Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I am looking into getting a red ear slider for my room and was curious if their tanks smell even though you clean it regularly? I dont mind a little smell but I also dont want it stinking up the whole room as friends would probably not be too happy lol! I was also wondering if it is ok to keep a baby in a ten gallon tank without a filter, of course changing it regularly?

Thanks for your help

Hi
I have had various tank sizes; from little ones, up to the 40 gallon feeder tank I have now. I never noticed an overpowering smell and I also have no cover on it. At times there is a hint of a watery-turtle type smell but I have never realized any digusting odor. Hope that helps!
~Jodi

A large properly filtered tank will not smell. My tank started smelling really bad this week after I gave my turtles some canteloupe which messed up the water. I had to clean out the filter and change a bunch of water and it doesn't smell anymore.

A 10 gallon tank will work for a few months, but without a filter it would need to be cleaned out daily, which is a huge amount of work. Bigger tanks are much easier to maintain, especially with a good filter. I change my water once a year, and just add water the rest of the time. My filter gets cleaned out every 6 months or so.
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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
1 common musk turtle hatchling

i have had problems with smell before. i was my fault i had a crowded tank with a filter that was less than reliable. if you do buy a filter, you will in time, dont get one of the cheap over the back types. they clog easily and need to be cleaned at least once a week. i also had the problem of the power head going bad. now i have, excuse me, had a 75 gallon with 2 canister filters. smell was never a poblem with the tank unless you lifted the glass lids, then you could smell something. i never could get rid of that smell.
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1.5 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.2 Russian Tortoises
0.1.1 Gulfcost/Three Toed Boxturtles
0.1 Eastern Box Turtle
1.0 Hamsters
3.0 Dogs
2.3 Family
6 mud eggs in incubator

thanks for the tip guys! No cateloupe and a good filter lol