Do Slider Turtles Need Water Conditioner To Remove Chlorine...

[Gruffle]

whenever i change my turtles water i have been putting water conditioner in it out of habit, but don't know if turtles actually need it, well i've just run out of it and would like to know if i need to buy anymore or not?

I know turtles aren't as awkward as fish can be about water...i know people that put turtles outside in a paddling pool in the summer, but just want to make sure, any advise appreciated

 

[fishnovice]

whenever i change my turtles water i have been putting water conditioner in it out of habit, but don't know if turtles actually need it, well i've just run out of it and would like to know if i need to buy anymore or not?

I know turtles aren't as awkward as fish can be about water...i know people that put turtles outside in a paddling pool in the summer, but just want to make sure, any advise appreciated

Water conditioner is mainly to remove chlorine so as not to kll bacteris in the filter when doing water changes.Most turtle owners just concentrate on mechanical filtration to keep the water clear and free from particles so don't worry about filter bacteria. Weekly water changes should keep ammonia etc to acceptable levels for a turtle. Keeping optimum water conditions as with fish is practically impossible with turtles which are 100 times messier than large common plecs!

The real danger with turtles is infection from bacteria and fungus. Best way to prevent infection is to add a few drops of methylene blue with every water change as a disinfectant. It turns the water blue initilly but the colour fades after a day. This method is recommended by the official Turtle Rescue Centre who have been using it in all their tanks for 20 years.I use methylene blue myself, bought for £4 on Ebay.