Bio filter question(s)

[Mmathis]

[just a reminder that I'm the person who is planning a box turtle pond...]

1 - A bio filter question: When I do this, I plan to use a DIY filter, but have seen two different kind and wonder about the differences, pros & cons. One is called a "trickle" filter (?) where the dirty water is deposited on top of the filter media and travels by gravity through the media and back into the pond. The other type showed the dirty water entering, well, again from the top but went through tubing directly to the bottom of the filter, then was forced (?) upward through the media and out via a separate out-flow.

HELP understanding these? My comprehension of basic physics is limited

 

[vertigo72]

From what I read, trickle towers are considered to be the best filters. You shower water in different stages over plastic filter media . Pro's include excellent aeration of the water, excellent filtration. Cons are that they tend to be expensive, big and noisy.

Most other filters just flow water over submerged filter media. Lots of variants, but essentially they all work the same. You pump water over some filter media that provides large surface area for aerobic bacteria that break down toxics like ammonia. This is usually preceded by a mechanical filter or filter stage, such as a vortex, sieve, or a chamber with brushes or matting to keep the biggest debris out of the biological stage.

 

[fishin4cars]

From what I read, trickle towers are considered to be the best filters. You shower water in different stages over plastic filter media . Pro's include excellent aeration of the water, excellent filtration. Cons are that they tend to be expensive, big and noisy.

And they lose a lot of water due to evaporation.
The easier DYI project and by far cheaper method would be the going down back up method like the DOC filter. that system can be built for less then $100 not including the pump. You could easily spend that in a tower system just in trays and piping. The shower filter does a better job at removing ammonia and light waste due to the adding oxygen constantly flowing over the medie and bacteria. But the DOC filter seems to do better at removing larger waste which I think you would be better off with with the turtles.

 

[Mmathis]

DOC filter?

Box turtles don't live in their water environment as much as they sit in it to soak & poop a few times a day, unlike aquatics. In fact, I'm not even sure how much they drink, but the water still needs to be clean to prevent diseases and keep them healthy & happy!

Will I still need to monitor for ammonia & nitrites to the same degree I would if I were keeping fish? Would plants help? I've already decided that my filter (as well as pump) will be on the larger-than-what-I-probably-need side .

 

[vertigo72]

My brother has some turtles in an aquarium. WIth a useless tiny filter, and he cleans it like once every 6 months. The water looks like coffee (and stinks terribly). His turtles seem fine. I dont think any fish could survive an hour in that water. IOW, no I dont think you have to be worrying about ammonia and the like as you would for koi or even goldfish. But if you want to keep it clear, you will need some serious filter capacity.

 

[fishin4cars]

DOC filter, Look in the search and or look in the DYI section at the different homemade filters. It has some really good examples from folks here on the site that have built them. Going bigger than needed won't hurt, will only help. Ammonia and nitrites aren't going to be as big of a concern if you are only keeping it for the turtles, However if you plan on plants or adding a fish or two later it can be. Plants help alot, they remove waste, help add oxygen and help in the breakdown. plus they give additional places for the good bacteria to grow on the roots.