Canister Filter For Turtle Tank  - 09/07/06
Hello Bob, I just found your site on questions and answers today while doing some research on canister filter systems.  My set up is for 2 red eared sliders about 15 years old, 7 and 8 (inches approx.) in length.  The tank (50 gal) is about 80 % full of water.  I have attached a ramp and a flat dry area near the water line with ledgers and aquarium silicone (very basic and not pleasing to look at but you can't have stuff the turtles can fit into their mouths).  I had an old AquaClear outside power filter hanging off the back but it recently got dropped during a cleaning.  It was doing a fine job of keeping the water clear with the sponge and carbon but each time the power went off it would get hot and stop.  Luckily it never burned out. I probably should have done more research but as you know, you can't leave a turtle tank unfiltered.  Stinky!  I would do complete water changes every 7 to 10 days to keep the glass clear and remove the turds.  I purchased a Odyssea CFs 4 and so far no problems.  I have been doing research (belated I know) on this product because I had not heard of it before.  I worked for a local pet store 20 plus years ago and it was not around then.  Info that I have seen suggests that the o rings dry quickly and the on off valves where the hoses attach to the canister are not up to par (don't last too long leak wise and break easily).  It can still be returned for an exchange.  You seem to prefer the Eheim in the info that I have read.  Would you suggest going that route?
< This is a new filter that has had mixed reviews. It is cheap, somewhat powerful and a little noisy. I think if your tubing is fairly straight then there is less of an issue with the valves. With sharp bends on the tubing, the valves can't hold the hoses intact and this stress and it creates cracks and leaks. Eheim has been around for many years. Their filters are expensive and not as powerful but they are well made and will last a very long time.>
Also the outlet part of the Odyssea seems to create a lot of foam.  They seem to be afraid of the foam.  The falls from the AquaClear did not make foam.  I could lower the outlet into the water because the turtles do not require aeration like fish,  just filtration.  Also would a sterilizer be a good investment?
< Not needed for a turtle tank.-Chuck>
Thanks you for any information you might have to give me. Alethea

Cleaning the Turtle Tank.  - 02/16/2006
Chuck, Thank you for your response.  We have done 100% water change (I'm going to hate my water bill this month) twice since I sent you the below email.  Within 2-3 days, we can't see the other side of this tank.
I did notice when I cleaned it, in the corners and by his heater and dock there were orange/red particles.  I've never seen or heard of an orange algae.  Also, describing it as "cloudy" is a bit misleading.  His water looks kind of like LA smog - a bit of a yellow/orange tinge to it.
Below you mention feeding him.   We have been feeding him the same diet and the same amount of food.  Nothing has changed.  We also scoop out any left over food after about an hour. We also bought a brand new Fluval 4 filter and changed the submersible filter. I went to the pet store to look at some algae kill products, but I don't want to hurt my turtle. Any more suggestions?
< I don't think it is an algae problem. He is what I think is going on. Is your turtle food and orange color? I am thinking that when the turtle bites into the food it breaks down into fine dust like particles. This dust settles out in the corners of the tank with little or no current. The dust starts to decompose and feeds the algae and clouds the tank. Probably with the food particles. Instead of feeding him the same food I would suggest a change in diet. For one week try mealworms, kingworms, and earthworms and see if the tank clears up. If it does then switch another brand of turtle food and continue to supplement his diet with the occasional worms.-Chuck>

Python Water Changer For Turtle Tank   1/22/06
Hi there! I have been reading these posts all night, and I am impressed. This e-mail isn't to ask a question, but rather to suggest a new post. Many of your readers have asked about keeping the tank clean. I have recently discovered a little gizmo called 'The Python'. It is my opinion that EVERYONE who has turtles should get one because they make life a heck of a lot easier. All it is a tube that hooks to any faucet in your house and the other end goes into your aquarium. You just switch the settings a bit and it sucks the water out of the tank and puts in back in...all WITHOUT a pump!!! It is amazing. I have had my RES for almost 6 years, and she is doing very well and always has. I don't know why someone didn't suggest this to me earlier because it makes the weekly 30-50% water changes MUCH MUCH easier. They come in all different lengths so it doesn't matter how far away your sink is...so go invest...IT IS WAAAAAYYYYY worth it!!!Melanie
< Aquarists have used these for years and they do work great. Happy to pass this along to the turtle keepers out there. thanks.-Chuck>

Messy Turtle - Dirty Tank 10/31/05
Hi, I know a lot of people already asked if turtles and fish could co-exist. I kind of have a similar question, but I just want to be more specific. My turtle is very messy and I just don't have the time to keep up with it weekly. I was wondering if I could put cleaner shrimp or cleaner fish in the tank with the turtle to help pick up the mess. He's a North American wood turtle. I'd appreciate it if you could help. otherwise bongo's going to have to find a new home. :-( thanks. God bless, Roxanne
< Putting cleaner shrimp or fish would not really be practical to keep you tank clean. Check out the filters at Drsfostersmith.com. Get one that will be easy to clean and at least move three times the volume of the tank water per hour. Add carbon to remove odor and color from the water.-Chuck> 

Freshwater Filter Selection, 5/27/05
I have two small red-eared sliders (3 - 3 1/2 in long) in a 10 gallon tank. I will be moving them to a 30 gallon long sometime in the next few days. Currently I have a Whisper in-tank filter, and I was thinking I could just get a bigger version of the same filter for the new tank, but apparently (from what I've read) in-tank filters don't really cut it in aquariums that big. My tank doesn't have any holes in it, either to let a filter hang down lower on the edge, or to come up through the floor of the tank. What are my options without having to find a way to cut a hole in the tank?
<Hi Rebekah, Ryan with you today. There are plenty of filter options that will work for you here- Your best non-drilling option is a sump wet/dry filter with what's called an OVERFLOW. This uses suction to take water from the aquarium over the edge, rather than through a drilled hole. Hang on filters are capable of filtering a 30 gallon tank, however. I'd go with a large hang-on style power filter if all this seems a little overboard. Good luck, Ryan> 

Ammonia Problems in a Turtle Tank 7/16/05
I have a yellow belly slider. We have had it for about 1 1/2 years. About six weeks ago we cleaned the filters and the water all in one day. since then  we have had trouble with the water. It has too much ammonia. We are doing 10% water changes daily. We have 2 canister filters in a 90 gallon tank. I also have put some Zeolite granules in the filter that I have been changing weekly. The water is mucky and a dirty brown. The water did have a smell to it but that is gone. We tested the water and it just shows that it has to much ammonia. Today I notice the area around the turtles mouth was yellow and his shell looked a little yellow. Any suggestions?
< When you cleaned everything you removed the good bacteria that breaks down the waste from ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates. The ammonia is the worst. It gives off the smell and odor. Bio-Spira from Marineland will put it all back together in no time at all. To prevent this in the future I would recommend a 50% weekly water change and change each one of the filters every month two weeks apart. So clean one filter on the first of the month and the other on the 15th. Try this and see how it works out.-Chuck>