Mosquitos in your turtle tank can be a very annoying thing, but getting rid of them doesn’t have to be. There are multiple ways you can do this, including fully cleaning out the tank, getting mosquito fish, or using mosquito dunks. Any of these methods are going to help with mosquitos, and doing multiple or all of them is going to give you the most effective outcome.
Mosquito dunks are going to be one of the easiest solutions to your problem. You can buy them at stores such as Home Depot or Walmart, or you can get them online on Amazon.
Mosquito dunks are circles consisting of bacteria that is only toxic to mosquitoes, and it will kill whatever mosquitos are within 100 square feet. Just place a dunk in the turtle tank water and let it get to work.
Another easy solution that is a bit more “natural” than mosquito dunks is getting some mosquito fish. These small freshwater fish only cost about 50 cents each at most pet stores, and they are perfect for eating up the mosquitos.
They won’t harm your turtles, and the turtles will eventually eat the fish. Mosquito fish are an easy solution, but keep in mind that they work slowly, and your results won’t be instantaneous.
Cleaning out your turtle tank will be a little bit more work, but it will help get rid of any larvae or mosquitos in the water. Fully drain, clean, and sanitize your tank.
This method will probably not be very effective on its own, since there will still be mosquitos in the room with the tank. It’s best to pair this method with one or both of the other ones so that you can get the best possible outcome.
How do I keep mosquitos from breeding in my turtle tank?
Once you have fixed the problem and there are no more mosquitos in your turtle tank, you may be wondering if it will happen again in the future. It is definitely possible for mosquitos to start breeding in your turtle tank again if you don’t do anything about it.
However, there are ways to prevent this from happening, such as reducing vegetation, keeping the water flowing, cleaning on a regular basis, and using a net to cover your tank.
Reducing the amount of vegetation in your turtle tank will help deter mosquitos because the mosquito larvae tend to use vegetation as a source of food. To get rid of some vegetation, you can use an algae scraper to scrape algae off the walls.
Make sure there is still good vegetation for your turtle to enjoy, but reducing the amount can definitely help fight off mosquitos.
Cleaning on a regular basis (about once a week) will also help keep vegetation to a minimum. Furthermore, it will help flush out any mosquito eggs or larvae that may have been accumulating in your tank. This means that cleaning the tank regularly will most likely stop the mosquito problem before it even begins.
Since mosquitos like to lay their eggs in dormant water, keeping it flowing will really help prevent breeding in your turtle tank.
You can do this by pointing the water filter at the surface so that the water is moving. Lastly, you can use a net to cover your tank and this will keep any rogue mosquitos from going in and laying their eggs.
Will mosquitos hurt turtles?
Mosquitos won’t cause any harm to your turtles. They have been known to bite turtles in natural conditions, but their bites don’t seem to be bothersome. Even so, it’s pretty uncommon to see mosquitos biting turtles, so there isn’t much to worry about for them.
The mosquitos will probably end up going for the people in your house or other animals such as cats and dogs. It’s a lot easier for them to get what they need this way.
This means that your main concern should just be about the mosquitos bothering you and your other pets, not your turtles.
In fact, turtles enjoy eating mosquito larvae. They are probably the last creatures that will be bothered by the mosquitos in their tank, and they will most likely be happy to have a little extra snack every now and again.
Some people may worry about mosquitos carrying diseases that will infect their turtles. But mosquitos can only transmit disease through biting, so it would be very unlikely for them to transfer anything to your turtles.
Furthermore, the chances of contracting a disease from a mosquito are very minimal if you live in a place where it’s uncommon, and you shouldn’t be worried about it.
Are mosquito dunks safe?
Mosquito dunks are completely safe for your turtles and any other living creatures (besides mosquitos). They are non-toxic and made of natural bacteria that comes from dirt.
These bacteria are called Bacillus Thuringiensis Subspecies Israelensis, or B.T.I, and you do not have to worry about it harming your turtles, other pets, or yourself.
Some may worry about mosquito dunks being unnatural and bad to be around in that sense, but they are actually made from something that is naturally occurring. B.T.I come straight out of the soil, and it’s completely natural. It will be released into the water and kill the mosquito larvae that are present.
You may also be wondering if mosquito dunks will harm any plants in your turtle tank. The short answer is no, they will not. Plants cannot be harmed by mosquito dunks.
The only things that mosquito dunks will harm are mosquitos, fungus gnats, and black flies.
Lastly, mosquito dunks do not have any strong smells. Some people who have sensitivities to certain fragrances have been worried that mosquito dunks will bother them with their smell.
Luckily, mosquito dunks do not have a smell and are pretty much unnoticeable when you are in the same room as them. They are completely safe and smell free, and they are a great option for getting rid of mosquitos.
