Question: Filter suggestions needed

[Lindsey]

I've had my axolotl for three weeks now, and he's doing great, but I'm having problems with my filter. I've got the Aquatop IFS10 in there right now and it doesn't pick up anything (I'm assuming because the filter media is too porous). The water gets really discolored and there's tiny particles floating around. I know its not from his food, because I take out any uneaten pellets with a turkey baster right away, and I also take out any waste that I find. As of right now, I'm stuck doing a 100% water change every week, and once I go back to my little dorm in the fall that will be pretty much impossible.
So, I know nothing about filters, but I'm looking at the Marineland Penguin BIO-Wheel Power Filter, and it's got good reviews and looks like it has finer filter media... Any suggestions would be a great help. (Please keep in mind I'm a poor college student that can't afford to throw lots of money at a filter.)

Thank you!

 

[knyptozoologist]

What are your water parameters like? The water looking dirty could be a bacterial bloom if your tank isn't fully cycled, and if that's the case you'll want to be doing water changes once a day, not once a week.

As far as the Marineland filter....I've heard great things, but I've never used one. I'm personally partial to the sponge filter. It has no mechanical filtration, but the most maintenance it requires is rinsing out the sponge occasionally rather than replacing the cartridges every few weeks.

I hate to lecture you, but all pets take time and care and if you can't even maintain a once a week water change when you're in school you maybe should have reconsidered getting a new pet :/

 

[Lindsey]

I'm fully aware that all pets take time. This isn't my first time with an aquarium pet; I had to give my turtle away when I started college because only fully aquatic pets are allowed. I never had issues with particles floating in his water, so I'm convinced this is just a lousy filter. I always did partial water changes using a pitcher with my turtle because the aquarium literally weighs more than I do and I can't lift it to dump it out. I got the Marineland filter today and Toothless's water was sparking after only about 20 minutes. I'm slightly worried that the current might be a touch too strong; he's keeping to the edges of the tank right now. So if anyone has tips on how to damper the flow, that'd be nice.

 

[snuggly time]

I point the outlet of my filter towards the tank wall. I also bought some strong plastic plants which I put in front of the outlet to break up the flow. I know people also tie shower puffs to theirs to break up the flow, which is a great idea and cheap.