they are diamond back aquatic turtles. they feed in water only. of late too much green fungal /algee growth is there in the terratarium.i have put a 40 watt bulb to keep them warm. without that there is no growth but they feel cold and dont eat properly. the room temp in Jammu(india) is right now 15 degree celsius/60 degree F. what do i do? the algee is also growing on the turtles. (may be they are red eared sliders as they have red dots near their ears space area). i cleaned them today and put them in a dry tub and one has been sleeping soundly since then. what do i do? please guide and help!!! will they need water or do i keep them without it in winters ?
2006-12-12 04:42:22 · 9 answers · asked by happybull007 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Clean your turtles cage regularly. Also, go to your local pet store and talk with the specialist. They can give you chemicals to put in your water that will not harm your turtles but will help stunt algea growth.
2006-12-12 04:50:30 · answer #1 · answered by B_U_T_FULL 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Identify the species! The care needs of Red-ear sliders is a LOT different than that of the Diamnondback Terrapin. You can check both out in the Care Sheets area of http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
2. Turtles love space, warmth, and sun. So does algae, but we can can control that with a little work.
Space- aim for at least 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle length. Bigger spaces mean healthier turtles. (Many of us use big plastic tubs instead of glass tanks- cheaper and better for the turtles.)
Warmth- aim for tank temps of about 75-80F, with basking sites at 90F.
Sunlight- most turtles NEED ultra-violet B rays in their light. Try using a good reptile bulb to provide the right light.
3. Controlling algae growth can be done in several ways.
- Try cleaning EVERYTHING out of the tank. Clean everything and let it air-dry in strong sunlight. Use a mild bleach solution to disinfect and kill as much algae as possible. Wash it off your turtles with some salt, water, and a washcloth.
- Try bring some Chinese algae eaters and bit snails in to eat some of it.
- Cover the glass on the side it grows the most. Sunlight coming throuhg windows helps algae, but not turtles.
- Install a strong filter. This is a good way to keep the water clean, which means less food for the plants. Turtle tanks should be filtered about 2-3 times more than a fish tank would be.
Check out http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for more ideas for good care.
2006-12-12 05:28:34 · answer #2 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
first-clean the tank more often! also red eared sliders need water temperature between 70 and 80 degrees farenheit (approx 20 -25 degrees centigrade)also sliders (and other aquatic turtles) ALWAYS need water to move into-having a dry area is nice, but water is required-also verify that you your light bulb is a FULL spectrum bulb as these turtles need full spectrum lighting to produce the vitamins they need for thier well being-also their shells will rot without full spectrum light. If turtles are not moving quickly increase temperature-also try to provide adequate calcium in their diet-most pellet foods are adequate, but crickets are probably the best as they contain the full amount of nutrients and the turtles get to catch them before they eat them!!! Good luck!
2006-12-12 15:05:01 · answer #3 · answered by xraygil1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look first thing, clean the tank. Go get a Filter for that will keep the water flowing. Also buy algae killer from local pet shop. Read and Follow directions. This will work and you wont have to clean the tank all winter. Also make sure your not keeping fish in there with them. Good Luck
2006-12-12 15:50:24 · answer #4 · answered by behindthesmile22 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
aquatic turtles love water, so the best thing to do is ether to get some snails or go to the pet store and get some chemicals to get rid of it completely it wont hurt you turtles and you have a clean tank If the one with red dots look sick the dots may be an infection ask a vet and/or show him a snapshot then he'll know for sure, good luck!
2006-12-12 04:58:37 · answer #5 · answered by lyger1970 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to identify the species of turtle you have- that is VERY important. A proper UV light is required to provide proper light to your turtles, but they need to be in water- that's their habitat, don't keep them away from water in the winters and without light. You need to live with the fact that algae grows in water. Make it a regular habit to clean and scrub the cage weekly to get rid of any algae and replace the water. Scrub your turtle's shells too so as to get rid of algae.
2006-12-12 08:42:56 · answer #6 · answered by cyber ninja 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there is any natural sunlight shining on them that will cause it. Don't keep their water from them they will die. Get some snails. The turtles will probably eat on them so get the cheap ones.
2006-12-12 04:46:55 · answer #7 · answered by talarlo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wash ur aquarium constantly and ask this question to an employee at petsmart.Good Luck!
2006-12-12 05:55:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
put a cleaning moter in the cage, it will clean it for you.
2006-12-14 01:36:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋