Habitat - Indoor :: Water stinks

[boonyam]

Hi all

my tank is about one feet long, about 6 inches width, 4 terrapins, 2 of them 7 mths old, another 2 of them is about 3-4 months, the water level is half of the tank, the filter type is dolphin H300, 50hz, i changed water every week, however, at the 3rd day onwards, i found the water starts getting smelly, at the 6th day, even though the water is still considered "clear", but the smell is strong and stinks, is there a way to improve ? appreciate you could advise

[jameshermanto]

what do you give them food everyday? is there anything that rot in the aquarium? (like shrimp)

describe more buddy.

[papoopeepoo]

The smell is most likely ammonia concentration. It can be dissipated with a larger tank and better filtering (including carbon & biological media).

[BullDog]

Sounds like too many turtles for too small of a tank. With a bigger tank, and better filter, there won't be a smell.

[boonyam]

i fed them with normal terrapin food, no other foods were fed, since i have got 2 big and 2 small terrapins, i fed them with one small teaspoon of food, i think roughly about 20-30 small pallets

In the water filter, it has two layers, one of it has small "stones", i believed it is a carbon (mentioned by installation guide) and the other lone ooks like one piece of plastic

Yes, exactly, the smell like ammonia, what kind of carbon and biological media i can purchase, appreciate you could provide me a few pictures/ URL links to refer.

If i insert one piece of cotton (which normally used at fish aquarium), woud it helps ?

[papoopeepoo]

I would like to show you some types of media that would likely help you, but I can't find much about the Dolphin H300 other than that it's a hang-on filter.

[boonyam]

pls show me some types of media which can improves the water

[gwennie]

You probably need to either get a new insert for your filter, or get a bigger tank & filter set up all together.

Carbon only absorbs so much ammonia before it starts to leech it back into your tank.

You also have too many turtles in too small of a tank - turtles create a lot of waste and your tank is very bio waste heavy with that many turtles in that size of a tank.

[rsour24]

i say bigger tank and better filtering

[Franklin]

mine tank was the same way, i bought a fluval u4 filter and it hasnt smelled yet

[marisa]

The tank is way too small for 4 turtles. They will foul the water quickly and even a decent filter will not keep up with it.

They need a (much) bigger tank, more water and an better filter. If there happens to be small pebbles/ substrate covering the bottom, get rid of it.