I will be setting a 300 gallon stock housing 13 turtles and a large pacu, I will be filtering it with a fluval Fx6. I really want to add a DIY skippy filter for extra biological and mechanical filtration, how big of a container will I need, what size pump, and what filter media would be best, thanks for all your help!
Skippy Filter Size?
- Thread starter DiamondBack
- Start date
How big is the stock? And how long will they be in there for? As far as flow rate youll want to shoot for 3-7x turnover with decent flow so pick a pump capable of that, so around 1500-2000gph and some good powerheads. If you already have the fx6 keep it for mechanical filtration and set up a big sump with tons of bio media.
Sent from my GT-S6810P using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my GT-S6810P using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
I have had a Skippy filter for a pond filled with fish for 12 years. For a pond, they recommend that your filter be 10% the size of your pond, so my 3,000 gallon pond needed a 300 gallon stock tank, and after talking to experts from three different pond lists, decided I needed to turn over, or filter the water in my pond at least once per hour, so I bought a 3,000 gph pump, but added a 2nd filtration system (a pair of 55 gallon barrels with the same media) and a 1,200 gph pump that I use as needed and keep for just in case the main pump/filter goes out; which it has several times. For filter media, I use swamp cooler pads from Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/p/DIAL-DuraCool-33-in-x-160-in-Evaporative-Cooler-Pad-3079/100586456) but I'm certain they are available everywhere. They are exactly what Skippy describes, and they're cheap. They come in a roll and I cut them up to any size I like. I let them go all year long, then either throw them out and buy a new roll or two for the following year, or pull them all out, clean them, clean out the filter/stock tank, and throw all the gunk in the bottom in our garden, then throw it all back in or put the filter back together for the following year once it's all clean.
I made a separate filter with a pump for the winter months to keep a hole in the ice. That way we begin each year brand new (inspite of what Skippy says) with the pads rinsed out, or replaced with new. That way I'm ready to go every spring. And I use many of them for the barrel filter rather than throw them all out.
I was going to add a 300 gallon turtle tank, made from leftover EPDM liner from my pond, but never got around to doing it before a critter ate a hole in my pond liner. Until I fix that threat/problem, I don't feel comfortable adding a turtle pond outside for the summer months (and bring them in for the rest).
As for turtles, the 10% rule ought to hold true, but I haven't any experience to be certain. THEY ARE VERY DIRTY, SO I'D ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. Any questions concerning a Skippy filter, I can answer with experience though. Also, if you've run into a guy by the name of Gosta, and are considering HIS filtration system, get back to me first. I can save you time and money. hitman962
I made a separate filter with a pump for the winter months to keep a hole in the ice. That way we begin each year brand new (inspite of what Skippy says) with the pads rinsed out, or replaced with new. That way I'm ready to go every spring. And I use many of them for the barrel filter rather than throw them all out.
I was going to add a 300 gallon turtle tank, made from leftover EPDM liner from my pond, but never got around to doing it before a critter ate a hole in my pond liner. Until I fix that threat/problem, I don't feel comfortable adding a turtle pond outside for the summer months (and bring them in for the rest).
As for turtles, the 10% rule ought to hold true, but I haven't any experience to be certain. THEY ARE VERY DIRTY, SO I'D ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. Any questions concerning a Skippy filter, I can answer with experience though. Also, if you've run into a guy by the name of Gosta, and are considering HIS filtration system, get back to me first. I can save you time and money. hitman962
