ZOOMED 501 Minicanister

[Wy Renegade]

Had this sitting around for awhile, and its supposedly designed to work on turtle tanks. Anybody familiar with this filter and/or have any thoughts on how well it works?

 

[Nomadu571]

No experience but if it is made for turtles then it should be good, they are whey more messy than fish.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Thanks. it comes with a carbon filter pouch, a sponge filter, and a ceramic noodle pouch. I figured I'd remove the carbon filter, beyond that anyone have any thoughts on replacement media or should I run it as is?

 

[Nomadu571]

Remove the carbon maybe add some floss for ultra clear water if desired but personally think your good to go.

 

[Nomadu571]

My only advice would be to keep ontop of water changes and maintenance as it is essential and they will live alot longer and healthier if you keep a close eye on water quality. Make sure the tank has a basking spot and isn't full of condensation, and it should keep the diseases away. Also I assume u have a UVB bulb which provides their essential d3.

 

[Wy Renegade]

My only advice would be to keep ontop of water changes and maintenance as it is essential and they will live alot longer and healthier if you keep a close eye on water quality. Make sure the tank has a basking spot and isn't full of condensation, and it should keep the diseases away. Also I assume u have a UVB bulb which provides their essential d3.

Will do. By basking spot, I assume you mean somewhere they can get out in the light and sit out of water. Also, bring me up to speed on a UVB bulb ~ familiar with UV, but not UVB. Do they come in flourescents? Appreciate all the help.

 

[Nomadu571]

Yeah tubes or compact bulbs. They are called UVB because as well as ordinary visible light they emit UVB radiation. The turtles use this type of radiation to metabolise calcium in order to give themselves a healthy shell and bone structure.

In the aquarium it is advised to provide a natural daylight cycle (between 10-12 hours) of light. The UVB bulb should cover the whole tank so the turtle is exposed to it pretty much the whole time it is on. Glass or plastic will stop the UVB from teaching the turtle so they shouldn't have a cover in between. You can get them as mentioned in strip form or compact both are adequate for your needs, however ask the sales advisor AND do your own research into how strong the bulb should be depending on your type of turtle. E.g. 5% or 10% UVB. This should be around 7 - 12" from the tank when placed.

The basking spot should have its own light. This is usually a normal 40 - 60w light bulb, which provides a spot of heat (around 28-30 degrees), which the turtle can use to regulate its body temperature. Again this bulb should be 7-12" depending on how hot the area is. This being said the turtle should have access to a spot out of water which is on the cooler side too incase he gets hot, if you are able to provide one.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Thanks, doing some additonal research as well, and it shows that generally the snapper does not bask, but most recommend including it anyway. I'll add the additional light and see how that goes. Would one of those 10,000K daylights be too much light?

 

[Nomadu571]

Yeah I think 10,000 is more tropical species of lizard. My best advice would be to get some advice from reptile forum uk. In my opinion, but I'm no expert, I think it would be better to go for a lower strength. The Reptisun 5500k 25w t8 would be fine. It's a 5% UVB bulb, which is 36" long. How long is your existing bulb if you have one? Or the fitting if you don't?

 

[Nomadu571]

Sorry, on basking some aquatic turtles like water more than land but some may surprise you. I keep a musk/stinkpot turtle and he never basks, but it's there anyway, just incase.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Yeah I think 10,000 is more tropical species of lizard. My best advice would be to get some advice from reptile forum uk. In my opinion, but I'm no expert, I think it would be better to go for a lower strength. The Reptisun 5500k 25w t8 would be fine. It's a 5% UVB bulb, which is 36" long. How long is your existing bulb if you have one? Or the fitting if you don't?

The fixture is a standard 36" flourescent double bulb fixture. I assume that having a UV bulb in one slot and a plant bulb in the other would be ok?

Sorry, on basking some aquatic turtles like water more than land but some may surprise you. I keep a musk/stinkpot turtle and he never basks, but it's there anyway, just incase.

No problem, I'll include it just to see what happens. I know my other one liked to hang out on the water's edge with his head sticking out of the water when he wasn't hiding under the driftwood piece.

 

[Nomadu571]

I was spot on then with the size, lol. :score: that particular bulb is £18 on seapets (.co.uk). Yeah running both lights will be fine. I have a similar setup and have the UVB in one and a moonlight in the other.