Turtle filter help!!?

Question

Does anyone know any filters i could get that would keep the tank REALLY CLEAN??? I want it to be able to pick up a lot of gross stuff from my tank. I have 3 baby red ear slider turtles and i really need suggestions on a GREAT filter that would work to clean up almost everything. I only want to clean the tank every 2 weeks of more. I just bought a filter but it doesn't clean my water at all and i really want one that will!! Thanks so much for answering!! (The person who tells me about the best filter will get best answer)

Answer 1

Here is a good article about filtration, with various brands recommended- http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/filtration.htm

They are good, but even the best is not going to clean the bottom well so you need a vacuum siphon tool to suck out the bottom and about 1/4th of the water every week.

Part of the problem is the bottom material. Some gravel holds debris better than others. in general, either avoid gravel or use small stuff.,

Answer 2

(I agree with penguin's wife! It's the same type of filter I use; different brand) I have a 55 gallon tank that I only have to clean monthly with 2 large turtles. I use 2 topfin 40 waterfall filters that hang on the side of my tank. I tried the Zoo Med and the biggest problem was cleaning it. It worked ok I guess, but there are a bunch of little peices you have to clean individually and since it works by suction, you have to get them on perfectly in order for it to work. It was just a pain. The topfin 40 filters are very simple to clean and the filters are cheaper too. Just make sure you get carbon filters and not the regular fish ones. Good luck!

Answer 3

I have 3 turtles in a 55 gallon tank.. (about 40 gallons of water) We use a Whisper Large filter. It works great.. we never have to really clean anything. We change the charcoal filter packs every couple of months.... their water is crystal clear. I bought it at WalMart.

Answer 4

I have 3 full grown RES and a baby and the filter i found the best was a Zoo Med 501 TC-30. Very good. Doesnt need to be cleaned alot. It has a waterfall feature and my turtles even love it. The noise is minimal too. You can buy it at Petco or Petsmart. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Get a Fluval 305 or Fluval 405, depending on the size of your tank. I have a 55 gallon tank for one red eared slider, and bought a 305 for it. My tank stays crystal clear for months, and you can buy just about whatever filter media you want to replace it when it gets dirty.

The filters are pretty expensive though. I paid about $120 for mine, but it was money well spent.

Answer 6

Strictlypetsupplies.com has one for about $15.00 that is a 3 stage filter. That's where my cousin buys his supplies and he says it keeps his tank really clean. PetSmart also has turtle filters that got some pretty good ratings. Hope that helps.

Answer 7

I have the same filter as Jillian and it works really great. I had tried other filters and they didn't work very well at all. But the Zoo Med 501 keeps the water crystal clear. I couldn't find it locally, I got mine from Drs. Foster and Smith. It cost $45. Check out their website.

Answer 8

It all depends on the size of your tank, I have a 60 gallon tank and use a Fluval 404 external canister filter, it works great.

Answer 9

truthfully the more you spend and do research,the better the filter will be,but you don't want the filter in an area where the turtles can get caught and drown.the better the filter the better the suction,the cleaner the tank.good luck.

Answer 10

With that many turtles you should do frequent water changes even with a good filter. The filters do not remove ammonia waste from the water, and the build up is toxic.


http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm