How to Deodorize a Turtle Tank

Turtles are messy eaters, and it is your job as a responsible reptile-keeper to clean up after mealtimes and prevent the water going bad. Keeping a turtle tank clean is important to your pet's health and happiness; the water will become smelly if you don't carry out regular maintenance. The bad odor likely stems from waste and uneaten food, so you must fix the underlying source of the smell to deodorize a turtle tank. Change some of the water once a week and spot clean as needed, or set up a separate feeding tank.

Things You'll Need

  • Fine-mesh fish net
  • Tank filter
  • Siphon
  • Bucket
  • Water dechlorinator
  • Small feeding tank
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feed your turtle once a day and scoop out uneaten food after 10 minutes with a fine-mesh fish net. Try commercial pellets as a staple food item because they do not pollute the water when used correctly. Pellets contain all the vitamins your turtle needs, and they are highly digestible, producing a minimum amount of waste. If you have tank odor problems, temporarily reduce your turtle's fresh or frozen food intake to 2 or 3 times a week until the situation is under control. It is often meaty foods that are responsible for smelly water.

    • 2

      Install a filter to take care of fine food particles and waste that pass through a net. A filter cuts down on the amount of maintenance required in a turtle tank and keeps the water cleaner for longer than manual spot cleaning alone. Wash the filter once a week in a bucket of old tank water to preserve good bacteria growing on the filter media.

    • 3

      Siphon out a third of the water every week and replace it with dechlorinated tap water. Move the siphon around in the substrate to suck out decaying debris at the bottom of the tank. A complete water change disrupts the water chemistry and may cause bacterial blooms or new tank syndrome, both of which can make the water smell bad and look cloudy. A regular maintenance routine prevents bacterial buildup to keep water fresh and odor-free.

    • 4

      Set up a separate feeding tank if your turtle is small enough to handle and move easily. Place your turtle in a small tank with an inch or two of dechlorinated water. Add the food. Once the turtle has finished eating, return it to the main tank. When moving your pet, keep your hands under its body and away from its mouth because it may assume your fingers are a snack if it is hungry.