Which Fish Tank Filters
Suit My Turtle Tank?
When looking at fish tank filters for our turtle aquarium, we need to keep in mind that the goal is to spend as little time cleaning the tank as possible. Minimise Your Work With The Right FilterAgain, choosing the right equipment in the beginning will give us the most enjoyment of our pet and the least amount of hassle from cleaning. There are many kinds of filters ranging in price from a couple of dollars to several hundred dollars. Because turtles quickly foul their water, we need a high volume, very efficient filter unless youwant to do a water change every other day! Generally, you'll need double the filtering capacity for a turtle tank compared to a fish tank of the same size.
Without a doubt, the best filters for the job are external canister filters. These are not cheap but they are high capacity, easy to clean and generally have a good lifespan. Also, the filter filler is generally re-usable.Three Types Of CleaningCannister filters will clean your water on three levels:
* Mechanical filtering is the removal of solid particles, like passing the water through a seive. The waste could be uneated food, poo, dead plant matter, anything.
* Chemical filtering removes dissolved waste. This level of filtering picks up the tiny particles that the mechanical filtering misses. Water plants can also help reduce dissolved waste.
* Biological filtering deals with the build up of dissolved ammonia in the water. This comes from the turtle's excretions. If left unchecked, increasing ammonia levels will eventually cause severe health problems for your pet.
Upgrade ConsiderationsIt's a good idea to keep in mind the growth of your pet turtle and possible future tank size upgrades. If you're investing in a serious filter, make sure it can be used on larger size tanks than the one you presently have so that you won't need to replace it when your turtle becomes bigger.
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