Exo Terra Cascade High Performance Pump & Filter

Water sections in paludariums and turtle enclosures foul quickly – turtles in particular are messy feeders. Running a pump for the waterfall and a separate filter for water quality means two units, two cords and two things to maintain. The Cascade combines both jobs in one submersible housing.

• Three-stage filtration – mechanical, chemical and biological filtration, each in its own replaceable cartridge, rather than one basket doing all three jobs at once.
• Drives a waterfall or stream up to 180 cm high – sized for tall paludariums and background water features, not just a shallow dish.
• Low-voltage submersible design – built for safety sitting permanently underwater.
• Fully submersible – sits in the water section rather than mounting externally, so there's no separate plumbing to run.
• Cartridges lift out for cleaning – rinse and replace media without dismantling the whole unit.

Exo Terra does not publish a wattage or litres-per-hour flow figure for the Cascade HP180 on its spec sheet, manual or Australian distributor listings. We won't invent one – if you need an exact power draw for a build, check the rating label on the unit itself or get in touch and we'll follow it up with the distributor.

• Cascade HP180 submersible pump and filter unit
• Mechanical filter cartridge
• Chemical filter cartridge
• Biological filter cartridge

You'll still need: tubing or a waterfall spout if you're building a custom water feature, and a water conditioner such as Exo Terra Aquatize to treat tap water before the pump runs in it.

Suited to paludarium and vivarium water sections, turtle and terrapin water areas, and terrarium water features and waterfalls. Not a substitute for a dedicated aquarium canister filter on a large, heavily stocked fish tank – it's sized and priced for terrarium and paludarium water volumes.

Submerge fully before switching on – never run it dry. Treat tap water with a conditioner such as Exo Terra Aquatize before adding it to the water section. Always unplug the unit before adding or removing cartridges, and before any other maintenance.

Rinse the mechanical cartridge in removed tank water, not tap water, to avoid killing off the biological filtration you've built up. Chemical and mechanical media are replaceable; check media condition regularly in a heavily stocked or heavily fed water section, where it will clog faster than in a lightly stocked one.

Low-voltage submersible pump – always unplug before servicing or adding/removing cartridges. Not designed for use outside the water section it sits in.

• Exo Terra Aquatize – water conditioner to treat the water this pump runs in
• A turtle basking platform – pairs with a filtered water section in turtle setups
• Background or waterfall spout fittings for a custom water feature

Covered by the manufacturer's warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, in addition to your rights under Australian Consumer Law. Ships standard.

Can this run a waterfall and filter the water at the same time?

Yes – that's the point of the design. It pumps water up to the top of your feature while the three filter cartridges clean the water it's drawing from.

Is it safe for turtles?

It's designed for terrarium and paludarium water sections, including turtle setups, provided it's fully submerged and the intake is guarded from curious turtles nosing at it.

What's the flow rate?

Exo Terra doesn't publish a litres-per-hour figure for this model – only the maximum lift height of 180 cm. If flow rate at a specific head height matters for your build, check the unit's rating label or get in touch and we'll chase it up with the distributor.

Do I need to treat the water before running the pump?

Yes – treat tap water with a conditioner such as Exo Terra Aquatize before the pump runs in it, the same as you would for an aquarium.