A turtle tank is the animal’s environment and the animal’s environment is a large determining factor on whether the animal is healthy or not. So, if something changes in your pet’s environment, if the water in the tank turns yellow, then you’d understandably be worried.
This article is a look into why your turtle’s tank water is yellow
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Why is my turtle tank water yellow?
If your pet’s tank changes color then you’d understandably be worried, and a tank turning yellow is definitely something to worry about
Here is why your turtle’s tank water may be turning yellow:
Organic matter:
The yellowness in your pet’s tank may be caused by the decaying organic matter in the water that hasn’t been filtered out or removed.
Decaying organic matter can include dead fish, decayed plants, and any uneaten food that your pet turtle has left in the tank
All this organic matter will eventually turn the tank water yellow, or even brown, at some point. The decaying materials will also eventually give rise to unpleasant odors.
The materials will not only make the aquarium look unattractive but the aquarium will also turn dangerous for the turtle to live in.
What to do:
If something is wrong with your turtle’s water quality then this can make your turtle sick, so dealing with this issue, as soon as possible, is a must.
Start by doing a large water change, a 50 percent water change, to dilute the concertation of toxins in the water
It is also a good idea to check for nitrates and nitrites after the water change.
If this issue developed because of leftover food in the tank then you may want to consider feeding your pet in a separate container and then putting your turtle back in its tank once it is done eating, or, you can consider feeding your pet only as much food as it can eat in 5 minutes, this should reduce waste
If the issue developed because waste from the turtle isn’t being filtered quickly enough then you can use a turkey baster to suck up any waste and discard it outside of the tank.
You’d also need a bigger and stronger filter, a canister filter is recommended.
Making sure that you’re using a filter that is designed for a tank that is 3 or 4 times bigger than the tank that you’re keeping your pet in is also a good idea.
Tanninis:
Is usually recommended that you keep some plants in the tank to help clean the tank and to keep the environment interesting for the turtle. However, these plants may be the cause of the yellowing of the water.
If you have foliage, like driftwood, in your pet’s tank then the tannins in the driftwood are likely leeching out of the driftwood and into the water.
Wood is a natural source of tannins, tannins, or, tannic acids, can cause water to turn yellow.
What to do:
The good news is that tannins aren’t dangerous to your turtle, and in fact, because driftwood, and thus tannins, are naturally found in water bodies the existence of the tannins may create a more natural environment for your turtles.
If you don’t like the appearance of the yellow water then you can take the driftwood out and put it in another container of water and allow the tannins to leach out into the other water. Once done you can put the food back into your pet’s enclosure.
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: Why Is My Turtle Tank Water Brown?, Why Does My Turtle Tank Have Bubbles?, Why Does My Turtle Scratch The Tank?, Why Is My Turtle On Top Of My Other Turtle?