Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 4:08 am Re: Can't keep my tank clean
My RES have gotten used to being fed out of their regular tank for years. been using a 5 gallon bucket about 1/4-1/3 full of room temperature water. they just swim to my hands when they beg for food so i just pick them up, put them in their separate buckets, feed them, and return them to their tanks. lots of times they move their bowels shortly after which is a plus. otherwise i may see some shed scutes or larger pieces of feces sitting at the bottom of the tank which i just go over with a fish net to remove. i don't rely as much on my filter as before for larger waste. Back then i fed them in their normal tank and filters would get clogged much faster. Some people don't like this as handling the turtles stresses them out. It's your personal preference. Some turtles won't eat when you put them in an unfamiliar place.
your tank is much too small for 2 x 5" turtles as well esp if the water is only half full. you should fill the tank as much as it won't let the turtles climb out and escape. I would consider looking at some stock tanks as they are way more wallet friendly, hold more water, and more comfortable for turtles (vs clear glass walls). They may not be as pleasant to look at but you definitely need to look at something larger if you want to keep both of them in the same tank. Larger volume of water = more water turnover as your filter works and easier to keep clean. I'll use an analogy comparing a bathtub to a swimming pool... it takes a lot more waste to foul up a swimming pool vs a bathtub!
