What media to put in my Eheim 2262 for RES turtles

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gottoknithas2turtles

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 27, 2013
21
2
18
Jersey City, NJ
I just bought an Eheim 2262 canister filter, and I don't know where to buy the pads for it. I have two large, 11 year old Red Eared Sliders, and a 125 gallon tank and stand I bought off of Craig's List. Someone suggested I buy the Eheim 2262, as it has the capacity to filter a 500 gallon tank, since turtles are messy.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for the media? I went to a fish store in NJ and bought white and blue pads for a 2217, which the salesman told me was going to be a little smaller than my tank, but they are about the third the size of what I need. I've never set up a filter and am at a loss.

What I bought:
Eheim Coarse Blue Pad 2217
Eheim Fliter Pad White 2217
Eheim Ehfisubstrat Pro 2 liter
API Media Biochemzorb Pouch #6 (charcoal)

Thanks in advance. Once I get the stand assembled, the tank on top, the filter put together and running, my next question will be what materials should I get to make a turtle condo. I'd like to give my guy/gal a good amount of water to swim in below, and half the size above for basking. Oh, yeah, and a third question: what specific light fixtures should I get for them. I know it should be UVB and a basking light, but should I get the Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle UVB & Heat Lighting Kit: Combo Pack or something else? :nilly:
 
Eheim does NOT make filter pads for the Eheim 2260 or 2262, never have (to my knowledge) and probably never will.

Take back the blue and white pads for the 2217 and get your money back.

I suggest using 5L of Ehfi Mech as the bottom layer in the filter. It is a tubular shaped media that can trap the large particles. Put it in the filter loosely, do not use a media bag.

If you are willing to shop online, you can buy a product called Poret filter foam. It is a 2" thick foam that I use in my 2260/62 filters. I recommend getting the 20 PPI (Pore Per Inch) model and you can cut it with a sharp, flat blade kitchen knife to the proper round size. I use at least two of these foam pads per filter. You may need more or less depending on the amount of bio-media you choose to purchase.

For your bio-media, you can use the 2L of EhfiSubstrat Pro that you already have and if you want to add additional bio-media, I have had good success with Seachem Pond Matrix. It is cheaper than the Eheim bio-media and seems to work just as well. I do recommend you place your bio-media in a media bag as it will make filter cleaning considerably easier.

You can always add aquarium filter floss as your fine filter media but I have also used 100% polyester traditional batting by Polyfil in my filters with no issues. It doesn't have the loose strands that pillow stuffing may have. I probably would not use more than a 1/2" thick layer though as it can clog up and reduce your filter flow quickly.

If you have any other questions, ask away.
 
Dee, thanks so much. Yes, I love buying online. I searched for Poret filter foam, but could not find it. Do you have a link? Or would this product work, or something like it? http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-F...d=1377727780&sr=1-9&keywords=pond+filter+pads

The store I bought from has a return for store credit only policy so I will try to exchange the pads for more media. They don't carry the Seachem Pond Matrix. I'm a little bummed out because I bought a lot of products and didn't think to ask about their return policy.

I do have a million questions.
 
I buy my Poret from Stephan at swisstropicals. He is the owner and is usually very helpful via email or phone calls if you have any questions about the product.

The product you linked to would be a replacement for the traditional batting though it can usually be rinsed out a half dozen times before it needs to be replaced.
 
This looks perfect! I guess I should order the 13x13" green or black 20 ppi and then cut it to size. Maybe green so I can see how dirty it is. Maybe black so I don't! I measured and my canister looks like it is 12" in diameter. I'll get two or three as you suggested. They're good for about a year if I clean them in tank water, right?

For the Polyfil batting, do you go to WalMart, JoAnn's, Michaels, AC Moore? Just get 100% polyester quilting batting?
 
It doesn't matter which color, I've used both. What I do is use one of the lattice screens as a template and cut the foam slightly larger so that it fits snugly in the canister. It doesn't matter if it is perfectly round or not. Don't throw away the leftover material, it can also be added to the filter as additional media or as spacers in case you still have some room in the filter due to lack of bio-media.

The Poret should last for a few years, it doesn't seem to lose its shape if it is cleaned properly. I've had mine for over 4 years! The proper way to clean Poret is to slap it against a verticle surface or any flat surface OUTSIDE. During the winter, I clean mine in the laundry tub, spray with water, slap against the tub, repeat until water runs clear. You can do the same outside but use a hose to help dislodge any dirt.

I think I bought mine at Hobby Lobby or Joann's. The one I use is listed in post #4 but just make sure whichever one you get doesn't have any mold/mildew inhibitors added to it.
 
Awesome, thanks! I ordered three pieces, two black and one green. They will arrive next Thursday, Sep 5! I should be set for a long time. And, AC Moore has the batting, so I'm going to use a 50% off one item coupon when I go to pick up my tank lid on Friday. Tank lid is at the fish store. I'll exchange the other filters for more media or something.
 
Kristen, I should have asked this earlier but where do you plan on keeping the water level in the tank?

Have you checked to see if the 2262 filter will fit easily inside the stand or were you planning on placing the filter next to the stand?
 
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