Habitat - Indoor :: Is my filter strong enough?

[dcaron1217]

I have a 25 gallon and my RES is about 3 inches. The water lstarted out staying clear for about a month, but for a week now it's very cloudy. I've had to clean the filter like every 3 days. I don't think my filter is working hard enough. I have a ZooMed Turtle Clean Filter 318. It says it works for tanks up to 30 gallons but does not tell me how many gallons per hour like others do. I'm kind of confused about that.
I feed my turtle in her tank. Every day I feed ReptoMin baby food sticks and she gets romaine lettuce every day. Oh, and yeah, she eats her poop. Ugh.
I looked on this page to see if I could post a picture but can't seem to find it.
Oh well. Any help on filters would be great.
Thanks

[megcornell]

It sounds like its about time to upgrade your whole set up.
Ideally you want a filter that is rated for a tank 3x the size of your tank, so yes, your filter is too small. But, you're also reaching the point where your turtle is too big for the tank.
I'd look into getting a larger tank (buy the largest you can afford to save on later upgrades) and buying a filter for that tank. You'll probably be getting into the range of a canister filter.
In spring, a lot of people start cleaning out their houses and putting old tanks up for sale on places like craigslist and local newspapers so keep your eyes out, there may be a great and cheap used tank around.

[dcaron1217]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out. And a canister filter? Which is the best?

[TheComputerGremlin]

Depends, there are a few brands out there, I think most people on the board have a Rena XP3 or XP4 or a Fluval something or another. I really like the canister filter, and as long as you understand the instructions, I don't think you can go wrong with the different brands. Since you are going to work on upgrading the whole system, just keep an eye out for sales. The canister filters can get to be pretty expensive, but if you find them on sale, you can find them for as little as $100. You can also find them occasionally on Craigslist or in your newspaper, but remember that you'll have to disinfect them really well and buy all new media, which can go up towards $40+ depending on how much you need.

[Rottie_mom]

I got my Rena XP3 at http://www.bigalsonline.com/
At the time it was on sale so I got if for $89 which is a total steal!!

[Chrisbarnett]

Yep, I agree with all others here.

From petsmart.com,
Variable output can be adjusted between 30 and 55 gallons per hour.

That is no where near the minimum of 3x the tank per hour. Even at full output you would only be cycling your tank 2.2 times per hour.

Now I'm guessing that 25 is probably not filled all the way, unless you have a top of the tank basking area. So lets say you have about 20 gallons in there. Still, you would only be cycling the tank 2.75 times per hour.

Turtles eating poo is natural, and hey, its helping keep your filter cleaner right?