What do I add to my tank's water to keep down the ammonia levels?

Question

I had an established tank of fish, shrimp and snails. Then I added two small turtles. Since then, the ammonia levels have been high ( I already treated it with Ammo lock) and my water is getting cloudy.

I was using Jungle brand Water Clear, which worked miracles in my tank with fish, but is that safe on turtles? I also saw another water treatment tablet that you place into the tank that is supposed to help with turtles and reduce salmonella, but I wasnt sure if it was safe for the fish.

I am a first time turtle owner, so any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I just want clear ammonia-free water for my fish and turtles to live.

And yes, I know that once my turtles get bigger, I'll have to seperate them or risk losing my fish as food.

Also, how do I know that the turtles are eating enough, or at all for that matter? I'm afraid that my fish are eating everything (I only have 3 goldfish).

I think I should mention that the turtles I purchased are about an inch or so and according to the guy at the pet store, I can put them in a tank with my fish.

I already spoke to several people about whether or not I could put them in my tank, now I just need to know how to keep the water clear.

Answer 1

a filter

Answer 2

I don't believe you have the right setup which is why you are having poor ammonia levels. Also, DON'T use those turtle sulfa blocks. They do more damage than good.

Turtles require ten gallons per inch of shell and usually have to live alone so an adult turtle requires at least a 90 gallon tank. They need a filter rated for 3x the size of the tank unlike fish and also a submersible water heater. They need a dock and two light fixtures like clamp lamps with a 5% UVB bulb and a heat bulb. 78F water, 90F basking.

You probably thought you could just toss in some turtles and it would work, but that's not the case. You also probably have gravel which you will need to remove as it will dirty up the tank a lot faster and the turtle will die when it eats it. My suggestion, get two 55 gallon fishtanks from petco for 55 bucks each and get a proper setup as they are having a sale. Bring in online ads to petsmart and save money pricematching as well. This is a helpful chart http://www.redearslider.com/startup.html

Fed once per day. Every other day feed the number of pellets that would fit in the head if it was hollow excluding the neck. Every day in between offer fresh romain, red leaf, green leaf lettuce (never iceberg), basil, radishleaves, and sometimes carrots. Offer cuttlebone or turtlebone with the hard side cut off with a knife for calcium. It helps to put it in a clownfish veggie clip.

Basically, your turtles can eat the fish at any moment. They have inadequate filtration and probably inadequate space which contributes to the water problems. You also probably have gravel which is negative. You can buy something called biotize but that won't be enough and it's really an issue of tank setup. Seperate the turtles in large tanks with complete setups and if you need more help go to http://www.redearslider.com or email me.

Answer 3

In order to control the ammonia its not what you need to add but rather what you have to take away. This means removing excess nutrients. This can only be done through regular partial water changes. You don't specify the size of your tank but I would suggest starting with daily 25% changes and see if that helps.

Answer 4

Adam is 100% correct. Your set up for turtles is not right. Please read the detailed info on this site--it discusses water quality, etc.

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm