How to Keep Turtle Tanks Clear

Turtles are a great, low maintenance pet that are educational and can be, in many cases, played with safely but do not languish for attention if you do not interact with them every day. However, as with many aquatic pets, a turtle's tank can turn into a dark, dank lair that you cannot see into--much less want to touch. While a new tank often experiences a "bloom" when you first set it up until the algae and bacteria balance out, if the problem continues you will need to take steps to fix the issue or resign yourself to cleaning out the turtle tank every few days. Fortunately, there are some simple alternatives to becoming a turtle maid that can usually solve the problem with little hassle or inconvenience.

Things You'll Need

  • New copper pennies
  • Snail
  • Dechlorinator
  • Scrub brush
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Instructions

  1. How to keep turtle tanks clear

    • 1

      Get a snail. If you are having difficultly controlling green growth on the sides of the tank, a snail will likely solve the problem for you by happily vacuuming up every trace of the algae. If you have a large tank, you may need to get several snails. Work with the pet store representative to make sure that you are buying snails that will live companionably with your turtle and that you have bought the proper number for your tank.

    • 2

      Move the aquarium. If the tank receives a great deal of direct sunlight, you may be creating an environment so perfect for algae that the bacteria in the tank cannot control the bloom. Try placing it in a different location where there is not so much natural light.

    • 3

      Place a few new copper pennies in the tank. The pennies will not hurt the turtles, but they can help minimize the algae growth.

    • 4

      Scrub any gravel and rocks thoroughly before putting them in the tank. If you place rocks and gravel from outdoors into your tank, it will make the environment look more authentic. However, it can also introduce new bacterial growth and algae from the natural world if you do not clean them thoroughly.

    • 5

      Replace part of the water each day to minimize cloudiness. Just keep a gallon of dechlorinated water under the sink or another out of the way place, and scoop out some of the dirty water and replace it from the clean jug.