Image courtesy of iStock.com/sergeyryzhov
John Virata
Aquatic turtles are one of the most popular reptiles in the hobby today. Watching a turtle in an aquarium can be a calming and enjoyable experience. However, aquatic turtles are messy animals and if your turtle’s water is not properly maintained and monitored, your turtle will be susceptible to getting sick. Check and change the water frequently to keep your turtle healthy and happy.
How to achieve good water quality
The most important thing to achieve good water quality is to maintain it with frequent water changes and a quality turtle aquarium filter. That’s it, really.
Let’s look at the facts. Aquatic turtles are dirty and do all their business in the water – they live in the water, eat in the water and toilet in the water. Therefore, it is essential for your turtle’s health to keep the water quality in their tank high at all times. This can be achieved through a combination of regular water changes and a quality water filter, such as: ZooMed TurtleClean 30 External Canister Filterwhich helps keep the water clean between water changes.
Proper feeding is also an important part of ideal water conditions for aquatic turtles. When feeding your turtle, make sure that he eats everything you put in his tank. Any uneaten turtle food should be removed to prevent ammonia buildup in the tank water. A good way to test for ammonia is with test strips used by aquarium fish keepers. Tetra EasyStrips 6-in-1 Test Strips for Freshwater and Saltwater AquariumsThese handy strips allow you to measure by simply wetting them in your tank water.
Signs that you need to change the water
You’ll know your turtle’s water needs changing by its look and smell. If your turtle’s tank smells dirty, it’s past time to change the water. Ideally, you want to change the tank water before the smell appears.
Therefore, to provide your aquatic turtle with high quality water, it is important to use a good quality water filter (either an internal unit or an external canister filter), and you can also use a beneficial bacteria solution such as: Exo Terra Bio-Based Turtle Habitat Cleaner Conditioner It breaks down solid organic waste, making it easier to filter.
The ideal way to perform a water change, especially if you have substrate in your tank, is to use a suction hose device like the one shown below. Python Spill-Free Cleaning and Filling Aquarium Maintenance SystemThis is a popular solution for aquarium keepers.
This device allows you to suck up debris that has accumulated in the substrate and clear the dirtiest areas first. After clearing out the old water, don’t forget to condition the new water with a water conditioner or similar. API Turtle Water Conditioner Or an aquarium water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramines.
Good water quality is essential to the health and happiness of your aquatic turtle, so set up a maintenance schedule for your turtle’s tank and stick to it.
