5 replies to this topic

[sunicda]

Hello All,

I am a newbie to the world of ponding... I have had my two ponds up and running for the last year. 1 is 50 gallons and the other is 150 gallons pictures attached....

In these ponds live red ear slider turtles... Now I know I am on a koi fish form, but I need help.... I cann't seem to get my ponds to stay clean; algae won't go away!!! I feel like I am fighting a losing battle here... I am currently using pond filters that you can get at lowes/homedepot the box type that has foam media...

This filter is not working!!! So I searched during some research and what I came up with is the skippy filter. I like the idea, but continued during research and found this forum... Once on this forum, I have found that I am not limited to the idea of the skippy filter, but my options are multiple....

So, if you are still reading and bearing with me, my question would be to you guys: what is the best filters (DIY) that you use? What media works the best? Should I mix different media types? I am totally at a loss now....

Thanks in advance for your help.

Summer

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[chris@azponds.com]

Here is what I would suggest for a small Turtle Pond: use a pond filter that can back-wash like the Laguna Pressure Flo 700; use a beneficial bacteria like Green Clean Xtreme biological treatment; and for a pump I would suggest the Laguna Max Flo 600 solids pump. You want back wash the filter once a week for about 40 seconds and then top off with fresh water. I'm going with this type of set up as turtles can be messy. Also, keep in mind that if you add pond plants, that turtles love to eat plants. Oh and I would suggest making a perminate platform in the center of the pond so that your turtles can sun themselves and feel secure at the same time. Sincerely, Chris@AZPONDS.com

[koiguy1969]

turtles can be nasty,filthy, things and need a better than o.k. filtration system...exspecially IF they share a pond with any fish that you CARE about .. but an expensive storebought filter wont do any better of a job than a well made DIY upflow filter with a 2" bottom flush (dump) valve assembly. (most here encourage the diy approach) beneficial bacteria will definately serve your filter well, myself, i use Microbelift pl gel filter innoculant to start a filter and Organica Pristine Pond for occasional maintainence dosing..

[DrDave]

Every customer that visits my Koi Garden that has pea soup also has UV and a store bought bio filter.

I show them my ponds water, my output from my waterfall that looks like bottled water and tell them that for less than $100, they too can enjoy clear water.

Clear water cannot be bought at any store, and it does not require a lot of money or work to get it. I clean my Doc Bio Filter once a week, it takes 45 seconds and I do not get my hands wet.

[chilligirl]

Another turtle keeper - welcome!

Turtles are super crazy messy - they make goldfish and koi look like tidy clean creatures.

You probably want to go look and post around on ATP's Turtle Forum (www.turtleforum.com) - lots of advice there, including care sheets. You know those sliders are going to get really big right? One adult slider needs at LEAST a 60 gallon tank, really should be bigger. For 2, you need at least 120 gallons to provide adequate swimming room.

For turtle ponds, you'll find most people have the most success with a skippy filter.

I have a yellow-bellied slider hatchling (he's around 6 months old) who's currently in a 30 gallon turtle tank, but is moving into an indoor pond this month to make his wastes more manageable. With a turtle, you not only need good bio filtration, but excellent mechanical/solids filtration. In my case, I've got adequate bio filtration, but my filters can't keep up with the solids - I'm having to syphon clean the tank at least once a week to keep it reasonably free of turtle poo. When I get him into his pond (it'll probably be around a 150G pond), filtration will be a solids-handling pond pump that runs 900gph, pushing the water into a skippy-style filter that has some good filter mats in the bottom, with a removable basket of biomedia sitting on top (for ease of cleaning).

Really, with a turtle, keeping the algae down is going to be about adequate filtration. If you've got algae, you've got too many nutrients in your water from the turtle waste. I'd really recommend sticking some live plants in your skippy filter (if that's what you go with) to absorb some of the nitrates - hyacinth is great for that. Don't put the floater plants in the main pond with the turtles unless you don't mind them being food: Sliders are quite herbivorous and LOVE to eat hyacinth, water lilies, etc.

[chris@azponds.com]

Another thought on keeping organic waste levels under control is to use a beneficial bacteria additive of some sort and there are many available on the market today. A beneficial bacteria additive is a NATURAL and SAFE way to help aid any biological filter in the breakdown of organic waste. Chris at www.azponds.com