Nature and animals in the wild maintain a healthy and odor-free environment, this is a sign that all is well, but, if your pet turtles tank starts to smell bad then you’d understandably start to worry
This article looks into why your turtle tank smells bad
Table of Contents
My turtle tank smells bad:
Foul odors coming from any of your pets will not only be quite unpleasant but they will also likely be quite concerning.
Understanding the reasons behind smelly odors coming from your pet’s tank will help you remedy the issue
Here are the reasons why your turtle’s tank smells bad and what to do about it
Food left out:
One of the reasons why your turtle’s tank may smell bad may be because there is food left out in the tank and it is going bad.
These animals don’t eat that much and you may find that some food will be leftover to rot in the tank.
Even if you don’t see any food being left out some food may have clogged up your pet’s filter and this may be preventing adequate filtration from happening resulting in a foul smell in your pet’s tank
What to do:
Getting rid of any food that has been left over at the end of the day will keep the tank from smelling. Clean out the dry areas of the tank as well as the wet areas where food can quickly disintegrate
Also, make sure that there is no stuck food left in the filter
Algae:
Sometimes the bad smells that are coming from your pet’s tank are a result of algae that has been left to grow unchecked
Algae growths are caused by incorrect temperatures in the tank. If the tank is too hot then this can trigger algae to grow and grow rapidly.
Not only this, but the overly warm environment can cause your pet to develop shell rot which also smells bad.
Unclean water:
If the water isn’t clean, and isn’t changed often enough, then this can result in bad smells coming from your turtle’s tank.
The water in your pet’s tank can smell because of turtle waste in your tank. A tank that isn’t cleaned, or at least partially cleaned, at least once a week will start to look and smell quite bad
What to do:
Regularly cleaning your pet’s tank will do a lot to get the tank to smell normal again.
You can partially clean the tank by removing about 25 percent of the water in the tank and replacing it with fresh non-chlorinated water. Do this once a week.
The water that you add to the tank should be around the same temperature as your pet’s water.
You can also consult your vet about using nitrifying bacteria in the animal’s tank, this will go a long way in breaking down the waste that your pet leaves in the water, and this will help with the smell of the tank
You’d only need to do a complete tank cleaning every few weeks. When cleaning the tank use a cleaning agent that is reptile-safe and aquarium-safe, remove the old substrate, and use hot water when cleaning the tank
Also, make sure that there is enough water in the tank and that the filter you’re using is appropriate in size and appropriate for the animal.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: My Turtle Has A Hole In Its Shell, Is My Turtle Underweight?, Can Turtles Overheat?, My Turtle Keeps Scratching His Eyes, My Turtle Is Spitting Up Blood, My Turtle Only Laid One Egg, My Turtle Only Eats Shrimp, My Turtle Only Eats Lettuce, Why Does My Turtle Tank Smell Bad After Cleaning?