Tiny organisms such as algae, barnacles, and small crabs are natural hitchhikers on sea turtle shells, also known as epibionts. In their natural habitat, they use the carapace as a home or a food source. In turtle tanks and ponds, algae can also populate the turtle shell, often without causing any harm to the turtle.
While a bit of algae on the carapace is natural, a thick layer of algae on your turtle’s shell should be cleaned off as it could block sunlight, or hide injuries on the carapace that could rarely lead to more serious conditions such as shell rot.
In this article, we will give you some tips and tricks for the proper cleaning of your turtle’s shell. You will get some insights about diseases caused by algae and how to prevent excessive algal growth in your turtle tank or pond.
Why should I clean algae off my turtle?
Algae can provide benefits for your turtle. Exactly like plants, algae can photosynthesize and use nitrogen from turtle waste as a nutrient. That can benefit your pet by minimizing the levels of toxic nitrogen forms and adding more oxygen to the water.
However, under specific conditions algae can thrive and reproduce like crazy! A turtle’s shell covered in a thick algae coat is definitely a matter of concern. The algae layer can block the sunlight.
Therefore, the turtle will not be able to raise its internal temperature while basking and will move slower. In addition, cracks in the carapace can stay hidden. If you can’t detect the damage and treat it in time, pathogen bacteria or fungi might infect your pet.
That might result in developing a shell rot.
What is shell rot?
Shell rot is an infection of the blood vessels in the turtle shell. In aquatic turtles, you can recognize the disease by white or grey spots on the carapace and the plastron (belly). If not treated in time, the lesions can spread towards the underlying bone.
Eventually, shell rot causes soft, rotten spots in the shell. Algae on the carapace might not only hide damages. In rare cases, they can also promote fungal growth and accelerate the disease. Treatment of shell rot is not impossible.
However, it is better to prevent it. Clean turtle shell and excellent hygiene in the pond or tank will do the job!
How often should the carapace be cleaned?
It’s a good idea to clean debris and algae from your turtle’s shell occasionally. You don’t need to set up a schedule. You can just take a look at the carapace once a week. If the turtle shell feels slimy, but you observe no algae, that’s probably a biofilm of bacteria.
You would want to get rid of it since most bacteria are pathogens. There is a simple treatment that can help you remove both algae and bacteria from your turtle’s shell.
Treatment for algae on the turtle’s shell
You need just a few things to make a turtle carapace shine again:
• Soft brush• Small container• Water at a room-temperature
• Patience