Habitat - Indoor :: Filtration help

[zirka777]

Ok people, I have already posted this question onece, but I do seriously need help. This is getting unberable. I have a 20 gallon tank with Fluval 404. I do not change all water at once, and I do not change all media at once. My media constitutes of carbon, foam and ceramic pieces. And I do try to use the additives for water to stay clean. I do not overfeed the turtles, but then again I can not feed them outside the tank because they refuse to eat outside the tank. Well the water never stays clean, not even for one day! It is cloudy white, and smells really bad. I have tried everything and it works for a day and then goes back to being that way. ANy suggestions? Thsings got so bad I am thinking of giving my two RES to someone who can fix this! I'd hate to do that, but I can't have my whole living room smelling so bad. HELP!!!

[pkneeyahx]

same thing used to happen to me. What your doing is displacing all the beneficial bacteria. You need to retain that bacteria somehow, or replace it by using products like Cycle, or Waste Control. Almost any fish store out there sells that stuff.

If your filter has chambers to hold stuff use ceramic rings or biomax.. using those allows you to house bacteria cultures which are necessary for the breakdown of waste your messy turtle will generate. Get some rings if you can. And don't clean them. Keep them real dirty.. to the point where they're almost oozing.. Well.. you can rinse them off every half a year or so if you like.

But that should take care of the bacteria bloom your experiencing.

[slater]

When you say that they refuse to eat outside of their tank..I'm just curious. You do try it in water right, because they need water to swallow their food. I don't know if that was obvious but if not, it could be the answer to your worries.

[octpusgirl8]

This is a reeeeally old thread, i don't think either of these people comes on anymore. But yeah, people do feed their turtles in the water when they feed them outside of the tank.

[Safdar]

I second pkneeyahx
You displaced the benefical bacteria

[SpotsMama]

I think there was probably too much turtle in that tank. Zirka said there were two turtles in a 20 gallon tank. Unless those turtles were really small, no filter could keep up with the waste load.

[Safdar]

Well hes saying it doesnt stay clean even after the water change
And that its white puffy and smells bad

[Tenodera]

whoa this thread is two years old...

[Safdar]

OMG
i didnt notice that
Wow

[octpusgirl8]

jeeze nobody listens to me...

[Safdar]

Lol sorry i didnt see your post my bad

[octpusgirl8]

hehe it's ok!

[shelach]

even if this thread is old and they dont come here any more, i think it still anwsered my question.