How do you keep an aquatic turtles tank clean?

[mfb87]

We just obtained a red eared slider, and we have tried a variety of pumps. No matter what we do the tank is dirty within a day.

[caberke1]

Are you sure about that? I've read that some turtles can suck water into their cloaca and absorb oxygen through the more permeable tissue there, but through regular skin? Really?

[Okage Higumara]

Hehe you can try that, but MY turtles chase down the fish, tear them into shreds, then eat half of what they killed. Makes a HUGE mess!

[firefly]

Yeah, I know people buy feeder fish at Petsmart to feed their turtles.

[mayadog]

Welcome to the joys of aquatic turtle ownership.

[hot_lil_monkey_lover]

For most turtles, a simple pump will NOT do the trick. You will need to invest in a good quality filtration system, and even then you will have to check the filter medium on a daily basis.

With turtles, it is recommended that you perform a 100% water-change once a week (or more depending on the tank/water conditions); as with many aquatic animals (reptiles, amphibians, fish, etc.) these animals are quite prone to bacterial infections when kept in dirty water/aquatic conditions.

I am not overly familiar with turtles as a whole, but I am assuming (someone correct me if I am wrong); just like amphibians, toxins can be absorbed through their skin if conditions are allowed to deteriorate.

[bugger]

I'm new to this, but at a reptile show this weekend I was told to pull them out of the tank and feed them, for messy foods, in a tupperware container or something for water and an individual turtle, then return them to the tank. This was an answer in response to my asking if they eat mealworms, and they said that it is messy.

I am under the impression that turtles like to shred, and then eat it later. I just got mine 3 days ago, so it's all new to me.

[dee]

You did notice that this post is over 6 years old didn't you??hmy: