Habitat - Indoor :: Tetrafauna's Decorative Repto Filter

[Rexamus]

It doubles as a filter and basking platform. Instead of going to Petsmart or Petsupermarket I went to an actual reptile shop. This came highly recommended for my size aquarium and filters up to 55 gallon aquatic terrariums.

I also bought a UVB flourescent fixture. They said if he has a UVB light he'll get all the calcium and Vit. D he'll need. I thought using the basking spot lamp would be enough and the infared light but apparently it isn't. They said I didn't even need the infared light.

This reptile shop had an awesome turtle tank in the front of the store. It looked very natural and it's something I want to try and duplicate. However, it had gravel. I heard gravel wasn't good. I explained this to the shop owner and she said she's been in the business for a long time and has always used gravel without any problems. What do you all think? I really like the way it looks but if anyone here can vouch for the gravel being a danger please tell me. I want little Curtis to feel at home in his tank but I also don't want to endanger him either. Your opinions are appreciated.

[octpusgirl8]

There are plenty of people that have used gravel without a problem, but i've seen too many posts on here about turtles dying (or coming close) from eating gravel to ever want to risk it. If you don't like the look of a bare bottom, river rocks (turtle head size or bigger) and fake plants (silicone rocks to the base to weigh them down) really spruce things up. Do a quick forum search for gravel and impaction and you can read some the the sad stories. There's also a sticky showing the rocks that one turtle passed long after the gravel was removed from the tank.
On a happier note, glad to hear that you found a reputable pet shop to patronize. It's a shame she was dismissive about the gravel issue, but it sounds like they know what they're talking about for the most part.

[camaudio]

i think you are talking abou this:


i got one, but even in a 10gallon tank i dont think its enough
it does look great and makes a great basking spot, the waterfall sound is perfect, but when i move it to another, bigger tank soon, im gonna add can filters with it

[Chrisbarnett]

How many GPH does the filter flow? and doesn't that allow you to only fill up the water so far?

Other than that, definitely no gravel. But large river rocks do look nice, albeit messy and hard to clean, but look very nice. I currently have river rocks in my tank and am just going to deal with the extra maintenance.

[megcornell]

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12532
Read that post about gravel, that person was lucky and removed the gravel before their turtle ate too much. Other turtles have died. The way I look at it is, I'd rather be safe and have a healthy turtle than risk getting gravel simply because it looks nice. It also traps A LOT of debris and can really make it difficult to keep the water clean.
As for the reptofilter, I think you'll find that it's not really as strong as you'd like for a 55 gallon tank. And it limits the amount of water you can add.

[Bumby's Mom]

I used gravel for a while and trust me, it is something you dont want to use. It was really disgusting. I was doing water changes pretty much weekly (even with a filter) and the water in the rocks was BLACK! It just traps everything. Best decision I made was removing that gravel.

[TheComputerGremlin]

There are so many alternatives to gravel that it seems silly to use it. River rocks are gorgeous and if you don't use enough that they stack too much, keeping them clean isn't too bad. I currently have large glass drops in my tank and they are only laid about enough to cover the bottom and the debris isn't bad at all. As for the lady, send her this way. If she is as knowledgeable as she thinks, then she would be a welcome addition, and we can help her understand the need to remove the gravel.

[camaudio]

How many GPH does the filter flow? and doesn't that allow you to only fill up the water so far?

Other than that, definitely no gravel. But large river rocks do look nice, albeit messy and hard to clean, but look very nice. I currently have river rocks in my tank and am just going to deal with the extra maintenance.

yeah, this is the max level for it, but the whole filter could be raised