Habitat - Indoor :: POND? Seeking Imput

[ilcapo21]

So, im back again with another habitat question, i recently went into a pet store and saw a preformed pond liner used as a turtle habitat. After seeing price differences between a setup with one of those and a traditional aquarium i am considering buying a preformed pond and using it in my basement to make a new turtle habitat. All together with filter and liner and heater this setup will probably take 6 to 800 dollars, as opposed to the 12 to 1500 dollars for an aquarium, also with the price difference i can get them a bigger habitat. I can get a 250 gallon preformed pond for like 200 dollars. in my local petstore a 120 gallon aquarium without the stand costs about 300 dollars. So i guess my question would be should i try and hook up a canister filter if possible with the pond. or does anyone think a pond filter will do. DOes anyone think the pond would be a bad idea. Any input is appreciated. Thanks


Danny

One RES

One YBS

Not sure of sex yet.

[Ty13]

As long as the canister part of the filter is lower then the water level i think it would be okay. Might want to wait for someone with experiance though.

[wezeles]

it works great i have friends that have done just that...

its kinda hard to make it look decrative to show.. but with a little work they come out amazing...If you go this route think of it more like a garden tub installations putting it in the corner of a room and building a box with a cut out in the shape of the tub...
then just add some walls around the box and toss in a basking area your set.. huge home for them, low price, unique display... turtles probably like the solitude of dark pond over the clear aquarium anyways..

You will save money and a pond filter woudl be best and probably cheeper in the end for how much water it moves... a large canister or 2 will do well but you have to keep it below the water level so you would have to build it higher and need enough filter for that size tank... remeber you wont see through this like a tank so the water clarity isnt as big of an issue, your more worried about health...







This is a smaller scale only being like 60 ish gallons but same concpet.
i hope to do this myself when i can find the room for it... i just cant give up my current garden tub for my turtles i like it too much lol..
I know there are more than a few people with this same type of setup in there home... do a little searchign and you can find more info...

that picture reminds me,she said i could nab some duck weed..

[ilcapo21]

Thanks for all the in put I contacted a store I'm getting a 170 gallon for $140 I heard that the canister is easier to maintain also its more effective but I will do more research thanks again for the input everyone

[marisa]

You might find a canister filter much harder to prime and rather noisy (they're really quiet when used as intended below the tank) if the filter is next to the pond on the floor (same level). The effort that the motor has to make to pump the water may cause premature wear and a shortened life for the filter.

[wezeles]

you can use a inline power head to push the water into the canister filter, but you have to keep an eye they wear out every few years aswell and you have to keep them clean...
i use one on my canister just so i dont have to prime it... flick the switch and its full in a few seconds... Helps extend the life of your canister filter motor when used properly, even impoves filter power by increasing the flow... you can really feel the differance in mine when its on or off...

[mikee]

il21- What ever you decide, get a filter or two that will exchange the volume in your tank/pond at least 5 times per hour. You will want to get it correct the first time as the water changes will be a real chore.

[ilcapo21]

ok so as far as water transfer i want something that does 850 gph if i have a 170 gallon tank Im basing this ok mikee's post 170 times 5. is that right?

[wezeles]

your going to need eaither a medium pond filter or a couple canisters to hit that mark...

thats why i said try the pond filter.. such a big home it would be alot of work for any canister filter... most the pond filters are in the range of 500-1200gph and most canisters are between 200-500gph even a large canister filter will haev fun with that much water... how many turts are gonan end up being in there?

[ilcapo21]

there is going to be two turtles living in the pond and ill probably throw some guppies and maybe some cheap feeder goldfish in the mix. right now the turtles are small there like 4 and 3 inches but im hoping after i make this purchase i wont have to change the habitat ever again

[wezeles]

That should be good i mean even if they are on the big side of the turtle scale and they don't get along thats 85 gallons each if you split the pond in half... Specially considering the pond will probably be filled to the top with a basking area in the middle or outside the pond all together...

For pond filters check out your local pet supply or aquarium supply store, they are acctually pretty cheep compared to canister filters for the amount of GPH they push, and the stuff for them is pretty cheep aswell... Its more biological type filter system keeping the water healthy not so much clear, which is what you need in a pond habitat.. Good luck and post up some pics as you go...

[ilcapo21]

ill be sure to post pics. Thanks wezeles i was supposed to get a 200 gallon this weekend but i got tied up at work and couldny go but im shooting for next weekend. Plus its pay week next week so i think ill b going to get it . Thanks for the input one question thou is there anything i can get that will help with the water clarity?



Danny

[wezeles]

What color is the pond? if its black its going to be easy enough to spot them in it... And water clarity isnt going to matter much... its not that it isn't clear its just not as crystla clear as people like to have with there transparent aquariums...

[FLhaven4strays]

one question thou is there anything i can get that will help with the water clarity?

I sometimes use something I get from the Home Depot garden center called Pond Clarifier - it basically just helps large particles settle to the bottom quicker. I really only use this when I do a very large water change. Home Depot also has some decent pond filters & basic supplies.

[ilcapo21]

i see so maybe a good filter or some chemicals. Yah its gonna be black. My mom wasnt havin my pond idea so i have to postpone until me n my sister move out in a few months but untill them im going to get a few large storage bins from walmart, and join them with aquarium cement, hopefully obtaining at least 100 gallons. I may buy the pond filter for the storage bins so when its time to make my pond i will already have it. Is there any concern about having a filter that is too big? Like if i get a pond filter for a 200 gallon pond and its in the 100 gallon makeshift tank is it an issue, i wouldnt think so but i dont know for sure.