Maintain Turtle Tank Clarity: Simple Tips For Crystal Clear Water

Keeping a turtle tank clean is essential for your pet turtle's health and happiness. While turtles are messier than fish, there are several ways to keep their tank water clear. Firstly, invest in a strong filter, preferably a canister filter, rated for twice the amount of water in the tank. Regularly clean and maintain the filter to ensure optimal performance. Secondly, perform partial water changes by replacing one-third of the tank water with fresh, dechlorinated water every one to two weeks. You can also add floating freshwater plants to the tank, as they help absorb ammonia and nitrate. Additionally, vacuum the bottom of the tank at least four times a month to remove turtle poop and leftover food, which can cause ammonia and nitrate build-up. Maintaining a strict feeding schedule and avoiding overfeeding will also help reduce waste. Finally, consider adding algae-eating creatures like snails or shrimp, but be aware that your turtles may eat them. By following these steps, you can provide your pet turtles with a clean and healthy environment.

Use a powerful filter

Using a suitably powerful filter is the most important step in keeping your turtle tank's water clear. Turtles are much messier than fish, producing more solid waste, which clouds the water and feeds microscopic organisms. To avoid this, use a filter rated for two to three times the amount of water in the tank. For example, if you have a 20-gallon tank, choose a filter rated for 60 gallons.

There are several options for filters, but the type of filter you use is not important. Most keepers prefer canister-style filters, which are larger than your usual aquarium filter and have a greater water-filtering capacity. Canister filters are usually quiet, low maintenance, and provide strong flow and filter capacity. They are also compact, with only the inlet and outlet visible in the aquarium, providing maximum swimming space.

When picking a filter, choose one with a flow rate of approximately four times the number of gallons of water being used. This will help ensure proper circulation to "push" debris and waste into the filter, where it can be trapped and broken down by the filter media. A higher flow rate is also needed for larger filters to support the growth of good bacteria.

Your filter should have the following components:

• Mechanical filtration: This is a physical trap for gunk, usually accomplished with a sponge or filter pad.
• Biological filtration: Good bacteria that digest ammonia and biological waste are grown on media. The more surface area your biological media has, the more good bacteria your filter can grow.
• Chemical filtration: These are substances, like activated charcoal, zeolite, and resins, that absorb toxins and pollutants.
• Pump (flow): The amount of water pumped through the filter, measured in "gallons per hour" (gph).

In addition to a powerful filter, it is also important to regularly clean your filter and perform partial water changes. A 25% to 50% water change once a week, or every two to three weeks, will help keep your turtle tank clean. Similarly, you should clean your filter every two to three months by turning it off, removing the media, and rinsing everything with dechlorinated water.

Vacuum the tank

Vacuuming the substrate of your turtle tank at least 2-4 times a month is essential to keeping the water clear. This process removes turtle faeces and leftover food, which, if left to accumulate, can cause a build-up of toxins such as ammonia and nitrate in the water.

Ammonia is toxic to aquatic pets and can be lethal to most living organisms. Nitrate, on the other hand, often leads to unsightly algae issues. To prevent this, you can either add a filter or perform a water change.

Vacuuming the bottom of the tank is most easily done with a special hose-like gravel vacuum (also used for fish tanks), with a long nozzle to ensure convenient reach. Make sure the vacuum is made from safe, BPA-free plastic to avoid the possibility of harmful substances leaking into the tank water.

If you have a strong canister filter, such as the Fluval FX6, you may only need to vacuum once or twice a month, depending on the number of turtles you own. This is because the filter will have its own internal media that eventually gets colonised by a large number of beneficial bacteria, which help to neutralise ammonia.

Sterilise the water with UV light

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a great way to keep your turtle tank's water clear and sterilised. This method is used by drinking water facilities around the world to sterilise water, so it's definitely a good idea for your turtle tank!

When to use UV light

You don't need to constantly sterilise the water in your turtle tank with UV light. Only use this method when needed, such as when the water has accumulated excessive organic matter and become cloudy or green. This is usually caused by overfeeding your turtle or not cleaning the substrate often enough.

How it works

A build-up of organic matter in the water provides an abundance of food sources for single-celled organisms and bacteria, which then multiply aggressively. This can lead to murky, smelly water in your turtle tank.

Treating the water with UV light kills free-floating algae, excess bacteria, and harmful pathogens, helping to clear up the water in just 3 to 4 days. It's important to note that a UV light steriliser will only take care of free-floating vermin and won't remove them from your turtle's body, so you'll need to move your turtle to a separate tank and treat it there if they are already sick.

Choosing the right UV steriliser

When choosing a UV steriliser, make sure to get one with a bulb intensity that matches the gallon capacity of your turtle tank. If the bulb is too weak or the pump is not strong enough, it may not be effective in clearing the water.

Other tips for keeping turtle tank water clear

• Install a strong canister filter
• Vacuum turtle poop and food leftovers from the bottom of the tank regularly
• Perform regular dechlorinated water changes
• Add floating freshwater plants to the tank
• Add a cleaning shrimp species, such as ghost shrimp, to the tank
• Create a strict feeding schedule and don't overfeed
• Get a bigger turtle tank, as a larger volume of water gets dirty slower

Change the water regularly

Changing the water in your turtle tank is an important part of keeping the water clear and your turtle healthy. You should change around 30% of the water every 14 days or so. This will help to keep the water clear by diluting the excess nitrate levels.

Dechlorinate tap water

Tap water contains chlorine or chloramine, which kills both good and bad bacteria. To maintain healthy biological filtration inside the tank, dechlorinate the tap water by adding a water conditioner such as Seachem Prime. This will keep the beneficial bacteria in the aquarium safe so they can continue to work on breaking down ammonia and nitrite.

Vacuum the substrate

Vacuuming the substrate at the bottom of the tank will help to remove turtle poop and leftover food, which can cause a build-up of ammonia or nitrate in the water. Aim to vacuum the substrate at least four times a month, using a special hose-like gravel vacuum with a long nozzle. You can also gently scoop out turtle poop with a fish net.

Water change schedule

The frequency of water changes will depend on various factors, including the size of your turtle, the size of the tank, and the type of filter you are using. Aim to change one-third of the water every one to two weeks. If you are using a strong canister filter, you may only need to change the water once a month.

Water test kits

To monitor the water quality in your turtle tank, you can use water test kits to check the pH level and the levels of nitrogenous waste products such as ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. These test kits are similar to pool test kits and can help you identify when toxin levels are too high and a water change is needed.

Add floating plants

Keeping Turtle Tank Water Clear with Floating Plants

Adding floating plants to your turtle tank is an excellent way to maintain clear water and reduce maintenance. Here are some detailed instructions and tips to help you incorporate floating plants into your turtle tank effectively:

Types of Floating Plants

When choosing floating plants for your turtle tank, it's important to select species that are not appealing to turtles as food and are non-toxic. Two good options are water lettuce and Amazon frogbit. Water lettuce is ideal for musk turtles and common snapping turtles, while Amazon frogbit is a good choice for a floating plant that turtles are less likely to eat.

Benefits of Floating Plants

Floating plants have greater access to atmospheric CO2, which is essential for their nutrient exchange processes. This means they will be extremely effective at absorbing and utilising ammonia and nitrate as a food source, helping to keep the water clean and reducing the need for frequent water changes.

Connecting a Separate Tank for Plants

If you don't want to put the plants directly into your turtle tank, you can connect a separate, smaller tank to the main one using tubing and a pump. This way, you can grow any floating plant species you like without worrying about your turtles eating them.

Maintenance of Floating Plants

To keep your floating plants healthy and thriving, remember to provide them with adequate lighting. Floating plants typically require low to medium light, so placing your tank near a window should provide sufficient lighting. You may also want to supplement with artificial lighting to ensure they receive enough light for optimal growth. Additionally, ensure you are regularly cleaning and maintaining your tank, including the floating plants, by following a consistent cleaning schedule.

Other Tips for Keeping Turtle Tank Water Clear

In addition to using floating plants, here are some other important tips to keep in mind to maintain clear turtle tank water:

• Regularly vacuum and remove turtle waste, leftover food, and debris from the tank.
• Use a powerful filter that is rated for twice the amount of water in your tank. Canister filters are generally recommended for turtle tanks.
• Perform partial water changes regularly by scooping out about one-third of the tank water and replacing it with fresh, dechlorinated water.
• Avoid overfeeding and create a strict feeding schedule. Feed your turtles bite-size pellets that fit whole in their mouths to reduce the amount of crumbs and debris in the water.
• Use a water conditioner to remove chlorine, chloramine, and other chemicals from tap water before adding it to your turtle tank.
• Consider using a UV water sterilizer to eliminate harmful bacteria, control algae growth, and improve water clarity.

Frequently asked questions