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I'm going from a 10gal aquarium straight to a 100gal for my two RES (currently about inchs in length currently ) I'm so confused on which filter/type to handle a 100gal aquarium with two res~ from what I've read a submersible canaster filter seems to work best BIT I've also read good reviews on other types! I'm lost on what is best for my turtle kids, any help would be great, thanks everyone t

Now this is just me saying this , I don't like any filter that goes in a tank / submersible , takes up good swimming room today or down the road as your friends get bigger. Here is a good chart , find your 100 gallon on it may help with an idea. Most filters use the flow rate for fish , a turtle rate should be 2-3x's that for fish due to turtles are messy. 100 gal for fish would be 200 gal rate for turtles.

http://www.redearslider.com/filter_chart.html

Took me over 60 years to get , finally found my last filter I ever need , it's a newer style not on the chart a Fluval FX6 by Hagen it's GREAT ! Think you can trust me when I say "will be the last filter you'll need" if you can swing it. Cheaper than buying a different filter with every upgrade , wish it was around years ago. And over the years I had some filters ! Just me my opinion !

Do you know their genders yet?

+1 for the Fluval FX6.

Hands down the most recommended and used canister filter on the forum.
If you're doing research also search for the FX5 on here. It's been superseded by the FX6 but it's essentially the same filter so the information and how-to's are the same.

I know this is a few years old, but I figured I'd post here rather than start a new topic.

That chart is helpful, but I am also confused about a few things.

1) You can have a gph rate that is too high for a smaller tank, right?

I currently have a 29 gal with an internal filter. I want to upgrade to a nice canister filter that will grow with my turtle. I was thinking Eheim 2217 because of good reviews, energy efficiency, and what I believe is adjustability. Any thoughts?

2) The relationship between GPH (flow rate) and capacity / tank size confuses me.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

And 3) If tank size x2-3 = tank size for your turtle, then it seems unlikely that I can really get a filter that will last through all my tank upgrades. There are only a handful that are rated high enough for a full sized turtle tank, right? Maybe it is better just to plan on selling / upgrading the filter later.

Thanks!

Are you sure you have the right thread? This one is 5 days old. For your questions,

1 - It depends, but yes it's possible. For the FX6, I'd personally use it on a tank 55 gallons or more. I have no specific thoughts on the Eheim 2217, but they are a solid company. If you know their genders, you can plan ahead for a final upgrade instead of another intermittent one.

I'll try to get the other questions later (gotta run).

2 - GPH / tank size is to help as a formula. It's relationship helps suggest what filter strength you should look for.

3 - We go by 1" of shell length to 10 gallons of water. So an adult male RES would do nicely in a 55-90 gallon, and a female in a 75-120 gallon. Bigger is better when you can do it.

Oh darn, I was looking at the dates in the wrong spot.

Anyway, I'm still confused about gph / tank size. Gph is how much volume of water passes through the filter, how frequently, right? So then what determines capacity? The quality if the filter media? Shouldn't a higher gph mean a higher tank capacity?? But they don't seem to be directly correlated, at least not consistently across companies.

I'm pretty sure Sedge is a male (his sex, that is. I haven't asked him how he feels about it and therefore can't really speak to his gender )
So, ideally I'd like a canister filter that won't create too much current in his 29 gal, but might be good up to a tank oof at least 75 gallons or so?
Which means I need one rated for 150 gal or more...right? The 2217 I was looking at says it's rated for 135, but again I'm skeptical about the consistently of ratings. I guess that's what reviews are for. Although that's why I'm here, I suppose, since most reviews will be by fish-only keepers

A manufacturer will rate their filter to handle an appropriately stocked fish tank of x-gallons. Since we deal with turtles, we recommend you triple that rating. So if they say their filter is for a 300 gallon tank, it will be appropriate for a 100 gallon turtle tank. We also have media suggestions based on what filter you pick up.

A 2217 will be pushing a 75 gallon turtle tank, so you might want to consider more frequent water changes/maintenance but I think it will be fine. I completely agree with how you feel about ratings. In terms of equipment suggestions or recommendations, this forum tries to be more generous (bigger tanks, bigger filters) and more conservative on food (more variety, less protein/pellets).

Ok, thanks Steve. I might consider buying a larger capacity one. I'm not in a rush yet.

You really cannot over-filter your tank. The only real downside of an oversized filter on a small tank is the strength of the output current. It may be overwhelming for a smaller turtle trying to swim. You can however just turn down the output valve to reduce the flow therefore giving you a single filter your turtle can "grow into" as you get larger tanks over time.

For any size tank, we want to turn the volume of water over 3-5x through the filter. For a 75G tank that means you need a filter with a pump that can do 225 - 375GPH.

Most (not all) of the filter manufacturers rate their GPH with no media. Adding the media reduces the output of the filter.
On another forum here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/9-equ ... o-far.html

They measured the 2217 and found when loaded with media and a 4 foot head and it actually does 135 GPH. That means the 2217 will turn over a 45 gallon tank 3x per hour. The 2217 is perfect for your 29G tank but would probably be a bit undersized on a 75G tank later on.

Looks like I'm going to get a good deal on a Fluval 306 on craigslist, so my plan is to get that now and upgrade later

(And I noticed that Fluval seems to rate their tank sizes more conservatively than other brands, when you compare them with their flow rates, yeah?)

Would be interesting to check, it's been ages since I had to do that kind of research.

This thread may help: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

Thanks