Habitat - Outdoor :: Outdoor filtration

[RES Tampa]

Looking for suggestions on the filtration portion for our new outside 125 gal pond. Obviously lots of options. We will not have a big leaf load to deal with and an hoping for something that can be set up like our indoor tank outside of the pond.

[Oldturtle72]

Hi again, Tampa,
You might check out the Pondmaster filters and pumps. I am using a Pondmaster 1000 Filter and a 540 GPH pump. I am using that particular pump because it not only has to pull water through the filter but incorporates a fountain and an underwater adjustable outlet for a gentle current around my 265 gal.basement habitat. In the outdoor habitat, I am using a double sized Pondmaster Filter (2000) and a 750 GPH pump as a suction for the filter and also to have enough head pressure to send water through a 1 inch ID plastic outlet hose 8 feet up to the head of a 3 tiered waterfall. I am using a 240GPH pump separately as an aerator w/ underwater adjustable outlet for a gentle current around the pond. I have 30 Black Trapdoor Snails in that pond along with a 7 and 1/2 inch Red Comet goldfish and a 4 inch Koi that will get to 16 inches. The indoor pond filter has the mesh pad and the charcoal pad under that for the filter media. The outdoor filter has the mesh pad over lava rock ( the same rock you'd use in your gas grille). I use this system for a better (I think) colony of beneficial organisms for water clarity and cleanliness. These filters lay flat and are about 2 inches high which for preformed ponds work well. I keep one of my dive belt weights (2 lbs.) on top of both filters because they do have a tendency to float up if not weighted. For your 125 gallon pond, because you don't have the bottom area, a 1000 would work well. I built basking platforms out of 1/2 PVC pipes with a slate slab on top so it would straddle the filters (both ponds).The turts outside have a shady place under it and used to hide under the inside one when they became frightened. I also have a 14" long by 9 " high by 10" wide nylon w/metal frame Koi Kastle 'hide' on the tank bottom for anyone who just wants to get away. WOW! That's enough, Mr. Walkie-talkie. Sorry--I do get carried away. George

[RES Tampa]

What a mouthful!!!

Sounds like a great setup. I will go on line and checkout the pondmaster line. I have seen it before somewhere when I was shopping to buy my inside filter. I think I will also try the snail route for outside. I guess they will survive winter here - not quite as cold as your neck of the woods. What do you have for plants outside. I have 4 small plant shelves on the corners. Thanks for your help. Jim

[Oldturtle72]

Jim,
I have a 21 by 9 inch pond plant container filled with pond plant medium and planted in it are 5 year old Helvola Water Lillies. These are lillies that have pads only about 3 inches which are much more suited to a small pond than the standard sized lillypads. The Helvolas also produce small yellow bell-shaped flowers all season long. They show really well in full sun and disappear in the evening only to reappear in other places amongst the pads the next morning. In a 7 and 1/2 inch square container, on one of the shelves, raised up on a slab of slate so it's not so deep are 3 bunches of Blue Rushes. They are, in the wild, located in just a little shallower water than bog plants. Lillies are deep (15 to 24 inches in preformed ponds) and all others can go on the shelves. Turtles are rather funny about water plants. They eat them and will sometimes, just for fun, dig 'em up so they float. That's why I keep my pond pretty well packed with floating water plants: ie, Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce and also leaves of Romain lettuce and Anachris. George

[Oldturtle72]

Also, the floating plants shade the pond from the sun ( less algae growth). They also use up alot of the phosphates that would otherwise go to the algae. Excellent aquatic turtle food. George

[RES Tampa]

Thanks for all the input OT - I suspect this pond will turn into quite the adventure.

[Coco]

Does a pond that has a pump need to have a filter on it also? I have dozens of tadpoles living in my pond.

[marisa]

A pump will move the water, but a filter will remove debris and keep the water cleaner.

[Coco]

Thanks for your reply. Is it necessarry to have a filter on a pond? Does anyone have a pond without a filter and their turtles are fine?

[Oldturtle72]

Coco,
I've had hundreds of tadpoles that were hatched in my ponds and the suction that the pumps induced into the filters was never strong enough to harm the tadpoles. If you had a pick-up tube that was open ended incorporated in your fillter system, you might lose a few up the tube but that's the only way I can think of. You are fortunate that you have them in your pond as they have voracious appetites and will eat any algae that is growing there. They love Romain Lettuce leaves also as do any crickets that you might have stashed away for your turts. The crickets will eat the leaves even after they are badly wilted. Just thought I'd throw that last in there for a bit of trivia. George

[marisa]

Turtles are messy and produce a lot of waste, so unless you're going to keep performing the time-consuming task of cleaning, I'd get a filter for the pond. If you get a filter with ample room for biomedia, beneficial bacteria will colonize in it and will help keep up water quality, making cleaning less frequent--and it will be much healthier for your turtles.

[Oldturtle72]

I would say that if your pond had an inlet and outlet that water could move through, a filter would not be necessary. On the other hand, if your pond has no constant water movement through it, a substantial filtering system has to be incorporated in order to reduce and/or eliminate waste products. Don't forget that your turts defecate and urinate in the water and also use that water as a lubricant to help them swallow their food. Also, crystal clear water in your pond is very nice to look into even if your pond is loaded with lillies and such. I've found the Pondmaster 2000 filter to be very easy on the pocketbook to buy and is a whiz to clean. I've connected mine to a 900 GPH pump that pulls the water through the filter and on the outlet side, sends it up a 3/4 ID plastic hose to a 4 foot watercourse/waterfall, thereby giving my pond a slow currant. My pond, by the way, is a 265 gallon preformed type. I have 2-one outside, buried flush to the ground and the other is on a heavy,18 inch high table in my basement. George

[Coco]

WOW! Thanks George and Marissa for the info, that is great. I will share it with my husband. Sounds like it can only benefit to have a filter. I amnot a fan of tadpoles because they turn into frogs! But I figured if they were thriving then mabye I wouldn't need a filter.
My husband owns a pool business in FL so he frequently finds hatchlings- so far RES's and Florida Cooters. We have 2 RES's in our tank along with a tiny black turtle that has yellow around the perimiter of his shell along with a Fl Cooter hatchling and we are at max capacity. I would like to get our pond ready so that when he finds other hatchlings we can put them there temporarily until we can find a suitible home for them. If all works out well with the pond it might even be a permanant situation!

[Oldturtle72]

Coco,
Sounds like your black turt is a Map Turtle. I had 7 adult turts, 5 Eastern Painteds and a pair of RESs in my 265 gallon ponds and there was plenty of room. I had a basking platform made from 1/2 PVC with a slate slab top. There was room under it for a hide and I had a 10 by 20 by 9 inch high Koi Kastle on the bottom for another hide. The trick to having numerous turtles in the same habitat and having them get long without becoming agressive is to have enough room so they're not in each others face or space. Each one was fed by hand and there were always minnows for food. Also,was a large Red Comet Goldfish that vied with the turts at feeding time. George

[tutlehaven]

anyone have any coments on keeping mosquiotes away living in south fl.? i am planning a pond with all the works, but my hubby says it would attract too many mosquitoes.i have a huge tree that a pond would accent it nicely. the tree has ficus bushes surrounding our small front yard.a pond in the middle with a walkway and a bench would top it off, but the bugs!! arg!!