Equipment Review and Discussion :: good filter for a 20 gal tank?

[ninjaturtles]

i'm going to upgrade from 10gal to 20 gal tank for my wilton. he's only aorund 1.75 inches, so might as well upgrade now... i have an aquaclear thats designed for a 20 gallon filter. what filter woudl be adequate for a 20 gal. i'm also planning to add sand at the bottem of the tank to give Wilton something to play in. so any ideas would be great. thanks.

[megcornell]

Before looking at filters for a 20 gallon why don't you consider upgrading a bit more to a 29 or 40 (or as large as you can go) gallon tank? That way the upgrade lasts much longer. Right now your turtle's in the middle of his first year growth spurt and that 20 gallon tank won't last through the end of it. He'll be cramped for space soon and you'll be looking for another upgrade before you know it.

[ninjaturtles]

i would, but my dorm room won't allow a big tank. 2nd year in college and living with 3 roomates.

[steve]

A 20 gallon won't last very long for a growing turtle. I'd go with a plastic storage container (40 gallons are cheap and easy) and when your turtle is about to out grow it (hitting the 4" mark), you'd know if it was a male or female. Then you'd be able to get a permanent home thats the appropriate size... hopefully you'll be out of the dorm room by then