Equipment Review and Discussion :: Curious Turtle and Rena XP2

[queenjane]

The amount of waste created by RES is far too large to fit through the tiny little slits in the Rena XP2 filter. I am sure many of you have been forced to uncap your filters for at least a short while for the system to actually remove waste. I not only have to uncap the filter, but I also have to remove my turtle, lol, because otherwise, he sticks his head in the pipe and gets stuck. He wriggles free in maybe two seconds tops every time, then swims around, and goes right back for the filter. His head is like the exact size of the diameter of the tube, and so it gets sucked in past his eyes. He keeps returning to the filter tube and getting stuck as though he likes it... or else he forgot he already explored it. He'll do it about 3 times every 5 minutes, maybe.

Does anyone else have this problem??????

I NEVER uncap the filter when I am not in the room because Tank insists on sticking his head in it and I want to make sure he's not injuring himself or drowning. Lately, I have just been taking him out and letting hiim roam around my living room, but I can't keep him out and warm long enough for the filter to clean as much as it needs to.

Suggestions? It's pretty much a useless $200 filter with the cap still on it, because the waste particles are too large to be removed through the grate on the cap.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Wow, I have a Rena XP3 and I've never had poo stuck to the filter, even as she has gotten bigger ... I would suggest getting a water tank vacuum and vacuuming up the larger pieces, either that, or get a strainer and fish them out, or break them up so the filter can nab them.

[queenjane]

He's a lunatic. He does it EVERY TIIME. I usually sweep it in combination with the filter anyway... I guess I will just have to keep watching him. Hopefully when he gets bigger he won't be able to get stuck anymore.

[mike hill]

qj - I would suggest that you get a stronger filter pump and leave the guard on the suction pump. With a 5x exchange it should suck up the poo. Mine would suck his head off. Good Luck!

[queenjane]

Well, there's no chance of getting a stronger filter, because I just got this one and it's already like 3x stronger than it should be. It's an XP2 cleaning a 30 gallon tank. The problem is not the suction power, but the fact that the slits in the cap are too narrow to allow 1/4 inch chunks of poop and food particles to pass through. I am considering just cutting holes in the cap thing to make it wider.

Every time I uncap it, WITHOUT FAIL, he swims over to it and literally shoves his head inside it. And then he just tools around that little corner and continues to get parts of his body sucked into it, like his front feet and the top of his shell. It appears to aggravate him, so I have no idea why he keeps going over there and messing with it.

I can't believe no one else's turtle has done this, haha!

[mikee]

qj - Curiosity killed the turtle! If he gets stuck on the suction just right he may not be able to get off. Be careful with that.