Clearer water?

[Yellow Turtle01]

So I have my 2 adult sliders in a 180 tank now, with a 400 gallon Fluval filter. The filter does a great job, it leaves nothing floating around, nothing on the bottom, the water doesn't smell... it's just a HORRIBLE color. Think mud+sewage coloring=my tank water. It's disgusting. As I said, nothing floating around, no odor... I cleaned out the filter three times, and bought new media for two of the layers. I dumped almost a whole bottle of cloudy water curer from the fish section, and for SOME REASON, THE LIQUID WAS DYED BROWN. So that just ADDED to the nasty water color. Is it just turtle pee? I mean, 2 (more than) 8'' turtles must produce a lot! I really want to fix this, but don;t want to empty the tank... So many bucket trips to fill it up! Any suggestions? I can get a pic if you want!
EDIT:my male RES's water isn't like this! It is shiny and clear! Neither are my painted turtles??

 

[wellington]

What may help is too feed them in a different tank. They are dirty eaters and if I remember correctly, they pretty much poop right after too.

 

[wellington]

Btw, I don't think it has too be a tank. A lug tub or something like that. I don't think you have to filter it if you change it after every feeding, but not sure on that.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

What may help is too feed them in a different tank. They are dirty eaters and if I remember correctly, they pretty much poop right after too.

Yes, they make crumbs EVERYWHERE! However, recently, I've been giving them a food that has low ash, (4%, while most has 8-10) which means A LOT LESS poop. They poop 6-7 times a week now, which is very nice
But it's just the girls, all the other turtles are sparkly and clean? Maybe they are more messy?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Btw, I don't think it has too be a tank. A lug tub or something like that. I don't think you have to filter it if you change it after every feeding, but not sure on that.

I have a few extra tubs I could feed them in, which are very large and could work out well for that, but as I said, it's only them? Myabe becuase they're the biggest?
haha, no, probably not, but I could try the separate feeding tubs.

 

[wellington]

I would try and see if that helps. If it doesn't, maybe the filter is not working properly for some reason. Too large of filter media where the stuff is just going through and back in the tank? Just guessing. But if you try the different feeding tub on them and the tank stays clean, then at least you know what the problem is. Good luck.

 

[Jabuticaba]

Could it be brown algae bloom?


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Could it be brown algae bloom?


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

I've actually looked into algae blooms, but there's nothing floating around Algae blooms are supposed to have 'particles' I've also looked into bad bacteria vs good bacteria, but usually that makes the water cloudy and white, not brown
I'll try wellington's suggestion and feed them in a different ares for a few weeks, and see if a makes a difference.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I would try and see if that helps. If it doesn't, maybe the filter is not working properly for some reason. Too large of filter media where the stuff is just going through and back in the tank? Just guessing. But if you try the different feeding tub on them and the tank stays clean, then at least you know what the problem is. Good luck.

I didn't know it was possible to have too large of a filter!

 

[Jabuticaba]

I've actually looked into algae blooms, but there's nothing floating around Algae blooms are supposed to have 'particles' I've also looked into bad bacteria vs good bacteria, but usually that makes the water cloudy and white, not brown
I'll try wellington's suggestion and feed them in a different ares for a few weeks, and see if a makes a difference.

Hmmmm...strange. I hope you find what's wrong with it.


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[wellington]

I didn't know it was possible to have too large of a filter!

Not filter, the stuff you have inside to collect the gunk. Some is tighter some is not. Like a sponge with bigger openings or a sponge with tighter openings. Some collets the bigger stuff, while others collect more of the smaller stuff. I hope that made sense.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

What filter media are you using?

What tank decorations do you have? Driftwood can turn tank water brown...like tea.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

What filter media are you using?

What tank decorations do you have? Driftwood can turn tank water brown...like tea.

The tank and turtles are new, so nothing Just a

thing like that.I got two so that they can fit. No rocks, no plants, very boring
When the filter arrived, it came with the media that was in it, ( I have the second smallest one)

and it came with extra ,media for two of the layers (sponges, a carbon pack, and bio rings)

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Not filter, the stuff you have inside to collect the gunk. Some is tighter some is not. Like a sponge with bigger openings or a sponge with tighter openings. Some collets the bigger stuff, while others collect more of the smaller stuff. I hope that made sense.

That makes sense

That's a diagram of what goes into a fluval06, but in mine I only have one layer of carbon. When I cleaned it out the first time, it was very clean inside. Only a small amount of slimy sludge on the outside of the sponges. Is it actually cleaning? Fluvals are kind of expensive and I want it to work

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I love Fluval. I've used quite a few of them varying from the 200 up to the FX5. I've never had an issue with a fluval.

The only tea colored water I've encountered was from driftwood.

Can you post a photo of the tank? A profile pic. so we can see the water visibility...

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Sure, I have a few in my phone.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

#1 is their water #2&3 is the filter, it is a Fluval 06 #5 is my painted turtles water, they have Fluval 04 Canister, and works very nicely #6 is another pic of their water, and the ugly brown-ness of it

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I love Fluval. I've used quite a few of them varying from the 200 up to the FX5. I've never had an issue with a fluval.

The only tea colored water I've encountered was from driftwood.

Can you post a photo of the tank? A profile pic. so we can see the water visibility...

Awhile ago I uploaded a photo of

Ruby, just when this whole thing started, right after my girls moved into the big tank, and got the 400 gal. filter. It was a little more whiteish then, and clearer. All I've done since then is clean the filer Because I put the de0clouder in before this.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Wow...that's bad. I've never had water like that with turtle or fish tanks. Even the tea colored water from driftwood had perfect visibility.

Did you rinse out all the media before you put it into the filter and ran it?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Wow...that's bad. I've never had water like that with turtle or fish tanks. Even the tea colored water from driftwood had perfect visibility.

Did you rinse out all the media before you put it into the filter and ran it?

I know! it's really gross Yes, because it told me too in the instructions haha and I did it again when I washed the filter out! It JUST the girls!! Everybody else it completely clear! Should I empty it and refill it? I've been avoiding that for awhile because... uugh I get turtles are messy, messy critters, but I've never had any of my other turtles water do this in 6 years