Get A Good Aquarium Pump

The most work involved in a pet turtle is without doubt cleaning the tank. A good aquarium pump combined with an external aquarium filter will reduce this work to a minimum and make keeping your turtle more pleasurable.

Buy A Good Quality Unit

If all goes well your pet turtle will live for decades, so make sure you buy a good pump that won't need replacing in a hurry. It's worth spending a few extra dollars to ensure better performance and a longer warranty.

External Or Internal Pump?

The pump can be placed either inside the tank or external to it. It's a matter of personal choice, but I prefer to place pumps outside the tank if possible, even if the pump is submersible. It's just one less thing to take out of the tank when a major clean is needed.

If the pump is submersible you can play around and find what works best for you.

Keeping the pump outside the tank places a little more strain on it as it has to pump the water higher and further.

Pump Capacity

Pumping capacity is stated either in Gallons Per Hour (GPH) or in Liters Per Hour (LPH). One Gallon is equal to 3.8 Liters.

The pumping capacity needs to be matched to the filter you will use, and both of these will be affected by the size of your tank. Remember that more efficient filtering means less frequent water changes in your turtle tank.

Magnetic Drive Pumps Last Longest

Magnetic drive pumps use a magnetic field to turn the impellor, which is the spinning propellor part that pushes the water. Using a magnetic field rather than a drive shaft means there are fewer moving parts so they are more reliable.

Magnetic drive pumps also have the advantage that if the impellor gets jammed, the drive mechanism cannot be damaged. Just clear the blockage and they are ready to keep working.

Warranty

A good quality and high capacity aquarium pump can be expensive. A two or three year warranty will sort out whether there are any problems with your pump. If no difficulties have been encountered in that time, it's a good bet the pump will last a long time.

A product with a one year warranty makes me ask "what's wrong with it?".

Beware Of Starter Kits

Beware of pumps that are supplied with "aquarium starter kits". They are often suitable only for that: for starting. You will more than likely have to replace the cheap unit that comes in the package deal. The same will more than likely apply to the filter.

After that you'll need a bigger tank, and before long you'll have purchased all the items seperately anyway. Best to start out that way and save yourself money in the long run.

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