TetraFauna ReptoFilter for Frogs, Newts & Turtles

I have 2 of these filters in a 75 gallon tank with about 35 gallons of water (10" or so)...1 filter on each end. In the tank I have a juvenile Western Painted turtle. It works absolutely beautifully, keeps the water crystal clear and practically odor-free and creates an incredibly soothing waterfall. I wouldn't exactly call it "whisper" quiet, however, I do keep the tank in my bedroom (about 7' from where I sleep) and the sound of the waterfall completely drowns out the faint humming sound that comes from the filter pump. No sleeping problems whatsoever. I think the reason why these filters have a somewhat bad reputation is because people think you MUST have them sitting on the bottom of the tank in order to work properly...greatly limiting the amount of water you can have if you have a bigger tank since the water level has to be below the lip of the filter. This is untrue from my experience. I have both of them propped up about 5" on aquarium decorations and rocks so that the water level is about 4" below the lip. The only thing about doing this is that they're unable to clear the chunks of debris off the bottom of the tank since they're 5" off the ground. This isn't a problem for me at all though because I have a small fish net and a gravel vacuum that I use to regularly clean the chunks off the bottom of the tank. I actually prefer it this way because it seems like to me that by not sucking up the chucks of debris it would extend the life of both the filter and the cartridges. Now to the filter cartridges. Instead of buying the 3-pack Reptofilter brand cartridges for usually $8 or so (~$2.65 each) I buy the 12-pack Whisper Bio-Bags for about $10 (~$.80 each). They're exactly the same as the Reptofilter brand cartridges but the only downside (isn't even really a downside) is that they come unassembled and with only 1 frame instead of pre-assembled and a frame for each cartridge. I've found that they usually last anywhere between 2 weeks and a month but the life of these cartridges entirely depends on the size of your tank, amount of water and the messiness of the creature(s) in your tank. Overall, for the money, these are hard to beat. They keep my tank looking beautiful with very minimal upkeep. After a while I might end up forking out the extra cash for a good external canister filter but I just don't see the necessity quite yet for that good and powerful of a filter when these do the job perfectly fine. Plus I like the idea of having a filter on each end of my tank, greatly increasing the water circulation and vital surface agitation.

I bought this filter for a 75 gallon tank with about 6 inches of water for a baby American Alligator and this filter has left the water crystal clear. It don't make a loud noise,just the noise of the water coming from the filter and gives the water a ripple, making it look natural and sound peaceful. The alligator absolutely loves it and so do I. Edit: It's been over one year later and still works like a charm even though it is showing wear very easily. Since my Alligator got bigger, I have increased the water heighth in her enclosure and added two more filters in making the water crystal clear. She eats chicken in her enclosure and the smell of the chicken in the water makes it smelk like death. This filter helps in clearing it right up. Instead of buying the cartridges made for this , I use the whisper large bio bags and definitely worth the price and amount and works fantastic for this filter. If my filter breaks, I'll purchase another. Every now and than I do take it apart and wash the motor, put it back together and it's back to work.

The Tetra ReptoFilter would be wonderful at twice the price! Here we have a QUIET, foolproof and efficient way to keep "aqua-terrariums" clean, fresh and healthy. Before I ordered and installed this amazingly inexpensive and powerful filter, my turtle's water was funky, cloudy and smelled a wee bit like a "Turtle bowl" (in spite of frequent partial water changes). I took the device out of the box, inserted the filter media (straight-forward activated charcoal and generic white fiber sleeve), plugged the thing in and marveled! The ensuing and immediate waterfall is quiet and very strong. Within minutes, the tank was transformed into a crystal clear aquarium (the water that is). I added 3 river minnows to keep my little painted turtle happy and the result is fabulous. In a 10-gallon tank, the device creates a whisper-quiet river current. The pristine "water-fall" effect created a virtual whirlpool bath for my little painted turtle. He/she spends most of the time chilling in its own luxury spa. The little bugger looks as happy as a pampered movie star. I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of the ReptoFilter in larger tanks-- but I am confident that the "up to 20 gallon" rating is more than accurate. My Tetra ReptoFilter has been running non-stop for 3 weeks now. The water flow has not diminished and I see no reason to replace the filter at this time. When that time comes, the entire affair is very simple and very amiable to inexpensive improvisation. I am seldom this completely satisfied with so inexpensive and effective af iltration system If you have aquatic reptiles, or even a modest aquarium, you cannot go wrong with this wonderfully effective tank filter.

We have a fiddler crab setup in a 10 gallon tank. Roughly half the tank is covered by water about three inches deep, the other half is a sand beach. We have been through two ReptoFilters in six months. The first filter had a hard time taking in water, despite the fact we keep the water level at or above the height of the water intake vents. If the filter was unplugged during tank cleaning, after it was plugged in again it would not draw water until we poured at least a gallon of additional water directly into the filter compartment. The amount of water required to make the filter run would cause our crab's beach area to erode. Eventually the motor stopped working, so I discarded it and ordered a new filter. Our second filter was delivered on December 22nd. It stopped working altogether on January 7th. It won't take in water, and the motor isn't running. There is an adequate amount of water in the aquarium, and no discernable reason for the filter to stop working after two weeks. Our fiddler has just finished a molt, and he's stressed out with us messing around with his habitat, trying to get his filter to do its job. Perhaps this terrarium filter is not meant for shallow water habitats, but no matter. It's garbage, and I won't buy another. ***Update*** After reading other negative reviews of this filter, I followed the manufacturer's advice to carefully disassemble the unit and rinse debris from around the impeller. I disassembled and cleaned the unit. This was not a difficult task. After reassembly, I plugged the filter into the wall, and lo and behold, it immediately drew in water and began filtering. There was only a very small amount of sand inside the impeller area, but clearing it made all the difference. I'm going to try reducing the water level in the tank to see how the unit will perform. Our fiddler does not like a high water level, and my evaluation of a product depends in part on whether it helps me keep my animals happy and healthy. Time will tell how well this filter will continue to run, but at least now I know how to maintain the unit. Upgrading to four stars, because the manufacturer should provide clear and obvious maintenance and cleaning instructions in the user's manual.

I have strong confidence in the brand "Tetra". I've used it for several years with my fish. So I was a little surprised to see the warning Amazon has about it being a frequently returned item and some of the negative experiences people have had with it. I was a little skeptical, but for $13 I figured I'd take a chance on the medium (90 gph). I've never been disappointed by this brand. This turned out to be a very good choice. This little filter is perfect for the job and works surprisingly well given it's size. It was originally purchased for a much smaller 5 gallon tank. Out of necessity I had to use this in a 29 gallon fish tank (filled 1/3 of the way) for a turtle. I went away for about 3 months and came back to crystal clear water. Of course the tank still needed some cleaning, but the water was clean. I had low expectations for a filter of this size for a tank that big. I will be/have purchased the larger model (125 gph) for the bigger tank.

Great item. As listed. Thanks

The one that was delivered in December stopped working in February. I can usually get over a year out of each filter. I hope the company reaches out to me. I have been buying from them since 2020.

The filter works as advertised. I got it as a second filter for my Tetrafauna deluxe aquarium. You need to primer the filter before plug in, a filter priming is only to soak up in water before using the pump. Great water flow, size is as expected, sticks well, is lightweight, and seems to be durable. In my set up I have the rock filter from tetra plus this filter. I love it.