Why Does My Turtle Tank Stink?

Owning a turtle is a wonderful thing. Since they usually live for such a long time, they can easily become part of the family. While turtles are undeniably great, their environment can sometimes be a pain.

In particular, their turtle tank can be a big nuisance if it smells. The smell might be so bad that you don’t even want to go near it. The good thing is that there are many ways to prevent and treat a stinky turtle tank. We will cover everything your need to know about smelly turtle tanks in this article.

Why does my turtle tank stink

The main reasons your turtle tank stink are excess food, small tank, ineffective filter, and infrequent cleaning. I will go into depth for each of these causes below.

Excess food

One of the main causes of a stinky turtle tank is excess food. This occurs when you feed your turtle more than they can handle. When this happens, the excess food usually floats to the bottom of the tank. Once at the bottom, the food begins to decompose. When this happens, it attracts bacteria and fungus to grow around the food. Both bacteria and fungus can contribute to a smelly tank.

While you should be careful when feeding your turtle anything, it is especially important that you monitor how much fresh produce (vegetables) you feed your turtle. This is because vegetables decompose extremely fast, and can cause plenty of bacteria build up if not eaten.

Small tank

Another common reason your turtle tank smells is because it is too small. Remember, your turtle tank should be at least 10 gallons for each inch of shell length. For example, if your turtle has a 7-inch-long shell, you should have at least a 70-gallon tank. Turtles that live in small tanks can get very stressed out. In extreme cases, it can even be the reason why a turtle dies.

When turtles live in too small of a tank, sludge build up is unable to cleanly disperse. This causes smelly build ups to occur, which can certainly lead to a smelly tank.

Ineffective filter

A common mistake made by turtle owners is not getting a strong enough filter. Remember, you should get a filter that is specifically made for turtle tanks and not fish tanks. Turtles produce a lot more waste than fish, and therefore require much stronger filters.

You also need to make sure that you get a filter that matches the size of your tank. An effective filter will be able to clean out waste and prevent your tank from smelling bad.

Infrequent cleaning

Last but not least, a smelly turtle tank can also be cause by infrequent cleaning. Remember, you should do a water change at least once a month to help remove dirty water. You should also clean of the sides of your aquarium with a sponge. I would also recommend cleaning out the gravel at least every other month, since this is where most of the waste build up occurs.

You should also remove debris from live plants if you have any.

Products to help with a smelly turtle tank

There are plenty of products on amazon that can help get rid of the bad smell from your turtle tank. My favorite is the API sludge remover. Another options is the reptile odor eliminator.

Lastly, you can look into purchasing an aerator. An aerator will help produce more oxygen in your turtle tank water, which can help improve the smell.