How often should I change the water in my turtles tank?

Question

I just got a turtle and I was wondering how often I should change the water in his tank. I do have a filter that runs all the time but I don't want him to get sick. I heard that dirty stagnant water leads to shell defects.

Answer 1

Wow!  I sure would like to know where those other folks get their filters.  I use course sponge type filters because they don't clog as quickly, but they still need rinsing.  I rinse mine daily, and do a complete strip down; cleaning; disinfecting, and refill of the whole tank about every 2-3 weeks, or as needed.  The larger the turtle - the more frequent the cleaning, depending on tank size/turtle size, and if you feed the turtle while it's in its habitat.

You didn't mention what kind of turtle you have, but I'll post a basic turtle diet which is pretty good for most water turtles.  I'll also post a gut loading recipe for insects, just in case, and a few links you might want to check out when you have time.

There are many opinions on how to meet the dietary requirements of your RES (and other water turtles).  You can consult your vet for their recommendation, too, and google turtle breeders/sites to see what they feed.  This is what I have found to provide a happy/healthy reptile:

In the wild, red ear sliders eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters, and eat less plant matter than they will as they grow.



In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist of a commercial aquatic turtle pellet product (like Reptomin floating food sticks); aquatic plants such as Anacharis (research which are safe for consumption); gut loaded crickets; and very small feeders guppies/goldfish/minnows. Hatchlings should be fed small amounts spaced several times over the day (they are growing quickly) and juveniles should be feed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with frozen tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of leafy greens (like curly kale) or finely chopped mixed vegetables, can be offered several times weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow a bit older, or curiosity sets in.

Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept. at a local pet shop (you can easily cut this to a desired size or use whole for larger turtles/tanks) and drop it in the water for added calcium.  Turtles are curious, and eventually they'll bite at it.  This is fine too, but if they don’t, they will still get added calcium as they drink the water.

For adults the diet is relatively the same (amounts increased as they grow, and daily feedings decrease), but more of the diet may consist of commercial turtle pellets and plant items, such as Anacharis and vegetables.  

All my turtles, regardless of age, enjoy their gut loaded crickets.  Offering fresh live fish supplements their diet, and provides a good source of exercise as they swim, stalking and catching them.  Adults should be fed assorted greens several times a week.  Adult turtles may not eat daily, but most will if offered the opportunity.

Alternate/rotate the greens to provide a variety of nutrients: kale; romaine/red leaf lettuce; mustard greens; dandelion greens/flowers; watercress; parsley; Swiss chard; shredded carrots; shredded squash; mixed vegetables (fresh is better, but thawed frozen can be used) and miscellaneous fruits. NO iceberg; brussel sprouts, or cabbage!

You can reduce your task of keeping their environment clean by removing your turtle(s) to a small tank/plastic water filled container (water turtles primarily feed in the water) for feeding.  Turtles shred their food with their beak and front claws, and tend to be quite messy eaters.

GUT LOADING CRICKETS for REPTILES:

The number one problem:

Dried up and malnourished pet store crickets and mealworms. These food items are essentially useless. A dehydrated and unfed cricket contains almost no nutrients at all; refrigerated mealworms are even worse. A lot of the variety in nutrients found in wild insects is actually in the stomach content - usually plant material. We need to duplicate this to provide the best for our reptiles; without the risk of illness/disease/parasites which can result from feeding our pets wild insects.

Please note that wax worms, while fattening, are not nutritious.

Basic Dry/Staple Cricket Food:

Equal amounts of dry Iguana food, dry dog food, chick starter mash, oatmeal (you can add dry baby food wheat/rye/barley, etc. as well; even shredded wheat - no sugar).

Grind these items together.  Place in a small lid/bowl for the crickets to eat.  Store the unused portion in the refrigerator or freezer, until needed.

Supplement daily with one of the following: sweet potato, bananas, zucchini, oranges, carrots, strawberries, assorted squashes (acorn, yellow, etc.), grapefruit, green beans, apples, kale, spinach, cactus pads, and just about any other nutritious item you can think of (do not use white/yellow potatoes - these are starchy and only good if used as a moisture source during shipping, and NEVER use Avocado - it's poisonous to most animals).

Provide the dry food and kale at all times (kale is readily available during the winter months, too), rotating the other food items through in succession. The key is variety, and to provide an assortment of varying nutrients. What you are trying to do is offer your reptiles crickets with guts 'loaded' with fresh foodstuffs.

The crickets should be gut loaded for 1-2 days prior to offering them to your reptiles.

Also, provide fresh clean water in a lid/bowl, adding a sponge or folded paper towel to prevent drowning.

  

Don't offer more crickets than the reptile(s) will consume within: 1.) a few hours if it’s a lizard, salamander, frog/toad, or 2.) a few minutes, if it’s a water turtle, so you know the crickets will still be full of the good stuff when eaten.

The crickets should be dusted (shaken in a plastic bag gently to coat them) with vitamins (keep these refrigerated) and calcium D3 powder 2-4 times a week, depending on the age of the reptile.

Be sure to remove any uneaten crickets so that they do not soil your pet's environment/water or bother your pet, once it is full.  Crickets CAN turn the table - and feast upon your pet! Or aggravate them, causing stress and even cessation of eating.

Also be sure the crickets are the correct size for the reptile.  The cricket should be the same size long as the reptile’s head is wide.

Enjoy your new pet!

I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 2

if u have a water bowl every day and if u have it all water have about half of the tank in land

Answer 3

like the other awnsers said cleen filter every week change water every monthe or when its dirty

Answer 4

you should change the water of its tank about twice a week thats how i do it with my turtle and it stays in a okay position.

Answer 5

About once on month if you have a filter in it, remember to clean the filter every week though. If you don't have a filter about every 2 weeks. Filters are VERY cheap to buy !

Answer 6

once a week