I need filter advice

Skullflower · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 11:57 AM

I recently bought a used exo terra 18"x18"x18" terrarium and Im starting to try to plan out the environment. I will have a waterfall and a water area. the tank will house tree frogs, not sure what type yet. What do you guys recommend filter wise for this size terrarium? I don't even know how to set it up yet but been going thru the threads here and been finding some good info. Thanx. One other thing I noticed is that some people don't even run a filet and just change the water, seem like a pain but I dunno, Also is there something I could use that would do the jobs of both a pump for a water fall and a filter? Thanx for any of you who take the time to answer this.

beckdg · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 11:02 AM

this question is simpler then you'd expect really. assuming that one would would use rocks, screen, epiweb, etc. to keep the frogs and/or feeders from going under the f/b that would keep large debris out also. your waterfall would perform your biological filtering for you. assuming you won't leave large gaps for substrate to get under the f/b you won't technically NEED a filter... just a pump.

for a pump you won't necessarily need anything large. if you are planning on having the waterfall all the way to the top of your enclosure you're only looking for a 2 foot head height. most smaller pumps can handle that.

changing the water is a necessary evil whether you run a pump or a filter or not. no matter what you do in an enclosed environment the waste will build up in the water. if it is moving there's no worry of it stagnating. for this reason you don't have to change all of it, but a little every week is a good idea anyway. this way waste doesn't build up too much. the solution to polution is dilution.

a lot of people imo tend to migrate towards a reptile filter for a viv. imo these are the biggest gimmicks in the filter/pump world. they make them small and under powered so as not to have rapids your pet can't handle. they have some kind of filter pad inside. to me this means you pay more for less pump marketed right. the pads in these things are quite small and therefore are likely to clog up easily and quickly. not only that but they are imo insufficient for biological filtration for small fish let alone a herp that will produce much more waste.

pumps... there are so many kinds it's not funny. you have internal, internal canister, internal filter, submersible, diaphram, fountain, etc. ... and that's just a short list of INTERNALS. by no means is that a complete list. i wouldn't plan on a specific kind of pump unless i had a reason or something in mind. for instance for someone who is older, way overweight, disabled, etc. you might want something easy to maintain. with a small canister, hob, internal canister, etc. you could keep it somewhere easily accessible. that way you could just open the lid and pull the media out to clean it instead of reaching all the way in the viv through a f/b or shoved into a small area. in many cases a small powerhead will be more than sufficient. although you could most likely get a waterfall pump for cheaper powerheads are not that expensive, typically reliable, easy to maintain, easy to find, easy to use and can fit and function in fairly small areas. if you plan on pumping up through a hose make sure to check if the pump you purchase has a round output that a hose can be attached to.

Skullflower · #3 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 11:07 AM

Beckdg perfect answer Thanx man. I bought waterfall pump , but may upgrade to a small powerhead. Partial water changes are not the end of the world, We used to have dwarf puffers and that was part of our care for them. Thanx Dood!

beckdg · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 02:46 AM

you're welcome.

froggsong · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:58 AM

hmmmmm.... I sure thought I had posted to this... I think my posts are not going through or something...

Glad that beck was able to help out Skullflower! Fountain pumps are great, but I must say that powerheads are a good option as well. I have a small powerhead running my frog/toad tank water area and I didn't fill the water up for long enough that it was almost completely empty, and it was still running and pumping water. I was quite amazed. There was probably a 1/4 inch of water, 1/2 inch tops, and it was still pumping it to the top of the tank. The tiny fountain pump I had in there wasn't powerful enough, which is why I switched it, but it couldn't run with less than an inch of water.