Habitat - Indoor :: At my wits end

[Hatchling71]

I don't know exactly how big my turtles' tank is, but it's pretty big, like 4 or 5 feet long, I have a Fluval 404 and I know it should be the 405 or whatever but the last thing I can afford right now is a filter. I live in a small apartment and my tank just keeps getting dirty all the time and I don't have the time or patience to sit there and empty out the water and refill it ever couple of days as well as take apart the obnoxious filter and and clean that as well.

It got so bad once that I actually got a smell complaint from the people living above me, pretty embarrassing and this was a few days after I had just cleaned it and replaced all the filter media.

Once again, I just cleaned this tank a few days ago, and it's getting stinky and dirty again. I'm about to just give my turtles away because I'm sick of being frustrated with this all the time, but I thought I'd ask if anyone had any suggestions.

I use a little bit of sand on the bottom by the way, and it has been cleaned and rinsed and I'm not overfeeding them.

thanks.

[wiccabrat]

The only thing you can do is get a bigger filter or do alot more water changes. The filter should be for twice the size of the tank.

[thegrandpoohbah]

By constantly cleaning the tank, doing full water changes and cleaning and replacing the filter media you have actually not allowed the tank to go through a nitrogen cycle. Check some of the links here for more info: http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=nitrogen+cycle+aquarium&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=0&oq=nitrogen+cycle+a.

[seanwb]

thegrandpoohbah is correct.

Try regular 20% water changes rather than 100%

Only give filtermedia a quick rinse IN WATER TAKEN FROM TANK (not tap), and don't replace it or it will never mature

[theartbook35]

Wait a minute, if the nitrogen cycle is for FISH, and turtles are completely different from fish anatomically besides sharing the same element, water, why exactly do turtles need a nitrogen cycle?

[Kemul]

Wait a minute, if the nitrogen cycle is for FISH, and turtles are completely different from fish anatomically besides sharing the same element, water, why exactly do turtles need a nitrogen cycle?

Would you live in smoky and toxic, although only mildly, environment?

Badly filtered water or tank system not having gone through the cycle can cause
smell, which the topic starter is dealing with. If the smell is too strong, the humans
(neighbors) can complain too.

[thegrandpoohbah]

The smell is from the ammonia which comes from turtle waste. The nitrifying bacteria that develop during the cycling process are what break the ammonia and nitrite down into nitrate. Nitrate is much less harmful and gets diluted when you do regular partial water changes. Proper tank maintenance will eliminate (or at the very least reduce) the smell coming from it.

[theartbook35]

The smell is from the ammonia which comes from turtle waste. The nitrifying bacteria that develop during the cycling process are what break the ammonia and nitrite down into nitrate. Nitrate is much less harmful and gets diluted when you do regular partial water changes. Proper tank maintenance will eliminate (or at the very least reduce) the smell coming from it.

Okay, see, I wasn't making a connection at first between the cycle and the smell. Your short paragraph is more straight forward and explains it better than the link you provided. Not to knock the information the site gives, it just that they don't explain it in a way that the majority of people can understand it.

[Hatchling71]

the smell has nothing to do with the filter because I changed the media weeks ago and wouldn't do 100% water changes.

I bought a new filter, can't remember what brand but it's 100 bucks cheaper than the fluval, filters 100 gallons, seems to have gotten rid of the smell, works great so far.

[theartbook35]

the smell has nothing to do with the filter because I changed the media weeks ago and wouldn't do 100% water changes.

I bought a new filter, can't remember what brand but it's 100 bucks cheaper than the fluval, filters 100 gallons, seems to have gotten rid of the smell, works great so far.

I'm glad that's working out for you so well. Good to hear.

When you get a chance, could you post up what kind of filter you've got? I'd like to know, I need a good one for the new tank I might be getting tomorrow.