turtle aquarium - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

tornadored · 03-02-2004, 04:01 PM

hi there
i have a painted turtle that i recently moved into a 29 gallon tank. there is only about 6 inches of water in it, and it has a pedestal to get up on. all is well, except i have a duetto filter system running, and i am looking for a better alternative. currently i usually have to clean the water about every 2-3 days, beause the duetto cannot keep up with the dirty water. any suggestions? such as an undergravel system, or is that just for fish? thanks!

Cycler · 03-02-2004, 05:02 PM

Okay while I have never done a turtle tank I may be able to shed some light on you problem. The undergravel plates won't help. The 29 gallon take is not what I would think to be an ideal tank for a turtle due to most of the size of the tank going height instead of length this doesn't allow you to put in as much water (Because it gets too deep for you turtle) thus you have less water volume and you have to change the water more often. The best advice I can give you is A: External Filter -> more efficient and cleaning cycling the water versus an internal filter. B: Buy a Python aquarium vacum cleaner cleaner, makes water changes a breeze (I hooks up to a sink faucet and vacums and fills from the sink no buckets or siphon) and since you are going to have to change water anyways you might as well make it easy. C: Longer tank not as tall but greater length more volume of water. More time in between water chnges.Hope this helps support your local (See Non Chain Pet Store) for more detailed explanations. I am talking from an aquarium background so take what I say with a grain of salt. Good luck let us know how things work out.A link to an online supplier I have that might help:http://drsfostersmith.com/ Good selection, good prices.

tornadored · 03-02-2004, 05:31 PM

ok, thanks

any recommendations on external filters?

this is what i have now:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...1&N=2004+22779

Cycler · 03-03-2004, 06:28 PM

Well the absolute best filters I have used are the Ehiem 2026s I have towm one on my 75 gallon and on a 58 gallon. <a href=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3617&Ne=40000&R=7262&Nao=9&N=2004+22777>Ehiem 2026</a>They have a couple of other models and I would trust any of their products as quality stuff. For your application I might look at the Ehiem ECCO series,<a href=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3607&Ne=40000&R=7228&N=2004+22777>ECCO 2231</a> It will work on a tank up to 35 gallons. Now this won't eliminate the need for water changes. Irregardless of what filter you use water changes are a neccessity. I try to change the water in my tanks every two weeks using the <a href=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3910&R=7930&N=2004+113159+113565&in_merch=1>Python.</a>Again with the better outside filter the more stable and clean the water will be for a greater period of time. But still the water must be changed to prevent the build up of harmful toxins in the water due to the break down of waste and uneaten food. Hope this helps.

SJS111567 · 09-19-2004, 03:40 AM

I have had a lot of experience, gained through trial and error with raising 6 red eared sliders indoors.
The tank you are using is too small, as has been noted already. A 20 gallon long tank would provide a larger footprint and give the turtle more room. Other possabilities for a good turtle habitat, if the space is available: one of the prefab pond shells available at home depot, lowes, walmart, etc...I used one of these for about 2 years, it was great. I had a spare room, so I built a wood frame box, lined it with pond liner plastic sheeting, placed the preformed pond shell in it, and filled in with dirt. Add some plants around the pond, and a log for the turtles to climb out of the water, and they have a good place right beside the water to nest.
If that kind of space isn't available, or you just don't have the money or resources for a project like that, go to a local farm supply store and get a galvanized wash bin or small stock tank. they come either round or oval, and in a variety of sizes. they work great.
As far as your filter needs go, it really depends on a couple of factors. you can eliminate the need to clean constantly by lining the bottom of the tank with rocks. Don't use aquarium gravel, turtles like to eat it for some reason, and it messes with their digestive system, as you can imagine. I bought some bags of unwashed river rock at lowes, washed it myself, and placed a layer about 4 - 5 inches deep in my turtle tanks. the rocks are big enough that you don't have to worry about the turtles eating them.
Depending on the diet you have your turtles on, the cleaning needs can be great or small. I fed my turtles feeder fish, which was messy, but they loved it. Turtle food pellets didn't create the same mess in the tank, but the turtles weren't as thrilled about their dinner on those nights.
Eheim makes really good filters, and you can probably find one that will work perfect for your situation. for a 29 gallon turtle tank, i would recommend a filter system rated for a 50 gallon tank, at a minimum. The tank rating for a filter is probably pretty accurate when dealing with fish, but you definitely need to upsize when dealing with a turtle tank.

BadNick · 09-20-2004, 10:32 AM

The above info sounds accurate to me based on my own 5 years of experience with a red earied slider that still seems very healthy and active; it has more than doubled in size since we've had it. I now have an Eheim canister filter (2033 I think) on a 20gal tank with about 6 inches depth of water and enough large pebbles (over 1/4" dia) to cover about half the bottom; I have four or five large flat rocks on one end, with a 1" thick piece of tree bark on top of the rocks for turtle sunning/warming under the overhead heating lamp with a 60w bulb. It works and very rarely was the water not perfectly clear. When it did get cloudy, it was because the filter was starting to clog from pieces of tree bark getting into the filter. When the turtle was younger, it didn't seem interested in chewing or tearing the bark apart, but lately the turtle has been tearing up the bark into small pieces which clog the filter. About two weeks ago, I finally removed the piece of bark so now the turtle has to lounge on the rocks and I don't expect the filter to clog again. My turtle has never had live fish yet, only Tetra repto sticks and occasional live worms or flies that my boys catch.

I've also used Eheim filters on my fish tanks and from that my opinion is that they are excellent design and last a very long time (one on my 55gal fishtank has been running over 15 years with no spare parts or breakdowns) and equally important to me, they are so quiet you can barely hear them even putting your ear next to it. I'm sure other canister filters with comparable flow rates would work as well, I just don't know for how long or how noisey.

03-02-2004, 04:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
tornadored Tilted Location: OH-IO	turtle aquarium hi there i have a painted turtle that i recently moved into a 29 gallon tank. there is only about 6 inches of water in it, and it has a pedestal to get up on. all is well, except i have a duetto filter system running, and i am looking for a better alternative. currently i usually have to clean the water about every 2-3 days, beause the duetto cannot keep up with the dirty water. any suggestions? such as an undergravel system, or is that just for fish? thanks!

03-02-2004, 05:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cycler Float on.... Alright Location: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, i.e. Oklahoma	Okay while I have never done a turtle tank I may be able to shed some light on you problem. The undergravel plates won't help. The 29 gallon take is not what I would think to be an ideal tank for a turtle due to most of the size of the tank going height instead of length this doesn't allow you to put in as much water (Because it gets too deep for you turtle) thus you have less water volume and you have to change the water more often. The best advice I can give you is <p>A: External Filter -> more efficient and cleaning cycling the water versus an internal filter.<p> B: Buy a Python aquarium vacum cleaner cleaner, makes water changes a breeze (I hooks up to a sink faucet and vacums and fills from the sink no buckets or siphon) and since you are going to have to change water anyways you might as well make it easy. <p> C: Longer tank not as tall but greater length more volume of water. More time in between water chnges.<p>Hope this helps support your local (See Non Chain Pet Store) for more detailed explanations. I am talking from an aquarium background so take what I say with a grain of salt. Good luck let us know how things work out.<p>A link to an online supplier I have that might help:<p>http://drsfostersmith.com/ Good selection, good prices. __________________ "I'm not even supposed to be here today." "I assure you we're open." Last edited by Cycler; 03-02-2004 at 05:04 PM..

03-03-2004, 06:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
Cycler Float on.... Alright Location: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, i.e. Oklahoma	Well the absolute best filters I have used are the Ehiem 2026s I have towm one on my 75 gallon and on a 58 gallon.<p> <a href=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3617&Ne=40000&R=7262&Nao=9&N=2004+22777>Ehiem 2026</a><p>They have a couple of other models and I would trust any of their products as quality stuff. For your application I might look at the Ehiem ECCO series,<p><a href=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3607&Ne=40000&R=7228&N=2004+22777>ECCO 2231</a> <p> It will work on a tank up to 35 gallons. Now this won't eliminate the need for water changes. Irregardless of what filter you use water changes are a neccessity. I try to change the water in my tanks every two weeks using the <p><a href=http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3910&R=7930&N=2004+113159+113565&in_merch=1>Python.<p></a>Again with the better outside filter the more stable and clean the water will be for a greater period of time. But still the water must be changed to prevent the build up of harmful toxins in the water due to the break down of waste and uneaten food. Hope this helps. __________________ "I'm not even supposed to be here today." "I assure you we're open." Last edited by Cycler; 03-03-2004 at 06:32 PM..

03-02-2004, 05:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
tornadored Tilted Location: OH-IO	ok, thanks any recommendations on external filters? this is what i have now: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...1&N=2004+22779

09-19-2004, 03:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
SJS111567 Upright	I have had a lot of experience, gained through trial and error with raising 6 red eared sliders indoors. The tank you are using is too small, as has been noted already. A 20 gallon long tank would provide a larger footprint and give the turtle more room. Other possabilities for a good turtle habitat, if the space is available: one of the prefab pond shells available at home depot, lowes, walmart, etc...I used one of these for about 2 years, it was great. I had a spare room, so I built a wood frame box, lined it with pond liner plastic sheeting, placed the preformed pond shell in it, and filled in with dirt. Add some plants around the pond, and a log for the turtles to climb out of the water, and they have a good place right beside the water to nest. If that kind of space isn't available, or you just don't have the money or resources for a project like that, go to a local farm supply store and get a galvanized wash bin or small stock tank. they come either round or oval, and in a variety of sizes. they work great. As far as your filter needs go, it really depends on a couple of factors. you can eliminate the need to clean constantly by lining the bottom of the tank with rocks. Don't use aquarium gravel, turtles like to eat it for some reason, and it messes with their digestive system, as you can imagine. I bought some bags of unwashed river rock at lowes, washed it myself, and placed a layer about 4 - 5 inches deep in my turtle tanks. the rocks are big enough that you don't have to worry about the turtles eating them. Depending on the diet you have your turtles on, the cleaning needs can be great or small. I fed my turtles feeder fish, which was messy, but they loved it. Turtle food pellets didn't create the same mess in the tank, but the turtles weren't as thrilled about their dinner on those nights. Eheim makes really good filters, and you can probably find one that will work perfect for your situation. for a 29 gallon turtle tank, i would recommend a filter system rated for a 50 gallon tank, at a minimum. The tank rating for a filter is probably pretty accurate when dealing with fish, but you definitely need to upsize when dealing with a turtle tank.

09-20-2004, 10:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	The above info sounds accurate to me based on my own 5 years of experience with a red earied slider that still seems very healthy and active; it has more than doubled in size since we've had it. I now have an Eheim canister filter (2033 I think) on a 20gal tank with about 6 inches depth of water and enough large pebbles (over 1/4" dia) to cover about half the bottom; I have four or five large flat rocks on one end, with a 1" thick piece of tree bark on top of the rocks for turtle sunning/warming under the overhead heating lamp with a 60w bulb. It works and very rarely was the water not perfectly clear. When it did get cloudy, it was because the filter was starting to clog from pieces of tree bark getting into the filter. When the turtle was younger, it didn't seem interested in chewing or tearing the bark apart, but lately the turtle has been tearing up the bark into small pieces which clog the filter. About two weeks ago, I finally removed the piece of bark so now the turtle has to lounge on the rocks and I don't expect the filter to clog again. My turtle has never had live fish yet, only Tetra repto sticks and occasional live worms or flies that my boys catch. I've also used Eheim filters on my fish tanks and from that my opinion is that they are excellent design and last a very long time (one on my 55gal fishtank has been running over 15 years with no spare parts or breakdowns) and equally important to me, they are so quiet you can barely hear them even putting your ear next to it. I'm sure other canister filters with comparable flow rates would work as well, I just don't know for how long or how noisey.