Aquarium
 

Hi, I have an aquarium where I keep a turtle in my house. The aquarium is 29 gallons. Now that it is colder out, I have a heater underneath the tank. Every few days I have to change the water, as it begins to take on a very horrible odor. I never had this problem in the summer, and there is a pump that runs all the time.

Any suggestions? Thanks

was the tank out side? also what temp is the water, compared to the outside temp, if its hotter then you are probably breading some sort if fungus, also how often do you clean it, is in sun light all the time?

no it is inside, and i usually heat the water, it is in sunlite

You really don't have a choice but to clean out the water. That's the problem with turtles. I've had up to four at a time, and if you can imagine your odor problems multiplied by about 8x, well, you'd have the odor that permeated my room, my hair, and my clothes. They had to go on a little trip after a few months. (To a very good friend's house. No soup.) Now, that's a biig tank for a single turtle. I would consider using a smaller tank, or having two small tanks that you would switch him to while you clean the other. What does the pump do? Is it a filtration system, or a water exchange system? If its a filter, clean your filter ASAP, and consider not using it. It's not necessary for turtles if you change the water completely every few days. Your turtle also needs UV light, and a moderate heat source.

yes, it has a UV light and a heat source. i had a 10 gallon tank but earlier this year i felt that it needed more space... i had the same problem with the 10 gallon tank...almost like the fungus or something was getting "baked"

Heh. It's not fungus. Its poo. What does the littler feller eat?

turtle food that makes him poo

You might consider getting a couple of "Cleaner" fish to help.

The turtle might eat them though.

A few plants would help.

Turtles are dirty, and a 29 gallon tank is very small for a turtle, and I am sure you only have a few inches of water in the tank...just keep cleaning it and hope the turtle doesn't grow.

it is a painted turtle, which i have had for about 6 years, it is only about 4-5 inches long, and has not grew much since i got it.

I had a few red-ear sliders. They are the messiest *()*(*() in the world. The heat doesn't help the water quality but it's necessary for their metabolism.

You have no choice but to clean often. Also, watch the humidity of the room it's in, you could be growing mold somewhere close by...