How do you maintain BIG aquariums?

Hi, guys and gals,

I have been keeping my mud turtle in a 20 gal aquarium with fantasies of moving her up to something much bigger and including fish etc.
I am currently talking with a woman who is selling a 100 gal aquarium with stand, and am seriously thinking of getting it.
BUT I've NEVER had such a huge tank!!! I am not at all sure how to manage water changes etc. With Jacques' little 20 gal tank, I just use a bucket and siphon to empty and refill it, but clearly I can't do that with a 100 gal tank!
Any and all suggestions will be appriciated!!!

p.s. This potential new tank is 60 in long, 24 in wide and 18 in tall.

I'm by far, no expert in this field, but when I DID have aquariums, I found the best filter (for me) was the canister type. They sit outside the aquarium, pulling the water into and through it and shooting it back into the aquarium. They're powerful and do a great job of transferring water. With this filter I doubt you'll need a water change, but you can always bring in the garden hose (trailing it out the door) and siphon as much water out as you need, then hook the hose back up to the faucet and refill. That's what I used to do with my 50 gallon fish tank.

bigger is easier ...... imo you can go a decade or longer without ever doing a complete water change , at least i have , as long as the filtration is correct . i think plants are an integral part ...... i'd use a canister filter , and a gravel bed of some type , wet dry/ trickle type or undergravel ........

I would definitely recommend getting the bigger tank. It doesn't seem that a bigger tank would be easier but once it is established is much easier than a little ones.

I agree. Bigger is easier with keeping a good balance in an aquarium. I also like the canister filters. I really like the good job they do and the ease of simply disconnecting and cleaning the filter when it does need to be done - maybe once a month. They are pricy, but I really like Fluvals. Sunsun makes a "clone" that seems good and less expensive, but I haven't tried that one. Water changes should not be necessary. I also use plants to help with the nitrates - which is the only reason for water changes as they will otherwise build up. You can stick a few runners of Pothos Ivy in the tank, running out over the edge and let it go crazy. No dirt, or planted in anything - just dangled in the water. It will grow roots and grow like crazy. Feeds off the nitrates.

mark1 said:

bigger is easier ...... imo you can go a decade or longer without ever doing a complete water change , at least i have , as long as the filtration is correct . i think plants are an integral part ...... i'd use a canister filter , and a gravel bed of some type , wet dry/ trickle type or undergravel ........

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Mark, you mention an under gravel filter- I thought that gravel on aquarium beds was NOT recommended for turtles because they might ingest the gravel and get impacted. Did I hear wrong?
@Markw84

I'm having a dickens of a time trying to figure out WHERE such a big thing would go in our house...
I may have to give up on this one and get a smaller one...
And I'm a little worried about the weight on our wood laminate flooring...

I've placed my tank in the furnished basement due to the weight possibly warping hardwood flooring.

Also instead of using a bucket and a siphon (been there, it's not fun!) I use this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NXC/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Hooks right up to my sink faucet and all of the dirty water goes down the drain. Water changes are so much more pleasant, as I basically twist the output one way and it siphons out, then twist the other way and the water siphons in. I leave for 5 minutes, and done!

Moozillion said:

Mark, you mention an under gravel filter- I thought that gravel on aquarium beds was NOT recommended for turtles because they might ingest the gravel and get impacted. Did I hear wrong?
@Markw84

Click to expand...

I've read that also , it's never been a problem for me , my turtles all have the opportunity to eat rocks , never seen one do it ....... the gravel bed doesn't need to be in the aquarium if it worries you .......... myself I draw the water through the gravel with a canister filter , and return it through a trickle filter ........ possibly turtles not used to having access to rocks would be more apt to eat them ? mine have all been raised with access to rocks ........ I do use larger size stones , I like the size of calico stones from home depot ........

Well, I'm backing off on the 100 gal aquarium on Craigslist. Hubby and I got a tape measure and measured every remotely feasible spot for the aquarium, and it just won't work. Five feet long and 2 feet deep is mighty big chunk of space for our house.

I'm thinking about 55 gal, now.

a 75 gallon tank is the same size as a 55 gal tank , I think the difference is 12" width to 18" width .....

mark1 said:

I've read that also , it's never been a problem for me , my turtles all have the opportunity to eat rocks , never seen one do it ....... the gravel bed doesn't need to be in the aquarium if it worries you .......... myself I draw the water through the gravel with a canister filter , and return it through a trickle filter ........ possibly turtles not used to having access to rocks would be more apt to eat them ? mine have all been raised with access to rocks ........ I do use larger size stones , I like the size of calico stones from home depot ........

Click to expand...

Mark, when you talk about drawing the water through the gravel with a canister filter, how do you do that? Is the gravel in one of the canister chambers instead of charcoal or those little ceramic cylinders?

And returning the water through a trickle filter- I can't grasp how that's done.

I've been doing a little online research: I think I understand the principles pretty well, but I'm not mechanically inclined and still have gaps in understanding the practical implementation part...

Moozillion said:

Hi, guys and gals,

I have been keeping my mud turtle in a 20 gal aquarium with fantasies of moving her up to something much bigger and including fish etc.
I am currently talking with a woman who is selling a 100 gal aquarium with stand, and am seriously thinking of getting it.
BUT I've NEVER had such a huge tank!!! I am not at all sure how to manage water changes etc. With Jacques' little 20 gal tank, I just use a bucket and siphon to empty and refill it, but clearly I can't do that with a 100 gal tank!
Any and all suggestions will be appriciated!!!

p.s. This potential new tank is 60 in long, 24 in wide and 18 in tall.

Click to expand...

On a tank with only a turtle, you'd do 100% water changes. On a fish tank, you only do partial water changes. I do about 30% once a month. Some people like 20% every two weeks. Depends on the waste load and filter system too.

Mooz,
Everyone above has their own experience and I would not ignore Tom or Markw84s advice. Mark1 either.
But having said that, if your flooring cannot handle the weight, or your living space the room, be cautious.
As for outside canister filters I have a lot of experience with Magnum 350, Cascade 1000 and Aquatop models. All are good but some are better than others.
The Aquatop filters are the easiest to service (= clean) but are not as good at water polishing as the Cascade 1000s or even the Magnum filters. The Magnums are excellent filters but in my experience with them (close to 30 years) they are difficult to service and clean. Avoid them.
For the money, ease of use, and performance I'd take the Cascade models. You can obtain them ONLINE at bargain prices and they are so easy, a caveman can do it.
This is my own preference but for an indoor setup for single mud turtle a 40 gallon 'breeder' tank seems to be the best. The footprint isn't that big and for Jacques it would be a lot of room. True, a 75 gallon tank would be even better, but you have to consider the space.
As others have mentioned, the larger the tank (=water volume) the easier it is to keep clean. Thats true.
Take your time. We are here to help...

cdmay said:

Mooz,
Everyone above has their own experience and I would not ignore Tom or Markw84s advice. Mark1 either.
But having said that, if your flooring cannot handle the weight, or your living space the room, be cautious.
As for outside canister filters I have a lot of experience with Magnum 350, Cascade 1000 and Aquatop models. All are good but some are better than others.
The Aquatop filters are the easiest to service (= clean) but are not as good at water polishing as the Cascade 1000s or even the Magnum filters. The Magnums are excellent filters but in my experience with them (close to 30 years) they are difficult to service and clean. Avoid them.
For the money, ease of use, and performance I'd take the Cascade models. You can obtain them ONLINE at bargain prices and they are so easy, a caveman can do it.
This is my own preference but for an indoor setup for single mud turtle a 40 gallon 'breeder' tank seems to be the best. The footprint isn't that big and for Jacques it would be a lot of room. True, a 75 gallon tank would be even better, but you have to consider the space.
As others have mentioned, the larger the tank (=water volume) the easier it is to keep clean. Thats true.
Take your time. We are here to help...

Click to expand...

Thanks SO MUCH!!!

Hi Moozillion,

I know you are probably getting a smaller tank. I would suggest to get the biggest tank you can have fitting your home. Mud turtles are cute little guys getting about 5 inches maximum in size. They live to about 50 years old, so you want to get a sturdy aquarium that can last you the time. Muddy will need a dry dock to hang out and get some uv and the rest. They have those special docks that suction cup to the glass.

Just so you know, I have a raised foundation home with large 245 gal tank in it on a wood floor and there is no problem because I have the weight of the tank distributed evenly on the floor. If it was on 4 tiny legs, then there is going to be bowing and problems there, but if the tank's weight is evenly distributed in area of the floor you would probably be ok with a 100 or 75 gal tank if your home was done according to building codes.

I have an easy method to clean my large tanks, (245gal and 180 gal) .

Just have Muddy's tank near a window to a lawn or area that can be watered, and have access to the tank from the outside.

I clean my tanks easily using a aquarium water siphon with and extra long hose.
I siphon all the dirty water out the window and onto my lawn... no bucket.
Then for the clean water, I use the outside hose to get water to my tank from the same window. I use seachem prime water conditioner powder to neutralize the chlorine and cloriamides in the tap water. Get seachem prime on amazon, cheaper. You can use an indoor water faucet to have warmer water using an special connection adapter for the sink faucet to a hose.

Been doing this for over 8 years and fish and turtles are doing great.


Hope you don't mind me calling your mud turtle "Muddy", have a great life with your little guy!
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions and I can help you.
Best wishes on a Muddy turtle habitat! =)

Moozillion said:

Mark, when you talk about drawing the water through the gravel with a canister filter, how do you do that? Is the gravel in one of the canister chambers instead of charcoal or those little ceramic cylinders?

And returning the water through a trickle filter- I can't grasp how that's done.

I've been doing a little online research: I think I understand the principles pretty well, but I'm not mechanically inclined and still have gaps in understanding the practical implementation part...

Click to expand...

the intake tubing for the canister filter is pulling water from below the undergravel filter , the outflow tubing drops the water in a 5 gallon bucket above the tank , the bucket is filled with layers of filter media , bio media ( gravel , sand , lava rocks , bio balls , those ceramic pieces) , and any other treatments like peat , carbon , zeolite , whatever , it drains out the bottom of the bucket ........ by pouring the water over the media and letting run down , it gets lots of oxygen ........ outside I use garbage cans for trickle filters ........

Canister filters all the way for me. The bigger the better. A 55 gal is perfect. You'll be amazed at how big it actually is once inside your house. It will be perfect for Jacques, and more than enough room if you ever want to add another buddy. I have zero experience personally with muds/musks, but I know your little fella stays relatively small. I'm sure cdmay will be right there if you ever had the desire to do so.......

mark1 said:

the intake tubing for the canister filter is pulling water from below the undergravel filter , the outflow tubing drops the water in a 5 gallon bucket above the tank , the bucket is filled with layers of filter media , bio media ( gravel , sand , lava rocks , bio balls , those ceramic pieces) , and any other treatments like peat , carbon , zeolite , whatever , it drains out the bottom of the bucket ........ by pouring the water over the media and letting run down , it gets lots of oxygen ........ outside I use garbage cans for trickle filters ........

Click to expand...

Thanks so much!!!!!!

+1 on the SUN SUN (Aquatop) brand.
It's what I use on my last 100 gallon aquarium. Two in fact. CF300 type. I have a CF400 with UV sterilizer ready to go that will clean the tank on it's own, but I like to use two so I can change out alternating filters every two months without upsetting the water quality too much.
I also do a 40%ish water change about once a month. That is normally done sooner, but I am always checking my parameters with test kits. I have just a few aquariums left and the 100 gallon is much easier to keep regulated.