My turtle tank just keeps getting dirty!?

it gets this white film along the top of the water.. i clean it alot! so i dont want to here clean it more often. i do everything right.. all my turtle does is stays in the corners half out with his eyes closed. hes really little and i am worried its b/c of the water... help?
2 hours ago - 1 week left to answer.
Additional Details
no i dont have a filter but i was told by alot of people who own turtles you really dont need one .. and also yes i know you need to take good care of your pets i have 2 guinea pigs, a cat, turtle, fish etc) and i dont want to bring a 40$ turtle to the vet or get expensive tests my parents aid they arnt paying for that and i bought the turtle without them knowing and i'm only 14 so i'm not paying for that.. and yes i do clean the food he dosnt eat.. and he isnt dead:S... but i dont know what to do i might try a filter but anyone else can you help me?
5 minutes ago

also by white film i mean like a skum over the water and when i clean it its like white and leaves a ring in the aquarium i have to clean all the time..
5 minutes ago

and i have a 10 gallon tank for a tiny turtle so its plenty big....

i have a rock that he can climb up on (made for turtles). I have a lamp (for turtles) and i have it over the tank. And yes i do take care of him and clean the water every second day... so i dont think i need a filter i was told by a vet... and by the petstore owner.

It sounds like you do need a filter! And, it also sounds like you need a vet. I don't understand why you would get a $40.00 turtle and not want to take him to a vet. You need to be a responsible pet owner, it doesn't matter what the animal costs! If this animal survives, you need to realize that this turtle needs more than a 10 gallon tank. He will need heat and lighting too! So many people only think of the cost of the animal.

get a filter you need one .And from what you are saying you need it bad

At 14 years old you really had no business bringing home an animal without your parents' consent, especially if you aren't capable of providing adequate care (read: capable of affording medical treatment when necessary and affording proper caging and equipment). That out of the way....

Turtles are very messy, especially when confined to a small tank. Babies grow fairly quickly and will shed their skin frequently so a filter is definitely necessary unless you are doing water changes on a daily basis. The rule of thumb with turtles is to provide 10 gallons for each inch of turtle. If this is a neonate the 10 gallon tank may work for now but you will soon need to upgrade. A single adult turtle needs at least a 75 gallon tank.

Does this turtle have access to dry land or a landing pad in the tank? Does it have a basking lamp? How warm are you keeping the enclosure? Does it have a high spectrum UVB light? These are all essentials in keeping a turtle healthy and happy.


*Edit to add*
You don't mention having a UVB light for him. Without exposure to full spectrum UVB light turtles, especially young turtles, can quickly succumb to metabolic bone disease (MBD) and this is an ailment much easier (and affordable) to prevent than to treat.

A 10 gallon tank may be ideal for hatchlings, but only temporarily. Do not expect it to be comfortable in that tank for much longer. You don't mention what variety of turtle you have, but I'll assume that we're talking about a red eared slider as these are very popular in the pet trade. Here is a photo comparing an adult and a baby:
http://www.gregrothschild.com/newspring0...


I would take the advice of pet store staff with a hefty grain of salt as they tend to have only a very basic understanding of most of the animals they sell. They are looking to make a profit for their store not to educate buyers (as this can often dissuade them from making a purchase once they realize how much money they will have to invest in the animal).

I would say the same of most vets. Really GOOD herp vets that are well-versed in specific reptile care are few and far between. If your said you didn't need a filter, I'd be willing to bet s/he is not in that category. I would advise picking up a Reptiles magazine (or similar publication) and pick a reputable vet in listed in the back of the mag. There are usually at least a few listed for each state.

As for your tank issues. Consider upgrading to a larger tank now and getting a good submersible filter. Smaller tanks hold more concentrated amounts of water which means there is less room for waste to dissipate. That makes for an unhealthy environment. Small aquariums have to be cleaned more frequently than larger aquariums for this reason. As for filters, you want a submersible one because a turtle's tank isn't going to be full and traditional power filters aren't designed to be used in a half-filled aquarium. I recommend using a Hagen Fluval Plus submersible.