Filter help

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oregon newt

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So I was looking into getting a box filter for my tank, but so far all of the ones I have seen online seem to not be powerful enough for my tank. Are any box filters designed for bigger tanks? The strongest one I have seen had a 100 gph rate. I know newts need filters with reduced currents, but I have a 90 gph filter in my half filled 29 gal. right now that i have to unclog every week even with weekly water changes. Any advice? Right now I have the internal tetra waterfall. Thanks. Sorry for kind of rambling on.
 
I've never seen a box filter with a gph rate stated. They are rather non-powerful filters, but that's exactly why they are well-suited to a lot of newts. They do not clog up easily. The choice of the internal Tetra filter versus the box filter would depend on two factors: what species of newt, and how critical is it to keep the temperature down? Also, what kind of lid does the tank have (this is also related to temperature)?
 
I've got T. grans. The temperature isn't an issue. I've got a screen lid and in case it gets too hot, I have a fan sitting on top of the tank. The filter I have is just alot of maintenance. I don't whether it's not powerful enough or whether need to do more water changes.
 
t granulosa really dont like water flow, i dont have a filter at all in my tank , i give it weekly level checks and only change water when there is a problem, the less you mess with them the better , i've had one of mine for 20 years now so i can say this with experience , some individuals like very deep water , some dont , mine seem to spend the morning on land and the afternoon and night underwater, if you have plenty of good quality live plants in the tank its way better for the newts than a filter, imo
 
and this really depends on how many newts and what size tank !
 
I agree that no-filter is a possibility that you should consider. You could try it for a while and see how it goes.

Given the screen lid and fan, I think you'd do well with the Tetra in-tank filter. I have several of these, and they are very easy to care for and do a great job. You would need to pile rocks or something in front of the outflow so that there is no current in the tank.

Also, what exactly causes your filter to clog up? Is it plant debris, leftover food, or something else? You may want to think about controlling "debris production" in addition to debris removal.
 
The newts waste is probably what's clogging up my filter considering I only feed them whole earthworms and I have no live plants. I did notice some clear stuff growing on my filter cartridge, though. I think the water parameters are probably fine, even though I was last having a problem with getting 0 on all readings, and the tank has been established for many months now. There are debris blocking the water flow in the tank right now, so I don't think that is much of a problem. It's just that the frequent unclogging of the filter I have to do seems like it could stress them. That's what I'm really worried about. I could try the no filter thing. I'll have to consider that.
 
unless you have a particularly shy newt the filter cleaning should'nt bother the newts , my taricha,s are exceptionally friendly , and feed from my hand, once they know youre not a danger , they'll actually come out as if to say hi when your around , this takes time , i have one african frog that after four years is only just settled enough to let me watch it eat!

i'd be a little more worried about what is clogging the filter ? how many are in the tank? these newts are not particularly messy .. even on an earthworm diet.. which oddly none of mine will eat !
 
I think it also may be that I changed from gravel to bare-bottom this summer, so all of the waste that was trapped in the gravel came out. I changed it about two months ago, but I did frequent water changes so I don't know why there would be that much left. There are two of them.
 
I agree with Spoons that two T. granulosa cannot be producing enough waste to clog a filter. I'm very happy to hear that you are feeding them chopped worms. One of the advantages of this diet is that it is very easy to remove uneaten pieces after feeding time. Do you have a turkey baster? As long as you enact prompt removal of uneaten food, I think you won't have any problem going without a filter.
 
Okay. That sounds great. I do have a turkey baster that I use to remove uneatn food. I'll try the no filter thing out. Thanks for your help.
 
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