I Need Help Finding A Good Turtle Aquarium Filter.

Aquarium question: I need good ideas and help with a turtle aquarium?

sweetie you will need a bigger vivarium for a turtle that size is OK for a hatchling but they can grow big and do need the room to move, a turtle tank needs some sort of UV-b lighting and a heating this is in the form of under tank heater and overhead basking lamps (150w) the water should be maintained At 23 degrees c to 29 degrees c, a normal fish under water heater is not suitable as a turtle can bite through the glass, the Viv should have a dry area can be made using soil sand and gravel and you have to make sure that there is a slop to the water so the turtle can get out on to the dry area you have to make sure it is not too steep, the water needs to be approx 40 -50 cm deep, you can put live plants in the water not only does it look nice but can help keep the water clean, on dry land you can put on small log decorations so that shy turtles can hide and feel safe, for more information on turtle care the tortoise trust do care sheets on turtles and how to set up a tank so it might be advisable to have a look at what you need and to help you make a decision on how you want to set up a tank and what sort of turtle would suit your circumstances, best of luck honey.

Turtle filter for aquarium?

Your definitely on the right track on your set-up...:-) Keep in mind though that a full grown water turtle needs no less than a 50 gallon tank filled 3/4 full. Fish gravel is one of those things a lot of people use, but a lot of turtles ingest this stuff which can cause fatal impaction. The suggested bottom covering is river rocks. Rock big enough there's no way it can fit in the turtles mouth...and it looks more natural...:-D

As for the filter...one used for water turtles needs 3 things. It's an external canister filter which uses chemical, biological and electrical means for the best filtering.

The Fluval 440 is what's recommended by top rehabbers because of the quality and efficiency of these. It's worked great for my daughters RES tank. Feeding your turtle outside of the tank will help keep the water cleaner. Using a smaller feeder tank...or rubbermaid "feeding box" will keep the food out of the main tank from rotting. A lot of turtles will also defecate in the feed box cutting that portion of filth in the main tank down, too. They'll still poop in the main tank, but the mess will certainly be easier to deal with...:-)

Sometimes you can find these filters on ebay. They usually run somewhere between $70 - $180 in the stores...depending on volume capacity size and where you get it from.

Does my turtle need a filter in its tank?

No, they don't NEED a filter, but if you don't the water will dirty quickly and you'll be changig the water every couple of days, making it quite a chore. Turtles are not sensitive to water quality like fish and they don't need oxygenated water. They only swim and do not "breathe" the water. To enjoy the hobby, you need to invest in good equipment, large enough tank and good filter. If you decide not to get a filter, I recommend getting the largest tub with as much water as possible, since it will take longer to dirty up.

A 10-20 gallon tank is too small for most turtles, like RES (red eared sliders) or any turtles of similar size. And most pet shops recommend Fluval 3 Plus or Power Filter (Hang on the tank), both of which are limited. They cannot keep the tank clean enough for a turtle and it is a waste of money and you'll be cleaning the tank water every week or two.

From my experiece, bigger tanks (40-50G and up) contain more water and it takes longer to dirty up and as well, you can hook up a large canister filter like Filstar xP3 or Fluval 404 or 405. You won't have to clean the filter for three months and you can do partial water changes every couple of weeks. In this case, all you need to do is chill and enjoy the turtle. This scenerio takes money ($100 for filter and $50-100 for used tank) and/or time to look for used tanks.

Under gravel Filter for turtles?

You could use an UGF (under gravel filter), but you will need to attach power heads to it for it to do any good. The power heads will help to pump the "gunk" back into the main circulation, from in the gravel, to the filter can eventually get a hold of it and remove it from the water.

However, it would be easier and less expensive to remove the gravel from the bottom of the tank; the turtle won't miss a thing. Gravel just holds on to the poo and food particles and causes poor water quality, and makes the filter system less effective. If you absolutely must have gravel for whatever reason, I would get yourself a gravel vacuum and use it religiously to help suck the waste from the gravel without having to dump the tank out. A gravel vac will also do a partial water change at the same time, also good for water quality.

On top of no gravel/gravel vac-ing, you can also add a waste degrader to the water on a regular basis. The waste degrader will help to break down organic waste faster thereby helping out the filter system. Fluker's Eco-Clean is a good example: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LO7L9E/ref%...

Can i put turtles in a regular fish aquarium?

I depends on what kind of turtle you have and how large the tank is.

Box turtles from this country should be kept in a mostly land setup as they cannot swim and do not go into the water although they do need to drink some.

For aquatic turtles (such as painted turtles and red eared sliders) you need at least 10 *GALLONS* of water for each *INCH* of shell. A one year old RES with a six inch shell needs at minimum 60 gallons of water, two of them would require 120gallons. Turtles will *NOT* stay small if kept in a small tank-that logic only works for goldfish...barely... The only way to keep a turtle small is to starve it, and anyone who tries to do so should be arrested and thrown in jail for animal cruelty. Each turtle should be fed good commercial pellets like Reptomin in a volume equal to that of their head at each meal (2x a day for babies <3", 1x for ~3-6", and every other day for older turtles). The pellets should be supplemented by fruits, veggies, and live food (not goldfish-they will slowly poison turtles).

Aquatic turtles (except for some very unusual ones like matamatas that don't really swim) should have water as deep as the tank will allow as long as the turtle can't climb out of the tank from it's basking spot or from the water's surface. My turtles (RES) have water about two *feet* deep. Water that is less than 1.5-2 times the depth of the length of the turtle's shell will prevent it from righting itself if it ends up upside down.

Some people use large plastic tubs (the ones without wheels) to house turtles as they don't cost much but can hold a very large amount of water.

As far as filters go, get one rated for at least 3x the amount of water used-canister filters work the best but are pricey. Turtles are extremely messy animals and foul water quickly. On the plus side, unlike fish you don't have to condition/age the water before using it (unless there are contaminants like heavy metals in the water). The chlorine/chloramine in the water isn't an issue for most turtles like it is for fish.

How can I make a turtle aquarium with plexiglass?

The Plexiglas will yellow and weaken with age, and the exposure to the UVB the turtle will need. It will also scratch, and can't be cleaned/disinfected like glass can. It's not a good idea.

By the time you buy Plexiglas thick enough to do the job, you're gonna end up spending more than just buying a commercially made glass tank would have cost.

Even if you did contruct the tank out of Plexiglass, you're then going to have to stablize it with a top and bottom support. It's going to end up being an unattractive bulky endeavor.

You can surf reptile sites, or Craigslist.com for used tanks if you can't afford a new one.

Turtles are not cheap, and trying to scrimp on the tank is not the place to try save money.

Good luck, and I hope this has been helpful.