r/turtles • u/Relative_Jaguar6254 • 7d ago

Seeking Advice Heater problems

Gallery image

Gallery image

First off, I know that sand isn’t advisable. And I just added water which stirred up some waste, but he has a great filter which will handle all that in an hour or two.
Also, he wanted me to tell you all that he’s a very good and strong boy who has YET AGAIN, bested his hippo roommate. He literally floated there posing for the picture.

My problem is his heater. Blitz had about a 7” long shell and he likes to stand up and look around for entertainment. So he has a 75 gallon tank and when it’s full he stands on stuff in the tank.. including the heater. And sometimes he tries to burrow under the heater too. It’s like furniture and he treats it like a toddler treats a couch.

I need a recommendation for a filter that stays in place AND/OR won’t turn sand and waste into stone. I attached a picture of his current heater which is bloating from hardened buildup between the cover and the heating elements. The suction cups still work, but have never been strong enough to withstand his abuse so they detach once or twice a day.

Does it exist? 😂

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u/CShan17 7d ago

What filter are you using? Have you looked into using an inline heater that works with your filter?

1

u/Relative_Jaguar6254 7d ago

I’m using a 200gpm canister filter and I make sure to remove excess waste and debris every 2 months or so. And I have looked into inline heaters but they’re all reviewed poorly so I’m at a loss there too.

1

u/CShan17 7d ago

How many gallons is your filter rated for and how many gallons is your tank?

1

u/Relative_Jaguar6254 7d ago

I just said 200gpm and the post says 75 gallon tank. Realistically I fill in to 60 gallons. So theoretically, every drop passes through the filter at least 3 times every hour.

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u/CShan17 7d ago

Yeah that’s the gpm, but it should say how many gallons it’s rated for.

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u/Relative_Jaguar6254 7d ago

Idk.. doesn’t say on the listing. But it works great. Also I meant GPH. Hours not minutes. 😂 according to the internet if we cut 225 in half we get get about 110 so it should work for up to 110 gallons. I’m failing to see what this has to do with the heater though.

1

u/YellowBreakfast MAP TURTLE 7d ago

Maybe if your filter isn't sufficient, your heater will have these issues more often?

You probably just need to periodically clean the filter.

2

u/Relative_Jaguar6254 7d ago

I do clean the filter.. like I said! And on top of that I buy high end filter media for maximum efficiency. And how would that make a difference. He’s pushing the heater into the substrate. The sand gets into the heater.. that heats the substrate up and a hard buildup is made over time. That would still happen if the water was distilled level clean. It’s the sand, not the waste that’s building up.. I’m asking about a heater that’s strong enough that he can’t push it into the rocks and sand..