Pet Turtles – Some Animals Are Unclean

I have pet turtles.  As I am writing this, my turtles have been in my care for about 25yrs.  Knowing my turtles, I would not eat them or any turtle for that matter.  My turtles are not like me, as to the environment they prefer.  For example, the last time I cleaned their tank, one of them stopped eating.  The turtle was losing weight and not showing interest in food.  So, naturally being somewhat of an expert in turtle care, I let the tank go for an extended period of time without cleaning it.  Quite frankly, the tank stank for months on end.  However, my turtle that was not eating previously, started eating again once the water was dirty enough.  That turtle is now at a good weight.  In fact, I would say that it is downright cruel to keep a creature such as a turtle in an ultra-clean environment.