How much does a turtle tank filter cost?
Do you have a turtle tank at home? If so, one of the most important things to consider is your filters. A filter’s job is to keep your tank clean and safe for both you and your pet.
This blog post will answer the question, “How much does a turtle tank filter cost?”
It will also provide some additional information about tanks in general that may be useful before purchasing one or deciding on whether or not you need a filter at all!
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How Much Does a Turtle Tank Filter Cost?
How much does a turtle tank filter cost?
The cost of the aquarium filter is often one of the considerations when planning to set up or change an existing turtle tank.
It’s not that easy because there are many factors that affect the price. The most important ones include the size of the tank, its filtration capacity, and your choice of filter media.
Here is a list of some of the most affordable and inexpensive filters for turtle tanks.
1. Aquatop CF Series
These power filters are designed to be used with various freshwater or marine aquariums and they come in a range of sizes, so you should find one suitable for your turtle tank even if it’s not a regular 10-gallon tank.
The filtration capacity is up to 70 gallons per hour, which means they can handle even large turtle tanks. If you want high filtration with low noise, consider the models in this series that use multi-density foam (CF700).
How much does this turtle tank filter cost?
The undiscounted price is $194.99 + shipping fee and taxes.
2. Marina Slim S15
If your tank is not larger than 10 gallons, then this aquarium power filter should be more than suitable for your needs.
It’s cheap and it uses only one cartridge at a time, but it does what it was designed for: keep the water clean and provide a healthy environment for turtles.
This filter is perfect if you have a limited budget but you still want a decent-quality aquarium filter for a 10-gallon turtle tank. The filtration capacity depends on the number of air bubbles going through the filter, so it may vary in practice.
How much does this turtle tank filter cost?
The undiscounted price is $7.99 + shipping fee and taxes.
3. Tetra Whisper PF10
This is quite an inexpensive internal filter that’s suitable for 10-gallon turtle tanks.
his filter uses advanced filtration technology to clean your tank thoroughly, reducing waste and debris without disturbing the water surface, not to mention it does all of this with low noise levels.
It even features easy-to-change cartridges, so replacing them when needed is simple. If you want a power filter for a small-sized turtle tank, make sure you give this one some thought because it’s great value for money if your budget is limited.
4. Emperor Aquatics T10
While not exactly cheap filters, these external canister filters are designed with turtles in mind because they provide plenty of room for various filter media.
You can set them up to work with separate chambers so the bacteria are not mixed in case you decide to transfer your turtle tank into a larger tank.
They are powerful filters that will take care of all the filtration needs of your turtles, but they are also relatively expensive, which means you may want to consider other options before purchasing one of these.
Depending on what size and type of turtle tank you have, there is an appropriate filter that won’t cost too much money while keeping the water clean and safe for turtles at the same time.
Just like any other product you buy for your pet turtles, make sure you give it some thought before making a decision because this is something that will stay with them for a long time.
How much does this turtle tank filter cost?
The undiscounted price is $15.99 + shipping fee and taxes.
Do You Need a Turtle Tank Filter Pump?
Now that you know how much a turtle tank filter does cost, do you need a turtle tank filter pump?
I have a lot of experience with turtle tanks and filters. I think what you are going to need is a sponge filter with a powerhead that is rated for aquariums.
I had good luck with a Fluval fx4 on my 40-gallon turtle tank. The only issue I ever had was when the water level got low enough where the powerhead would suck up air from under it.
This will cause stress in the turtles because they breathe through their cloaca (anal opening), which takes oxygen directly from the water, not from ambient air as we do.
Also, by using a sponge filter, you never have to worry about cleaning out the bio-wheel since it’s basically just an absorbent foam pad that’s submerged in the tank. You just replace that pad when it gets dirty.
Just make sure not to use the blue pads that come with them because they can become anaerobic and cause bacterial blooms, which will kill your fish/turtles.
You don’t need a Fluval for turtle tanks. Turtles have lungs and breathe air. I have never known any turtle to die from not being submerged in water, so don’t worry about that.
You also do not need a bio-wheel. The bacteria is filtered out by the sponge before it hits the wheel, so it’s pointless to have one.
What’s important for a filter is the flow rate, you want at least 30GPH per ten gallons of water your tank will hold, but 40-50GPH will be better.
That’s why an external canister filter would work just fine with a powerhead as long as you get one rated for aquarium use (check minimum tank size rating).
The only thing you really need to make sure your filter has is a way for it to suck water from the bottom so you get the most efficient use of the filter medium.
I’ve been in the turtle care industry for 20+ years and have used many different filters on turtle tanks. In my experience, no other brand/model filter compares to Fluvals when it comes to thorough aquarium filtration while being very easy to maintain.
I recommend going with an FX5 because of its high flow rate and cleanable cartridge-style mechanical and chemical filtration media that can remove ammonia, nitrite, and excess nutrients before they even reach your bio wheel (which will never need cleaning).
It also has the ability to make beneficial environments favorable to both turtles AND fish by providing ample aeration and surface agitation without wasting energy.
Flourish Excel is not an “algae control product.” It is a super concentrated plant fertilizer (fertilizer that plants like), which can/will OVER fertilize your tank and cause algae problems, or at least algae issues.
Algae are only caused by excess nutrients in the water column. Nitrogen primarily, but also phosphorous and potassium can contribute to certain algae blooms, i.e., blanket weed, long stringy beard algae under high light tanks, etc.
I use AquaClear 20 Power Filter on my turtle tank after having used the Fluval 404 for years.
I think this filter is great because it provides excellent filtration and also does not take up much room inside the tank. Also, the flow rate can be adjusted to your liking by adjusting a knob or you can set it on low or high.
Keep in mind that this filter will require frequent cleaning because it has both mechanical and chemical filtration media cartridges.
The ability to rinse these cartridges under running water is very helpful when needed (after adding medication to the tank or just before performing a large water change).
As far as fish being sucked into it goes, I have never experienced that happening even with goldfish.
The design of the intake tube has a large cone-shaped end that will not allow fish to enter it.
It also nips off the water very smoothly as it sucks from inside the tank, which again is nice when you are trying to avoid sucking in fish or turtles accidentally.
My Fluval 404 had an intake tube with an oblong shape at the end that stretched into the bottom of the tank causing injury to my goldfish on more than one occasion when I let them out for feeding time or to clean their tank.
I think this AquaClear 20 Power Filter is much better designed in comparison and would recommend it if you decide against getting a Fluval canister filter for your turtle.
Do You Need a Submersible Turtle Tank Filter?
We bought our turtle tank about a year ago. I did some research and decided to go with the Zoo Med 501 Turtle filter for the 75-gallon tank.
The actual dimensions of it are 15″ long x 6 1/2″ wide x 5 1/4″ high (measured from the front corners). It uses a single 3-watt UVA + UVB fluorescent bulb and there is a built-in light on the lid so you can look at your turtles without disturbing them.
One thing we didn’t realize is that it has neither an air pump nor an airstone.
We had to buy those separately and we also added larger rocks to give our turtles some basking spots outside of the water (my younger daughter was very concerned that they would drown as they came out of the water to bask).
Since we have a younger child, I will be honest and say that it is difficult for me to keep up with cleaning these filters.
This one has a carbon filter cartridge that needs to be replaced every few weeks or so depending on how much your turtles eat and whether you use a cleanable gravel vacuum.
Replacements cost just under $5 from Petco but Zoo Med will also send them to you for free if you have proof of purchase through them directly.
One thing I really like about this filter design is that there are 2 drawstrings at the back, so once it gets clogged, you can pull out the old one and tie the new one in place before reinserting it into the filter.
We do this every few weeks right before we change the water since turtles are very messy creatures and one thing that I would strongly recommend for anybody getting into turtle ownership is to invest in a gravel vacuum.
It helps with water changes, but it also helps keep the tank clean between larger thorough cleanings (which you will need to do regularly if you have more than 1 or 2 turtles).
Another thing I wasn’t sure about when buying this was whether or not to get an air pump or an air stone.
Since our turtle spends all of his time in the water, we decided on just using an air stone, which has worked out fine so far. There is another model of this same filter that comes with an airstone.
We keep the filter in a corner of the tank and it does a very good job at keeping our water clean.
It has 2 speeds: low and high. We usually run it on low since we only have 1 turtle in this tank right now.
Of course, I’d like to add more turtles in the future, but for now, this is working out well and I’m glad that we went with the turtle-specific filter rather than trying to build one ourselves.
How to Set Up a Canister Filter for the Turtle Tank?
As canister filter is a hugely popular filtration media, there are many models that you can choose from. You will need to be familiar with the basics of setting up a turtle tank for maximum benefits from your canister filter.
Just like any other tank, your turtle tank needs filtration and the best way to ensure this is by using a good quality water pump or powerhead.
Just make sure that the flow rate of the powerhead is not too high.
If it’s too high, it may cause turbulence in your turtle aquarium, making it hard for them to swim around without getting stressed out.
The recommended flow rate for a turtle tank should be 2x-3x times the surface area of the fish tank. In most cases, the surface area of a standard aquarium is about 1 ft.
Thus, you can use a powerhead or water pump with a flow rate of around 3-6 gallons per hour.
It’s better to have two powerheads in your turtle tank so that if one stops working, the other can do its job, and lessen stress on your turtles.
If your filter intake has a pre-filter attached, then remove it as this is not suitable for turtle tanks.
You don’t want to have big particles that may fall into the water tank from being sucked into your filtration system now, do you?
If there are no debris filters attached to your filter intake, attach some foam materials around the intake pipe as this will prevent your turtle from getting into the filter system.
In addition, always use a screen lid for your fish tank as this should prevent any turtles from falling off the top of the aquarium.
As for choosing a canister filter itself, you should choose one that is relatively easy to maintain and uses minimal power. It’s also a good option to find a filter with minimum sound output as well as low-cost maintenance, but high output.
This ensures maximum filtration efficiency with the least effort put in by the owner.
What Is the Best Filter for a 75-gallon Turtle Tank?
Assuming you have a 75-gallon tank that has an Aquaclear 70 filter on it.
There are 2 turtles in it right now: 1 very large red-eared slider turtle and an even larger snapping turtle that are both about 6 years old.
They are messy eaters, so what is the best filter to use with this tank size?
Also, is there anything special that must be done when switching filters like this?
a. Aquarium Filter
The correct size for the turtle tank is 100 to 125 gallons. Do not use bio-wheel filters in tanks over 100 gallons because they work by breaking down toxic ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates (denitrification).
As the bio-wheel is breaking down the toxic ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrate, it also is breaking down your aquarium water over time.
In a 75-gallon turtle tank size, 70 to 100 gallons with one medium to large-sized turtle would be sufficient.
For more than two turtles in 100-gallon or larger tanks, use either two-HOB filters for a 125-gallon tank or 1 canister filter (if you can put a pre-filter sponge before intake) for every 50 gallons.
The correct amount of filtration depends on how much bio load (fish load) there is in the tank, so get at least 3 HOB filters (one HOB filter for 100 gallons, 2 HOB filters for 125 gallons) or a canister filter if you have the money.
This will be suitable for 3 medium to large-sized turtles.
b. Filter Information
There are many filters that will work on the turtle tank but the turtle clean-up crew (nutrafin max turtle clean-up) is the best filter that I know of and also does not need any of your attention as it automatically cleanses your aquarium water.
You just need to put it in and leave it alone. It has an adjustable intake, so you can control how much water gets pulled into its cartridge and thus cleaning capacity.
Maintenance is very easy, just pour out dirty cartridges and change them every two weeks.
The best part about this unit is that its biological media helps remove nitrates as well as nitrates so you don’t have to buy a separate media for your nitrates.
c. Turtle Tank Equipment
For a 125-gallon turtle tank, the proper heater size is 300 watts and a good submersible heater is Aqueon 100 watt pro heaters. You will need a big aquarium thermometer that also shows you minimum and maximum temperatures.
Two or three Aqua Clear powerheads (for a 75-gallon turtle tank) are ideal for water flow in the tank.
Buy 2 to 3 Penguin Bio wheel 150 Canister filters for turtles if your budget allows.
If not, then go with two HOB filters, which will be cheaper than canister filters but not as efficient as canisters because they use biological filtration, which constantly produces toxins (ammonia) in the water.
d. Turtle Filter Maintenance
If you are using any of the three filters I told you about, there is no need to clean your filter media (sponge, floss, bio-balls, etc.) every week or two weeks. You can leave them there for many months without cleaning.
What you really will need is to change cartridges on HOB filters and Aqua Cleaners every 2 weeks with new ones.
After that, pour out a dirty cartridge into a trash can (plan where you would like to dispose of old aquarium water before pouring it out so that it does not make a mess).
When changing cartridges on powerheads, open up its impeller housing and remove all dirt inside by hand gently, and put it together.
e. Filter
I suggest getting another HOB filter and letting them run in series (one after another).
This way, you will get more out of your money and also you will be able to create a strong current in the tank.
As we all know, water current is essential for a turtle’s health and well-being, so go ahead and add 2 or 3 powerheads to your turtle tank along with the Turtle Cleanup Crew filter.
What Is the Best Filter for a 40-gallon Turtle Tank?
The first thing you need to figure out is how big of a tank and filter you need. As long as you know the dimensions of your aquarium, it’s pretty simple.
For example, for my 40-gallon hexagon tank, I am looking for a filter that is at least 10″ x 5″. This means that height and width are equivalent (it doesn’t matter which dimension is larger).
From studying different filters available on Amazon (the most convenient place to shop), I decided that I would purchase something in the size range of 8″ X 4″ or 10″ X 6″. Keep in mind space constraints inside the cabinet, too!
Here are some popular options on Amazon that are available now:
- 10″ X 6″ filter for 40-gallon tank – Tetra PF40 Filter Cartridge 3-Pack
- 8″ X 4″ filter for 40-gallon tank – Aqueon QuietFlow Aquarium Power Filters PF40 10i, 3 Count (one of the filters actually has a powerhead built into it)
As you can see, I am opting to go with an external hanging filter. I think they are superior to internal filters in most ways.
As long as my water level is kept up to the proper level, no splashing will occur and therefore no air bubbles, which can cause problems with your fish breathing.
Also since it’s hanging off of the side of the tank, it is not taking up any floor space inside the cabinet. Internal filters take up a lot of room and can be annoying to clean.
What Do You Need for a 10-gallon Turtle Tank?
You can use a pump (aquarium water filter) and then:
- An air stone to inflate the passage of oxygenated water
- Aerator diffuser pump (externally mounted venturi system)
The principle is the same as an aquarium. You make your pet or turtle safe and healthy.
How Does Activation Carbon Work in Turtle Tanks?
Carbon is made of highly porous material, through which water passes through many pores. It is also known as the most ineffective form of filtration.
Activated carbon is used in turtle tanks to remove organic components that contribute to their deterioration and color appeal.
When using activated carbon in turtle tanks, it will not help with ammonia removal because it does not function in this way.
If you need an effective method for cleaning your aquarium, start with your substrate.
Much more important than the choice of purification medium or method is the choice of the right method for cleaning your substrate.
You can choose to use biological filters or chemical media in activated carbon in addition to your substrate to remove toxins in turtle tanks natural way.
What Size of Pre-filter Do You Need?
The answer to this question will determine how often you have to clean your tank.
For example, if you own a 40-gallon aquarium, don’t go out and buy a Fluval 406 canister filter because it’s way too big for that small of a tank! You could end up spending more time maintaining it than viewing your fish!
The same goes for your pump/powerhead used in the filter.
You do not want to buy one that is too powerful either as it may cause all kinds of problems with water flow and turbulence where there wouldn’t be any if you went with a more appropriate size and strength pump.
For most filters, the pre-filter is the foam cartridge (the white stuff).
If you go to Amazon and type in “pre-filter for turtle tank filters,” most of the results should show up as “Fluval 405 Foam Filter Insert – Genuine” but they also have a 405 set that comes with a few other cartridges as well.
This is what I got on Amazon: Fluval Aquarium Advanced Filtration Set 3-Pack – Black.
It’s not going to be super easy to find something that will work for 40 gallons online, so just buy two of these sets if you have a 40-gallon tank or close to it so that there is enough pre-filter to last you for a while.
I suggest buying at least 2 of these sets so that when it comes time to clean it, you just take out the dirty insert and replace it with another one from the unopened package, then rinse off the old insert in some tank water (not tap water) and put it back in.
This way, you won’t have to worry about finding new pre-filters anytime soon.
Conclusion
The filter for your turtle tank is an essential piece of equipment that will help keep the water clean.
Without it, turtles can become ill and even die! You don’t want to go without a proper filtration system, so you should be sure to do some research before purchasing one.
We recommend looking into what size of aquarium tank you have as well because there are different options available depending on how big or small your fish tank is.
How much does a turtle tank filter cost?
As with any purchase, make sure to shop around online for prices before buying anything at all. This way you’ll find the best deal possible (and save money).
