I'm only really familiar with the Fluval series of canister and internal filters. It is recommended to purchase a filter rated for at least 2x the capacity of your tanks. Filters are made for fish, not turtles in mind and they're SO much dirtier than fish. On my old 40gal tank I had a Fluval 4+ submersible filter and after a while it kind of sucked. Always replacing media and it was fighting to keep up with the mess of 2 turtles.
I know you said you're on a tight budget, so you might be better off doing more frequent water changes, sticking with what you already have running, and saving up for a canister filter that will still be useful when you upgrade to a larger tank.
The Fluval canister filters are my favourite and I've had very few issues when they're properly hooked up. My Fluval 404 lasted me I think 7 years before I downsized and sold it. You could probably find a used one in decent shape online. I think the best one ever though is the Fluval FX5. While it is quite expensive, I found it is WELL worth the investment. I had it on a 125gal tank with 2 large females and rarely had to change the water. Usually just cleaned the filter media.
Not sure how helpful that is, but there you have it
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 12:59 pm