Review on 🐢 Zoo Med Turtle Clean 15: The Ultimate External Canister Filter for Turtle Tanks by Sheila Golden

The range of canister filters for small aquariums is rather limited. This makes sense as this part of the market is crammed with "back hanging" filters and internal tank filters. Why bother with a canister filter for such a small aquarium when so many HOB filters work well and are cheaper? Quick Answer: This can be hidden so less gear is visible on the tank. I am very sensitive to the aesthetics of my aquariums and wanted the filter to be hidden. The filter itself is a well designed filter in my opinion. The latches that connect the top of the canister to the bottom make a solid "click" when fully latched, and the drain hole at the top of the unit has a thick o-ring and aggressive threads to prevent leakage impede. The hoses that come with them should be longer in my opinion, but the material on them is extremely flexible and kink-resistant. Being a lightweight filter, this is important as you don't need rigid pipes preventing the filter from sitting flush with the surface. I've run the unit on my 8 gallon tank for over a year with no problems. In my opinion it has enough flow for an aquarium up to 10 gallons. As already mentioned, it seems strange that the water is first filtered through a biomaterial and then through a mechanical filter. The reason for this is that the pump is on the outlet side and is attached to a plastic hose that is inside the canister. By wrapping the mechanical material around this perforated tube, the water distributes the water evenly across the mechanical seal. It also means bioenvironments are becoming very uncomfortable. I clean the filter monthly and usually rinse the biomedium with a small amount of aquarium water to remove any debris that has stuck to it.