What is the best water filter for a 40 gal turtle tank?

Question

I'm starting to plan a new home for my 4 inch long red-eared slider. Right now it's in a 5.5 gal tank. I'm planning on getting him (or her) a 40 gallon breeder tank. What is the best filter for this tank? I was looking at the Fluval 205. Is this going to filter the water well? (110 gph, up to 40 gallons) Are there any other filters that anybody else uses? I'm trying to spend as little as possible obviously but will not pass up a good filter either. It also loves to dig, what is a good substrate to use so that he can't dig into it? Right now I have small pebbles on the bottom of the tank with a big plastic log for basking.

Answer 1

Turtles! I love em'. I have 2 red - eared sliders. Tyrone is about 4 years old and his shell measures about 5 1/2" in diameter.
Jared is much smaller, about 3" in diameter. Recently had one die. Leroi was his name... he was very big. 8" in diameter.

They live in a 75 gallon tank. The bottom of the tank is covered with small river stones and plants. They love having places to hide. They also have a floating platform to bask under the light and keep warm.

So to answer your question... "Fluval" specializes in filters for turtles. They come in several different sizes to accomaodate the size tank you have. For a 40 gallon tank, you would need at least the #204. I have the largest model the pet store sold #404. It filters 100 gallons of water.

The only part of the filtration system that is in the water is the intake and discharge tube. So there is minimal space taken up in the tank, leaving more space for the turtles.
The motor is contained in a container that sits on the floor beneath the tank. It is very quiet. Cleaning it is very easy. There is no need to clean it often. I only clean my filter and tank about every 4 months. Even then the water remains clear, of course you will still have some sediment on the bottom of the tank.

I highly suggest you check in to the "Fluval" Filters. they are worth the extra money, if you don't want to have to change the filter every couple of weeks. If you purchase this brand, I'm sure you and your turtle will be pleased.

Good luck;
Kevin

Answer 2

Any canister filters will do, I recomend Rena xp3, because it really is the biggest canister filter out, and cleans o.k.. this can be acceptable for turtles, because they're truly messy. And oh yeah attempt to improve to a minimum of a 50 gallon tank, 20 gallons is fantastically small, even for a map turtle.

Answer 3

I really like Whisper. It is amazing. I have had some really bad luck with other brands, and I got it right on the 3rd try! Its very quiet, and the filters last for a long time. I was able to go like 2 months on one filter for my frog tank. It was great! That's what I'd recommend. The supplies are a little bit more expensive but its definitley worth it!

Answer 4

you can use a submersable filter or the fluval is a good one as well . Your not going to have the tank full to the top with water or your turtle will get out