kits that dont do acurate readings. Try to find a place that uses Sera test kits, or at least sells them so you can do it at home. Test the nitrates, ammonia, and the phosphates.
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While saving for that filter consider also getting a Python water exchanger. It hooks up directly to the faucet, siphons and refills so you're not lugging heavy buckets of water. I've got a Fluval 304 and a 100g tank and it does a great job. If you haven't already done so, check online as they are usually much cheaper that way. I saved at least $50 by getting mine from www.fostersmith.com. Other good online sites to buy from are www.thatpetplace.com and www.bigalsonline.com.