Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys,

I'm interested in converting a kiddie pool into a pond for a cold hardy turtle. I have kept painteds before, but am interested in something larger now.

On the concern of filtering the pond:

1. What type of filter should i use?

2. Is an indoor filter fine outdoors?

3. What brnads are the best?

4. Are filters even necessary if i have enough plants and clean up fish?

Any help would be great!
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eric

filters are a necessity with any turtle setup. you may just want to go with the cheapest pond filter. Tetra makes a line of good cheap filters. the Clearchoice Tetra pond filters are cheap and come in three sizes. you will need to provide the pump and hose though. indoor filters arent made to be exposed to the uncontrollable conditions found outdoors and therefore should not be used. you are using a kiddy pool? do you know how many gallons you will have in it? is it just going to be sitting on a patio or something? if not you may want to go with something a little sturdier and nicer looking (like a small preformed pond). do you know what species of turtle you want? keep in mind that many species could outgrow a kiddy pool, and they appreciate a deeper body of water than can be provided with a kiddy pool. and a kiddy pool wouldnt be able to overwinter the turtles or the fish in most areas, where do you live?