Feeding and Nutrition :: Am I being mean?

[snazzy]

I have a poor filter...There I said it, I feel better now that it is out in the open. Because of this my water is turning green nearly daily even with massive water changes. I think I have narrowed it down to the fact that my turtles or perhaps my goldfish are insanely messy eaters of salad. I don't know why the goldfish are eating the lettuce but it seems they just shred it into teeny tiny bits and then spit it out. (I do feed them fish food which they eat completely - the lettuce is just there for the turtles). This seems to float/rot at the top of the tank for the longest and my filter is just not strong enough to remove it. Even after it settles down it seems there is visible floating material in the tank for at least a day (and since I feed them every day, then I always have floating material). This rots, etc. etc. voila - algae.

So here is the issue. I could get another filter but canisters are out for me because I do not have a way to put it below the tank. The tank sits on top of my sons dresser which is built into a wall (they do that in this part of the world). The only solution I can think of is to get a stronger pump and perhaps build a filter that goes 'above' the tank as I got lots of room there. Still haven't figured that one out - perhaps like a skippy pond filter. (btw 140 liter/40 gal tank and 1200 liter/hr pump with no hydrostatic head - I don't have a pump curve to know its rating for the lift it has to do - besides I think they might lie anyway).

In the mean time....am I being mean if I just feed them in the bathtub. I don't mean that it is mean to put them in the bathtub to feed them as the bathtub is a fine feeding tank (I put water of course, and a few big rocks are in there for them to climb on if they want) but more so that I only allow them to eat in the AM from say 6:30 am to around 8:30 am while they are in there and then nothing else the rest of the day (especially not lettuce!). Its sort of a 'you snooze you lose' type feeding policy. I just wasn't sure if this is inappropriate as they are around 6 months old and 2 inches. I guess they could always eat the goldfish (kinda wish they would to be honest).

Thanks,

[industrial_girl_2000]

Remove the goldfish from your turtle tank since they are a.) messy (as you found out already!), and b.) not very nutritious for your turtle to eat them (they are very fatty & have very little nutritional value). Removing the goldfish (put them in a separate tank) will definitely impact how much algae builds up in the tank.

Is your tank near a window? Any sunlight coming in & shining on the tank can make algae grow faster than anything on the planet.

Also, feeding your turtle in a separate container of water (in your case, the bathtub) is not mean at all! I have been feeding my turtle this way for almost her entire life, and she has no problem with it. I started doing this for the same reason as you, because feeding in the tank was too messy! I can relate.

It is NOT mean to only feed them once/day. Turtles would literally eat themselves silly if we let them. It is totally ok to cut them off after a certain time. Chances are, you won't need to leave the food in there for longer than, say 1/2 hour, before they need to go back into their tank. Turtles with a healthy appetite will eat extremely quickly so my feeling is that you won't need to wait 2 hours for them to eat.

Lastly, if there is a lot of uneaten food in the tank, then definitely cut back on the amount you are feeding them. Uneaten food (as you found out already) can make your tank into a sewer!

[TheComputerGremlin]

What size tank do you have? If it's a 40 gallon or less (I'm assuming based on what I think were filter ratings you mentioned), that is WAY too small for two turtles. Two turtles may need upwards of 200 gallons when full grown. The smaller the tank, the messier it gets, and much faster. And is there no way to set the canister filter on the ground below the tank? It can just sit on the floor, out of the way. You won't be able to find anything like a canister filter or as powerful. You could try multiple filters, I guess. But ultimately, I think your tank is too small for the amount of waste.

And many people feed their turtles in a separate feeding bowl to keep it clean. And then you can keep the goldfish around since they won't be shredding your lettuce!

[Take-One]

Like Industrial Girl I have always fed Yertle in a different container. I always feed them in there old tanks. But the bathtub is fine. But watch out. They have Salmonella. It would be wise to put lysol in the tub after you feed them in it. And say Buh Bye to the fish!

[BullDog]

It's always iffy to use the bathtub. There is lots of soap residue that you can't see, that could harm the turtle. Also, as Take-One mentioned, turtles are carriers of salmonella. If the tub is not cleaned properly, there is a chance that you could catch it.

I would suggest just getting a big (rubbermaid-type) storage container to feed them in. This way, you can dedicate the container to the turtles, and you don't have to worry about you or your turtles getting sick

As for the canister filter, can you put it beside the dresser on the floor?
If not, I would say at least get another hang-on or internal filter to help. The more filtering power, the better! Especially with 2 turtles!

[marisa]

When I fed my turtles outside the tank, I used dishpans (they're cheap to buy). Aside from the cleanliness and soap issues, I think feeding in a smaller container than a bathtub is preferable. With larger feeding containers, my turtles would tend to spend a fair amount of time gawking around, especially when they weren't used to being fed out of their tank. You want them to eat and then go back into the tank.

If a canister filer is out of the question, and you're considering a hang-on-the-tank filter, an AquaClear is an option. It will be noisy (waterfall noise) unless the drop of the water into the tank is modified, though.

[res08]

I'm sure people do it but I think feeding in the bathtub or sink is unsanitary. Your turtle would be exposed to soap and disinfectants because it is where you bathe and wash your hands. Also, swallowing untreated tap water can't be good for them.

[Nettle]

I have an awful filter, too,; every two weeks the tank is so clouded with algae, visibility is at best five inches.

I was wondering, will a better filter really curb the algae problem? It's always been a problem even though it's never been near a window.

[snazzy]

Sorry, I should have said that the bathtub has no use otherwise. The rocks stay in there permanently so it would be a logistical problem to actually use it! Kinda funny though that my turtles have their own bathroom, I mean how 'royal', but this means there is no soap/chemicals issue for them and no salmonella for my family. I use the bathtub because it is easiest to fill and drain when done (and I wasn't using it otherwise anyway)

I agree the tank is too small for the long term - but it is ok for now as it is the only size that will fit the hole. I am not keen on upgrading it soon so am trying other ways to get around the problem for as long as I can. I am trying to find a home for one of them which will help. (I am one of those that got the turtles in the teeny tiny bowl, with the dang goldfish only to find out that they actually require 'real' care - but I do my best now that I know)

No, there is no room under the tank for a canister. The dresser is built INTO the wall. So if you look at the wall from the side you see wall, then drawers/cabinets, then wall again all flush at the front. It is strange from an American perspective where the furniture is an independent piece that would be in front of a wall. So for us, there is no room beside it (there is a wall there). If I put a canister in front of the tank then it would be a trip hazard - sort of an island out in front where you would normally walk- and would block the access to the drawers. I might be able to drill a hole through the wall (which is hard as they make them out of concrete here, not so easy as drywall!) and put the canister in the back of the adjoining room. But, I am not sure I want to take this step since the tank is going to be too small but this is the largest tank that will fit the space I have. I haven't yet figured out the long term solution.

Oh, and no it isn't near a window. I do think it is the goldfish shredding the lettuce that is causing the algae problem. Since it is not cruel to feed them for just a short period then I will go with that and see if it helps.

[imderanged]

Ok, I'm curious...where Do you live snazzy?

[snazzy]

Dubai, UAE

[imderanged]

we really do have quite a diverse group here on this forum!!!and we all share a love of turtles

[industrial_girl_2000]

Like Industrial Girl I have always fed Yertle in a different container. I always feed them in there old tanks. But the bathtub is fine. But watch out. They have Salmonella. It would be wise to put lysol in the tub after you feed them in it. And say Buh Bye to the fish!

I use one of those 2.5 gallon-size rubbermaid containers & it is Sheba's feeding container only. So if you don't want to do the bathtub thing, you don't have to. I only rinse Sheba's container after feeding....no lysol needed.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Dubai, UAE

Wow, that's so COOL! I always wanted to check out the Burj al Arab hotel. It looks so awesome in the pictures! And what about those man-made islands they have on the coast??? So cool! You are so lucky you get to see those!

[snazzy]

I like living here so far. It is cool to see a city grow so fast. 5 years ago there was barely anything here when I travelled through. I have only lived here a year and it is a different city than when I moved here it is changing that fast. Still, I miss home (and Target and Home Depot and Costco).