An important part of keeping your turtle healthy and happy is a clean turtle tank or aquarium. You may have noticed some green water inside, which is not normal and a result of algae. While not harmful, it can indicate other problems that MAY be harmful to your turtle.
That’s why it’s important to get rid of algae and assess your turtle tank to ensure your turtle’s health. So read on as I show you how to get rid of algae in turtle tank!
How to Get Rid Of Algae In Turtle Tank
Algae is irritating and can affect turtle health, so be sure to follow these tips on getting rid of it:
1. Look Into Your Tank
Algae grow more in turtle tanks because of the waste your turtle produces. These act as nutrients algae requires for optimum growth.
Make sure your turtle is in a tank sizable enough to prevent turtle waste to become highly concentrated, which encourages algae growth. Your tank should be holding at least ten gallons of water per inch your turtle is. The larger, the better!
Meaning, full-grown turtles will need a tank that’s bigger than 100 gallons. If you have a tank that’s too small, it will be difficult to maintain good water quality and it will further affect your turtle’s health.
2. Get the Right Filter
Water quality is crucial in getting rid of algae, and a filter will help in keeping the tank in a healthy state. So you will need a powerful filter, and I recommend that you get a canister-type filter that’s rated for tanks up to four times the size of the actual tank or aquarium. You can find such filters in pet stores, so you’re able to get the extra filtration your turtles need.
When cleaning the filter, do not disinfect it or clean it with very hot water, as it will kill any beneficial bacteria it has. Good bacteria are required to degrade your turtle’s waste properly, which helps lessen algae growth as well.
3. Consider the Lighting
Be sure that the lights on the turtle tank aren’t on for long periods. The lights should only be switched on for up to 12 hours a day or so to mimic the daylight cycle for better turtle health and less stress.
If the lights are switched on for longer periods, it can contribute to algae growth. You can cut the lighting at appropriate times but do NOT cut it off too much or completely for your turtle’s sake.
If ever the tank and your turtle receives direct sunlight, you can move the tank out of the light for longer periods, which can significantly help lessen algae growth.
4. Water Quality
You need to maintain good water quality to get rid of any algae growth, as any dilution is a solution to pollution! Follow these tips for the best water quality to keep it (almost) completely algae-free:
- Reduce chances of overgrowth with proper aquarium hygiene and change the water at least once a week. Change around 1/8 of the total amount of water from the tank every time you do so.
- Add a bit of aquarium salt to the waters, which won’t harm any freshwater inhabitants. The salt can balance out water electrolytes for an even healthier environment.
- Starve any further algae growth and supply the tank with live plants, which would use nutrients that would have been for algae.
- Consider adding animals that consume algae, such as places or snails. But keep in mind that turtles may eat them too, so you need to replace such creatures regularly.
- Consider getting an aerator or extra filter to keep the waters clean and flowing properly. Moving water makes it harder for algae growth!
Read more: Can Tortoises Eat Marigolds? What Your Tortoise is Allowed
5. Cleaning the Tank
To clean algae, you also have to clean your tank. You can target algae growth and get rid of it by following these steps:
- Scrape any algae off the tank walls using an algae scraper, which is fairly cheap and can remove stuck-on algae safely without the risk of damaging your acrylic or glass tank.
- Scrub all the decor that has any algae growth. If there are a lot of algae on habitat decor and larger rocks, remove it from the turtle tank. Scrub off the algae with an old toothbrush, doing so gently to avoid damaging the accessories. Rinse off before placing it back in the tank.
- Remove everything in the tank and vacuum the gravel found at the bottom of your turtle tank. This is best done when you’re about to change the water, using a siphon to vacuum clean all gravel.
- There are chemicals you can purchase to remove algae from your turtle tank, but these aren’t safe to use for your pets. If you do have to use it, be sure that your pet isn’t around and is in a separate tank far from the area you plan to clean the tank in. Furthermore, wait for a few hours after cleaning to place your turtle back inside, most likely after the chemicals and smell have dissipated.
Do take note that there will always be a bit of algae in the tank, and even on your turtle’s shell. It’s necessary to completely remove algae from the tank, so the goal should be to keep the growth under control and ensure optimum water quality.
Are you wondering what else you can do to clean out your turtle tank and get rid of algae? Check out this informative video:
Wrapping It Up
Any area that’s wet and warm and has access to sunlight is most likely an easy target for algae growth. Your turtle tank may be infiltrated with algae, which is why proper cleaning is crucial. With a tank that’s cleaned regularly, you lessen any health risk upon your turtle and keep them happy.
I hope that these tips on how to get rid of algae in turtle tank helped you out. So don’t wait any longer and look into cleaning your turtle tank for an algae-free environment now.