Red eared sliders are beautiful, entertaining that make the great pets to have around the house. However, they are quite messy, eat a lot of food and also create a ton of waste. For this reason, you do need to get the best filter for red eared slider for keeping them happy and healthy for a long time.
There are many different types of filters in the market available. But not all of them can meet the need of your pets. Ending up with the wrong filter can post a potential danger for your red eared sliders. Here are some types of filter that I would like to recommend to use for your tank.
#1 Canister filter
This filter is considered by many keepers as the best types for red eared slider tank. Canister filters are usually install under the tank in the cabinet or stand, that means your little pals have a lot more space to swim and less obstruction to swim around.
Canister filters provide excellent filtration, they are great for over 40 gallons tank, but they’re also pretty expensive. The best canister filter will be equipped with multiple stages of huge trays that can hold lots of filter media.
They provide three-stage filter: mechanical, biological and chemical filtration. Some models even offer extra stage or two available. Although they are large, bulky and a bit expensive, I would like recommend canister filters as the best investment you can make for your turtle tank.
#2 Internal filters
Internal filters are entirely submerged into the tank. Internal filters do a great job in smaller tanks of 20 or 30 gallons as they do not have enough filtering capacity for larger ones. Although they are mounted inside the tank, they are small and compact and do not take lots of space.
I do not really satisfy with internal filters because they create the deafening noise. Not only that, they only provide mechanical filtration. Due to this, you will have to clean your tank and replace this filter media more often. Internal filters require you more effort of maintenance.
If you do decide to use an internal filter, be very careful when installing it and ensure that the wire is not be damaged. Cleaning internal filters are not easy at all.
#3 Hang on back filters
If you want to use HOB filter in your tank, you have to ensure that your tank have a filter cut out. This is because the water level in a turtle tank is usually lower about several inches than the top of the tank and HOB filter won’t work if the water level is lower than the filter.
The advantages of HOB filters are that they are compact, easy to install and quite long lasting, they are also work effective and sustain oxygenation.
However, the drawback is that since HOB filters are designed for fish tank, and turtles are messier than fish and produce more waste, so you will have to tank the HOB filters that rated for at least three times the amount of water in your red eared slider tank.
