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I have a white coating on my turtles shell, likely from the lime and minerals in the water....

I tried toothbrushing and vinegar, and it doesnt come off....suggestions? Anybody successfully removed this? (if you havent, reserve ur comments)

thanks

I've been trying to find answers to this same problem and haven't come up with anything that works either

I had thought about some sort of media in the filter, but not sure that will cause more harm than good.

No, I don't have this problem, and at the risk of butting in where I'm not wanted, I'm going to anyway.

To reduce the minerals/hardness of the water it needs to be softened in some manner. If the water can't go through a water softener, or reverse osmosis (in which case electrolytes, etc. would have to be put back into the water, one thing you could try is to add some peat to the filter. Don't know/can't remember what kind of filter you have, but I've read that both Hagen and Eheim both sell peat for their filters.

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals also sells a water softening pillow, which is not cheap to use on a continual basis and I've read isn't effective in large tanks. I think an other member uses it, however, and has made positive comments about it.

I have an aquaclear... I was going to try one of those water softening pillows but as you said... won't work for me I don't think. I have a 75 gallon tank.

I don't considering it butting in when you can contribute help/info, then you do it I was hoping you'd add some info actually

How about adding some peat to the Aquaclear and seeing if that helps (though I have a feeling this would work better in a canister because quantity is important and there isn't that much room for media in an Aquaclear compared to a canister). Doesn't Hagen make the Aquaclear?

Peat would absorb calcium ions and other minerals, but also releases humic and tannic acids into the water (lowers the ph). Driftwood acts a little like peat because it also releases tannic acid. It's not supposed to be as effective as peat, though.

I have a water softener, and it still doesnt work...There has got to be some way to fix the shell, i cant be the only one with this problem