How to Modify Marineland Canister Filters for Turtles

Turtles are interesting creatures to keep in an aquarium or terrarium. These reptiles are messy eaters, though, particularly if they are fed pieces of raw fish or meat. Turtles typically hold food with their front claws and tear bits from it. A fair amount of waste is created by this feeding mode. According to Alan Jardine, former Chief Conservation Officer at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, the aquarist invariably needs to modify the aquarium's filter to best suite the organic load typical of a turtle habitat. You can modify the Marineland Magnum 350 canister filter to function optimally on a turtle tank.

Things You'll Need

  • Turtle aquarium or terrarium
  • Marineland
  • Open-pored sponge
  • Sharp carpet knife
  • Thin cable ties
  • Replacement carbon
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the strainer on the Magnum's intake tube to allow the canister to draw water from the undergravel. In this situation, slide the adapter for the undergravel filter over the end of the Magnum's intake tube and rest this adapter on the undergravel's lift tube.

    • 2

      Hollow out the open pore sponge, which needs to be one and a half times larger than the Magnum's strainer, using a sharp carpet knife, until the strainer fits comfortably inside it.

    • 3

      Secure the sponge around the strainer, using a thin plastic cable tie. Thread the cable tie through the body of the sponge and attach it to the strainer.

    • 4

      Monitor the sponge daily for large pieces of uneaten food than has become caught against it. By adding this modification, you are preventing gross pieces of dirt from being taken into the canister and clogging filter material within the Magnum's reaction chamber.

    • 5

      Remove the strainer with attached sponge as soon as it becomes compacted with faecal matter or food and rinse under running water. Waste matter that is removed in this manner cannot break down in the water and cause pollution.

    • 6

      Remove the micron cartridge from the Magnum, as this cartridge has been designed to remove microscopic particles and polish the water to give it a crystal clear appearance. This cartridge will impact too quickly when used on your turtle tank.

    • 7

      Replace the carbon more frequently than instructed to do in the instructions --- this material, which acts as a mechanical sieve, will become exhausted far quicker when filtering water that turtles are living in than would have been the case in a fish-only aquarium. Change the carbon every two weeks.