Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took a shot of him right after I cleaned yesterday... excuse the painted tank. I took the pic just before I cleaned his so his water level is kind of low in the pic.

-----
PHRatz

Nice. Will you keep gravel or sand in that aquarium or do you prefer a bare bottom (sorry, hard to word any other way)?
BTW, what external filter is that? I was going to get a Fluval 305 for one of my tanks but the requirements state that the water level can be no lower than 7.5 inches from the tank's rim.
The water level in my 75 is about 12 inches from the rim.

I do prefer a bare bottom because I don't like gunk building up between rocks, they make things so much harder to clean. I won't use gravel that's so small they can swallow it so I gave up on substrates years ago. It's not so pretty but I prefer functional over pretty.

That filter Scooter has is the ZooMed 501 canister for turtles.
I'm not extremely fond of it but before it came out I was using a Fluval internal filter combined with a small power filter because neither of them worked well by themselves & other canisters were too powerful when he was in the Rubbermaid box.
When the 501 came along I got that one & it does work better than the 2 I was using.
However now that he's in this better tank & if we do manage to get him to accept a higher water level, I was thinking about going with a HOT Magnum.
I don't know yet what we'll do on that. I probably will add some more "furniture" for him but so far I haven't found anything I think he'll like.
-----
PHRatz

I use a small grained rounded sand in my tanks. Yes, the turtles ingest it all the time but it passes through the gut harmlessly. But I know what you mean about larger gravel.
I have used Fluval internal filters and have found them to be nearly useless. Even with only one small turtle they become clogged within a few days. Good for moving the water around and that is about it.
Will look into the H.O.T. Magnum too.

I thought about trying the HOT Magnum because when my large new Fluval canister fell apart bit by bit in a year & half's time.. I went with a Magnum Deluxe for the western painted turtle's tank.
I love that thing! That :::knock on wood::: is so far the best filter I have ever owned as far as it working well AND being convenient for me. It's so easy to put together & to get started up again.
The HOT Magnum hangs on the tank but it's still a canister. Scooter's new tank is smaller than the painted's tank so I thought it may work with him.
For now though the ZooMed is still working ok so I'm going to stay with it for a little while longer.
-----
PHRatz

Thanks for the info on the Fluval filters. Except for the internal jobs, (that also last about a year) I have no experience with them at all.
I did used to use the Magnum (350 and 250)) canister filters years ago but they were a pain to dismantle and clean. They were also very difficult to put togther.

Interesting about the old Magnums. I bought a Fluval canister in 1995 or '96 which is horribly difficult to prime, a major pain to put together but it STILL works, even though it's sitting in the closet now.
I wanted an upgrade so in 2003 or 2004 I bought the new style Fluval. It was wonderful at first, then it started falling apart. I bought replacement parts, they all broke too. Then I said to hell with it- I may as well be trying to duct tape it together at this point so I'll try the Magnum.
It's much easier to deal with, they must've redesigned it too since years ago because it's very easy to take apart for cleaning & very easy to start up again. I've had this one for a year & a half or so.. no problems with it at all yet.
:::knock on wood::: again.
There really aren't all that many choices out there.. if I ever decide to try another brand I'll go with one I haven't tried yet. Fluval is out of the game for good for me unless they improve it at some point in time.
-----
PHRatz

About the gravel thing- you might try larger stones. I bought rocks that are about the size of an egg, and they've worked great. I found a 22lb. bag for about $30 and they look great in the tank. If you put the tip of your third finger and thumb together, that's how big they are. The brand is Aquatic Gardens.

Yep, the larger river pebbles or stones make a very good bottom cover and you never have to worry about them being eaten.

Yeah I've looked at the river stones & thought about them.. but they still collect gunk. I have a few flat slate stones & I've actually thought about that too.
Since Scooter has a new tank to live in & we're gradually furnishing it.. I am thinking about adding a substrate. Whatever I would use I'll have to consider cleaning it & I think if I do that I am going to have to buy a better filter.

I don't want substrate at all for the painted & there's no reason he needs any but unlike Scooter he isn't a bottom walker.
I've been thinking it wouldn't hurt for Scooter to have
something that would wear his nails down naturally.
One step at a time though.
-----
PHRatz

Don't forget that some of the gunk that you refer to also contains nitrifying bacteria which is a good thing. The stones create more surface area that the bacteria can cling to and grow on. This will help keep the water cleaner than it might otherwise be...unless you are making very frequent water changes.

Actually I tend to tear everything apart then clean once a week whether it looks dirty or not.
Just now finished doing that for this week.

If I do get a more powerful filter I might would slack off a bit. I sometimes do slack off with the painted & go every 2 weeks since his filter works so well but usually I tear everyone's home apart once a week then spot clean in between.. except for the bird who gets cleaned daily.

Not a clean freak or anything
lol
-----
PHRatz

Boy I hear you about the bird. they are so much like pigs, aren't they? Throwing stuff everywhere. ha ha ha. In the turtle tank when the gunk on the rocks gets excessive, I just run my hand through them to stir things up, just before I plan on changing the filter pads anyway. And I must be doing something right, because the water is always clear and NEVER smells. So I think I'm on the right track. having a filter that has enough power is the key I think. You don't have to clean as often. Now my snapping turtle, that's another story. They put out so much waste and shove things around so it's hard to keep the water clean.

>>having a filter that has enough power is the key I think.

With that I think you hit the nail on the head. Having the right and GOOD equipment is the key to all pet keeping.
When I was a kid my parents never understood that, it was always "no that's too much money you can get by with "
It would always some worthless piece of garbage that never cut it LOL!

As an adult paying my own way I found that good equipment not only benefits the pet but it makes my work easier so I stopped skimping.
With Scooter being in a new tank with the old filter, I just don't think I can get away from weekly cleaning unless I do get the better filter.
Yeah that bird is a mess. LOL
We got her a powder coated cage last year & it's soooo nice, wipes clean so well it's just easier to go ahead & clean up daily- that way nothing ever builds up.
-----
PHRatz

It's funny isn't it how many times you'll get the cheap stuff, realize it fails, then just move a tiny step forward. I must have every Fluval filter made, as I moved up in tank size and equipment. They were never quality filters for me. I'm up to an Eheim 2222 and I still think it could move the water more, but it could be the substrate is shot. Guess it's one of those things maturity is good for! ha ha

>> Guess it's one of those things maturity is good for! ha ha

Yeah I think you're right again LOL

OH you have Eheim.. I am salivating now! I've wanted to try them but they are really high dollar! But isn't that what I just said? Buy the better stuff & you have less trouble in the long run.. hmmm
guess I'll have to wait for the Magnum to bite the dust...
-----
PHRatz