Anybody have turtles?

[torinsmom]

I inherited 3 Eastern painted turtles in November, along with their set up. Since then, I have probably spent $300 on them with a new tank, filters, docks, food, lights, etc. I love these guys, but I can't keep their tank clean for more than a few days! I just changed the whole tank on Tuesday and the water is already so cloudy. I did a 25% water change today but it doesn't seem to have made a difference at all. They are big guys and probably need a bigger tank, but I can't do that now. This one is 50% bigger than the one they came with, so I know they are fine with the space.

 

[abdmom]

I inherited 3 Eastern painted turtles in November, along with their set up. Since then, I have probably spent $300 on them with a new tank, filters, docks, food, lights, etc. I love these guys, but I can't keep their tank clean for more than a few days! I just changed the whole tank on Tuesday and the water is already so cloudy. I did a 25% water change today but it doesn't seem to have made a difference at all. They are big guys and probably need a bigger tank, but I can't do that now. This one is 50% bigger than the one they came with, so I know they are fine with the space.

LOL I had 2 turtles 20+ years ago. They started in a 10 gallon tank. They ended up in a very very large tank, about 100 gallons. Did you suction the gravel when you changed the water?

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I inherited 3 Eastern painted turtles in November, along with their set up. Since then, I have probably spent $300 on them with a new tank, filters, docks, food, lights, etc. I love these guys, but I can't keep their tank clean for more than a few days! I just changed the whole tank on Tuesday and the water is already so cloudy. I did a 25% water change today but it doesn't seem to have made a difference at all. They are big guys and probably need a bigger tank, but I can't do that now. This one is 50% bigger than the one they came with, so I know they are fine with the space.

You could be overfeeding too.

I only feed mine what they can eat in two minutes. If it goes to the bottom I think I have overfed.

They will also eat ghost shrimp(glass shrimp, whatever your local store calls them). They can help keep it clean too.

 

[NFLDERS]

All I know is whatever you do, Do Not Do This! My son's turtle many, many yrs ago looked like it needed some extra cleaning. My being a clean freak, as many of us were in those days, led me to brush it's shell. I do not recall what I used but, I killed it.

These days, there is more info. On do's and dont's but, there was not then. He is 40 something now and he forgave me. ..

 

[Mel522]

What size of tank do you have and what filter setup do you have? As a previous poster said, you may be feeding them too much. If you have gravel in the tank you either need an underwater filter or you need to suction the gravel to get the stuff that sank down. You may also need a more powerful filter. For pets that are messy, you need more then the recommended filtration for the tank size.

 

[surfergirl602]

I inherited 3 Eastern painted turtles in November, along with their set up. Since then, I have probably spent $300 on them with a new tank, filters, docks, food, lights, etc. I love these guys, but I can't keep their tank clean for more than a few days! I just changed the whole tank on Tuesday and the water is already so cloudy. I did a 25% water change today but it doesn't seem to have made a difference at all. They are big guys and probably need a bigger tank, but I can't do that now. This one is 50% bigger than the one they came with, so I know they are fine with the space.

We used to run a turtle rescue when we lived in NY.

What size tank are they in, and are you feeding them daily in their tank? You need a separate feeding tank because, as you know, turtles are messy. Also, what type of filtration system are you using? You need a canister filtration system, and those alone will run you in the hundreds. What are you feeding them?

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I like turtles.

 

[scheddj]

i like turtles.

lol

 

[torinsmom]

LOL I had 2 turtles 20+ years ago. They started in a 10 gallon tank. They ended up in a very very large tank, about 100 gallons. Did you suction the gravel when you changed the water?

The tank has river rock in the bottom and I suctioned that.

You could be overfeeding too.

I only feed mine what they can eat in two minutes. If it goes to the bottom I think I have overfed.

They will also eat ghost shrimp(glass shrimp, whatever your local store calls them). They can help keep it clean too.

They eat everything I give them and beg for more. I've never fed them anything live. They eat a mix with pellets and freeze dried shrimp and bloodworms.

What size of tank do you have and what filter setup do you have? As a previous poster said, you may be feeding them too much. If you have gravel in the tank you either need an underwater filter or you need to suction the gravel to get the stuff that sank down. You may also need a more powerful filter. For pets that are messy, you need more then the recommended filtration for the tank size.

I have them in a 55 gallon now and use a Reptofilter that is for that size. I found a canister filter on Craigslist that I may be getting tomorrow. I have heard those kind are better for turtles. I had a large(75 gallon) side hanging filter like for fish, but the turtles kept going behind it and broke it.

We used to run a turtle rescue when we lived in NY.

What size tank are they in, and are you feeding them daily in their tank? You need a separate feeding tank because, as you know, turtles are messy. Also, what type of filtration system are you using? You need a canister filtration system, and those alone will run you in the hundreds. What are you feeding them?

I have tried feeding them in another tank, but they just ignore the food, swim around and poop. Is there a way to get them used to eating in another place? I'm assuming they have always been fed in their tank. They just act freaked out the whole time they are in the tub. I'm feeding them a mix of pellets, and dried shrimp and bloodworms.

I do know they need a bigger tank. I am hoping to rehome the largest one to someone who has a man-made backyard pond with turtles or a bigger set-up. He/she has a 6-7 inch shell, so is really too big for the tank. The other two are 5inches and 3 inches. I do have an above tank basking platform 12x18x12, so they have the whole tank for swimming.

Part of what is perplexing to me is that until this week, they were in a 38 gallon aquarium at my school. I would clean the whole tank and it would stay fairly clean for 10 days. I just changed them into this on Tuesday and it is already really cloudy, even after a 25% water change. It was clear when I put the water in, but could a difference in the water(different town) be one of the problems? I used a water conditioner like always.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Blood worms on their own can really make any kind of tank dirty...I feed them to my fish a few times a week. I would stick with the pellets and give them the frozen food a couple of times a week, not every day.

 

[surfergirl602]

The tank has river rock in the bottom and I suctioned that.



They eat everything I give them and beg for more. I've never fed them anything live. They eat a mix with pellets and freeze dried shrimp and bloodworms.



I have them in a 55 gallon now and use a Reptofilter that is for that size. I found a canister filter on Craigslist that I may be getting tomorrow. I have heard those kind are better for turtles. I had a large(75 gallon) side hanging filter like for fish, but the turtles kept going behind it and broke it.



I have tried feeding them in another tank, but they just ignore the food, swim around and poop. Is there a way to get them used to eating in another place? I'm assuming they have always been fed in their tank. They just act freaked out the whole time they are in the tub. I'm feeding them a mix of pellets, and dried shrimp and bloodworms.

I do know they need a bigger tank. I am hoping to rehome the largest one to someone who has a man-made backyard pond with turtles or a bigger set-up. He/she has a 6-7 inch shell, so is really too big for the tank. The other two are 5inches and 3 inches. I do have an above tank basking platform 12x18x12, so they have the whole tank for swimming.

Part of what is perplexing to me is that until this week, they were in a 38 gallon aquarium at my school. I would clean the whole tank and it would stay fairly clean for 10 days. I just changed them into this on Tuesday and it is already really cloudy, even after a 25% water change. It was clear when I put the water in, but could a difference in the water(different town) be one of the problems? I used a water conditioner like always.

We had a 150 gallon tank per three turtles, with maybe 4 inch shells in diameter.

The water getting so dirty could be your water. There could be minerals in it, etc that are reacting. Try a water solution made for reptiles. What temp is your water? Do you have heaters?

Also, you don't want to use a hanging tank filter. Those just spew the nasty back into the tank. Are you using any UV lights? A basking light?

Also, give those turtles some live food!!! They need to use their hunting instinct to keep them happy. Get some feeder fish. They'll love it, trust me!! Start with about ten every three or four days. Keep trying them with the feeding tank. The water should be a bit warmer to get them more active. Turtles also love crickets! You can dust them with calcium, etc. but I never liked doing that because I don't like touching them. eww. lol

 

[torinsmom]

Blood worms on their own can really make any kind of tank dirty...I feed them to my fish a few times a week. I would stick with the pellets and give them the frozen food a couple of times a week, not every day.

Sorry, I think I misspoke. These aren't frozen; they are in the dry food, so maybe they're just dried?

We had a 150 gallon tank per three turtles, with maybe 4 inch shells in diameter.

The water getting so dirty could be your water. There could be minerals in it, etc that are reacting. Try a water solution made for reptiles. What temp is your water? Do you have heaters?

Also, you don't want to use a hanging tank filter. Those just spew the nasty back into the tank. Are you using any UV lights? A basking light?

Also, give those turtles some live food!!! They need to use their hunting instinct to keep them happy. Get some feeder fish. They'll love it, trust me!! Start with about ten every three or four days. Keep trying them with the feeding tank. The water should be a bit warmer to get them more active. Turtles also love crickets! You can dust them with calcium, etc. but I never liked doing that because I don't like touching them. eww. lol

I keep the water 78-80 with a heater. I have several, but just use one right now. I have UVA and UVB lights. One is over a large basking dock in the tabk and one is over the above tank basking area I have.

I was using a water conditioner just for reptiles, but I was going through way too much. The guy at the pet store told me there isn't much different in the conditioners and I got the bigger fish one. I'm also reading conflicting reports on whether you even need conditioner.

So the feeding tank should be warmer? I am thinking I may put the 38 gallon "vacation" tank under the bigger tank and feed them in that. I could keep some feeder fish in there, right? I wouldn't need a filter on that one, since I could clean it more often.

I am hoping to find someone with a turtle pond to take the biggest one. I'd like to get a baby one and then give them the medium turtle once the young one acclimates to the "baby". I think two smaller turtles would be a better fit for my set-up.

 

[surfergirl602]

Sorry, I think I misspoke. These aren't frozen; they are in the dry food, so maybe they're just dried?



I keep the water 78-80 with a heater. I have several, but just use one right now. I have UVA and UVB lights. One is over a large basking dock in the tabk and one is over the above tank basking area I have.

I was using a water conditioner just for reptiles, but I was going through way too much. The guy at the pet store told me there isn't much different in the conditioners and I got the bigger fish one. I'm also reading conflicting reports on whether you even need conditioner.

So the feeding tank should be warmer? I am thinking I may put the 38 gallon "vacation" tank under the bigger tank and feed them in that. I could keep some feeder fish in there, right? I wouldn't need a filter on that one, since I could clean it more often.

I am hoping to find someone with a turtle pond to take the biggest one. I'd like to get a baby one and then give them the medium turtle once the young one acclimates to the "baby". I think two smaller turtles would be a better fit for my set-up.

We used these for docks. They loved them, and the smaller turtles would climb on top of the bigger ones. Is your large girl biting at the smaller ones? You'll need to watch for that. Yes, you can keep the feeder fish in the feeding tank. The turtles will eat their fill, but once they get full, they will play with their food. This means they will just kill for fun. No joke. They bite the fish by the tail, and stick their claws in the gills and rip the head off. Once they stop actively chasing for food, you know they are done.

The temp you are using is a good temp. I wouldn't go any higher than 80. The lights you are using are good, too!

 

[torinsmom]

We used these for docks. They loved them, and the smaller turtles would climb on top of the bigger ones. Is your large girl biting at the smaller ones? You'll need to watch for that. Yes, you can keep the feeder fish in the feeding tank. The turtles will eat their fill, but once they get full, they will play with their food. This means they will just kill for fun. No joke. They bite the fish by the tail, and stick their claws in the gills and rip the head off. Once they stop actively chasing for food, you know they are done.

The temp you are using is a good temp. I wouldn't go any higher than 80. The lights you are using are good, too!

I have one of these docks too. I got the above tank one because the bigger two weighed it down so much that they couldn't get dry all the way, They used the dock a lot before I brought them home, but I haven't seen them on it yet here.

Bigger ones seem fine with the little one. Other than using their feet to push each other out of the way when they get fed, they seem to get along really great. I don't know if they are boys or girls. The person I got them from didn't even know what kind of turtles they were. I had to look up pictures for that.

I'll get them some minnows tomorrow. I set up a 10 gallon underneath the large tank to feed them in. My other tanks were all too small to fit underneath.