All Turtles Message Board

bluecko · Level 1 Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 5

Hi everyone

Im a little confused with which equipment should I buy, Im planning to buy a 30 gallon aquarium, but I dont know what type of filter and the capacity I should get. I heard the bigger the better, so i was considering a AquaClear 500, because I also read that the filter should be x3 times stronger that the aquarium, is that right? does that type of filter use an air pump? what are the differences with the canister filters?

And about the UVB light, is it also applies the rule? because I found a ReptiSun 5.0 bulb that have 10% UVB light and 30% UVA, is it too much for 2 young res?

thanks
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AP

mariza · Level 4 Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 1339

For filtration, yes, your filter should be rated for 3X the size of your tank. Aqua-Clear filters hang off the side of the tank, and work when the water level is high. If you were getting a bigger tank, I'd definitely recommend a canister filter--lots of room for biomedia, efficient, and don't take up room in the tank.

Reptisun 5.0 is a reputable brand of UVB light and popular with turtle keepers (it's not too strong). Don't have any kind of barrier between the light and your turtle (glass, plastic, etc.)--it will block the UVB rays.