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We have our RES in an 85 gallon tank that we keep about 1/3 full (probably about 25-30 gallons, or about 7-8 in water height in a 21 in tall tank). we have been using an in-tank fluval filter but it just isn't cutting it and we are trying to find something to cut down on water change frequency.

went to upgrade to a canister filter, bought a fluval 306 rated for 70 gallons. there were a couple of problems 1) the manufacturers instructions state that the water level can be no more than 7 inches below the top of tank (i am not expert in filtration, but am guessing that the filter isn't powerful enough to pull water from a lower level than that) and 2) the intake apparatus that comes with the filter was so long that it was not possible to meet the manufacture depth requirements without filling the tank to the top (i.e. the bottom of the intake had to be at least 3 inches above the bottom of the tank, while at the same time, the top of the intake where it is connected to the tubing had to be at least 3 inches below water level, to be honest, i could barely meet those requirements with my tank completely full!!!).

any ideas on a canister filter that can handle low water levels like this?

thanks in advance for the help.

Fill the tank up, prime your filter and get it going once it's running decrease the water level, 8 inches from the bottom of the tank should be good to keep the filter running. Although you might have to prime it again when you turn the filter off or incase of a power outage.

Also may I ask, why do you not want to fill the tank up? Sliders are excellent swimmers and more water means less water changes as the waste can dilute more.

we keep the water low because of our basking/landing setup...which is essentially a pile of rocks in the corner of the tank. but i have been considering trying to build some type of top-of-tank landing and then filling up the tank to the top. i am concerned about her getting up onto a top of tank landing though - she is pretty big and struggles with the one we have and i am not sure how to build a ramp sturdy enough for her to climb up on. to be honest, watching her climb onto her current landing is painful sometimes.

thanks for the advice btw

That is an easy fix, you can build an above tank basking area for $20 using tile as base and eggcrate light difuser for walls. check this thread out viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15260 It is loaded with tons of ideas! How big is your turtle? is the 85 gallon enough for her? rule of thumb is 1 inch of turtle = 10 gallons of water, since its a female she could grow up to 12 or 13 inches i.e. 130 gallons. Also your filter is extremely under rated for your tank. You need a much bigger filter, something that would atleast be able to handle twice the size of your tank which in your case would be 170 gallons. Turtles are messy creatures and they need extra filteration. Here is a thread that explains filteration in detail http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... =9&t=30145 Good luck!

vlgiorgio wrote:we keep the water low because of our basking/landing setup...which is essentially a pile of rocks in the corner of the tank. but i have been considering trying to build some type of top-of-tank landing and then filling up the tank to the top. i am concerned about her getting up onto a top of tank landing though - she is pretty big and struggles with the one we have and i am not sure how to build a ramp sturdy enough for her to climb up on. to be honest, watching her climb onto her current landing is painful sometimes.

If she's pretty big, 30 gallons of water isn't enough for her to be happy/healthy. You can use eggcrate to build a "fence" around the tank to keep her from climbing out. Check out the basking area thread for some ideas for above the tank basking areas. I personally use this basking area for my large turtle. My turtle is 8 inches, has no trouble with the ramp and it supports her weight.

You can still prime that filter if the water is low, but it will be a tricker to do and the filter will not run as efficiently.