What is the best filter to buy for my turtle tank.?

Question

I have some sort of worms in the tank swimming around. look like this __ and squirm around. I cleaned it really good and they are back.!!!!! Help

Answer 1

First, your "worms" sound like an aquatic fly larvae to me. Some ways you might be able to tell:
1) When they swim, do they make something of an "S" shape with their bodies?
2) If you have a microscope (or can use someone else's), get some of the tank water and look at the "worms". If you can make out a head, then they are the larval insects. (see photo http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dmidge%2Blarvae%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dyfp-t-501%26b%3D61&w=450&h=298&imgurl=www.microscopy-uk.org.uk%2Fmicropolitan%2Ffresh%2Farthropod%2Fmosquitolarvae.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.microscopy-uk.org.uk%2Fmicropolitan%2Ffresh%2Farthropod%2Fframe4.html&size=26.4kB&name=mosquitolarvae.jpg&p=midge+larvae&type=jpeg&no=76&tt=239&oid=cef297ee5d94259c&ei=UTF-8 )

3) Are there dead flies (about 1/4 inch or less on the water's surface at times (assuming your turtle doesn't eat them)?

I used to get these frequently in tanks with turtles and axolotls. The adult flies are probably laying their eggs somewhere in an existing filter, or on the water's surface if you don't have a filter.

If these are fly larvae, using a filter will not get rid of them. Your best bets are:

1) remove as many as you can with a fine-mesh fishnet (like a brine shrimp net)

2) keep the top of the tank covered with fine netting or a glass or plastic cover

3) introduce a few fish to eat the worms (they may eventually be eaten by your turtles, though)

4) if you have an existing filter, clean it often

Answer 2

This might not be the case but then again it might. If you are feeding bloodworms (live, frozen, dried, it doesn't matter) eggs can survive and get into your rocks/sand/or whatever you have at the bottom of the tank. There they hatch breed and start a colony. Same thing happened to my tank when i was feeding bloodworms. If this is the case, and it will be easy to tell just look at some online pictures of bloodworms (check the link below). If that is what they are, leave them, your turtles will eat them, and it means your tank is creating its own ecosystem that will provide free food. But thats only if it is bloodworms. Otherwise I would take Copperheads advice, its vary through as far as identifying and removing an unwanted parasite.

On another note the best advice i can give for a filter would be a canister filter. I have tried just about everything over the past few years and found that canister filters are by far the best. Although they tend to be a bit more pricey. If your tank is not very large there is an inexpensive version that I currently use on my 10 gallan tank(see the second link below). It is a very inexpensive canister filter and it has done a very good job over the last 6 months or so.

Answer 3

You can find some real good sites on the Internet about how to care for turtles. If you know what kind of turtle you have, do a yahoo search for that kind of turtle and just check out all of the sites. Most of the time they will have message boards for you to post a question and people that know turtles, will be able to help you. We have a box turtle and I have found a lot of helpful info. I can't help you with this one because he only requires a small area of shallow water. It would help you more to read it for yourself. Good luck, we love our turtle.

Answer 4

You need to use some fish parasite medication first. Then get a high-powered canister filter like a Fluval or Rena Filstar. Turtles are very dirty and will eventually need one this big if not bigger!