What Type Of Fish Tank Filter Do You Need?
You need the right combination of biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration to keep your aquarium clean and healthy, and most of the filter set-ups you can buy combine more than one type of filtration. Here are the most common ones:
A “corner filter” is a box placed inside the tank and filled with filter floss or cartridges. A pump forces water through, mechanically filtering out solid wastes, and bacteria can set up housekeeping in the medium to provide some biological filtration too.
A “canister filter” is a more powerful version of the corner filter. It can be placed inside, or hang outside or underneath the aquarium, and can handle really messy fish, but you do have to clean it very frequently. Like corner filters, you can get a good colony of bacteria to settle in this type too.
A “fluidized bed filter” pumps water through a mechanical and chemical filter, then through a tube full of sand which gives bacteria lots of places to grow. It works best with very oxygen-rich water.
A “power filter” hangs off the back of the aquarium, providing easy access for cleaning and changing the filter medium. It pulls water out of the tank to be pumped through chambers for mechanical and chemical filtration, and many are set up to provide ample space for bacterial colonies to set up biological filtration too.
A “sponge filter” is a tube filled with a spongy medium for bacteria to colonize. The sponge filters water mechanically while the bacteria do their biological bit. Some newer types use two sponges, so you can change one at a time, always leaving one active colony in the tank.
An “undergravel filter” or “UGF” is a plastic plate that you put in underneath your gravel, which lets water or air bubbles trickle slowly up through the gravel to aid bacteria in colonizing the gravel. This doesn’t really do any mechanical filtering, and might have to be combined with another type of filter to remove solid wastes. This type also clogs frequently, and may need to be replaced after a couple of years of use.
A “wet-dry filter”, or “trickle filter” helps to increase the surface area that can be colonized by good bacteria. It is usually made up of a dry plastic tube filled with a filter medium (floss, sponge, paper, etc.), and your tank water is drawn up to trickle down over the medium. This gives bacteria a much larger air to water surface, and thus more oxygen.
All you need to do is find the best combination of filters for your particular livestock, keep the oxygen flowing to keep your bacteria alive and functioning well, and keep the filters clean, and you’ll have a lovely tank and happy fish.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
What do I need to set up a 4foot fish tank for gold fish, what type of filter, air pump what are they needed 4
tank is 2 foot/4 foot/ 2 Foot I have gravel in it and now where do I start I know that I need chemicals but what ones and I know I need a filter but what type for a 250lt tank etc.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:47 am
if its just gold fish you dont need a pump. but if u want one its just to keep the tank and water clean. you would be better off getting tropical fish. than you would need a heater and filter. etc but you need a 100 litre water pump any ways. for your tank
References :
September 27th, 2008 at 2:49 am
how small is the gravel in the tank? it its small enough for a goldfish to get in it's mouth i would swap it for something larger. goldfish will sift through the substrate looking for food and can get small gravel stuck or swallowed. they're best either on a bare-bottomed tank or a tank with large flat river stones on a bare bottom (that makes it super easy to keep clean too!, just take out the big rocks, hoover up the mess, put back, done!)
as for the filter, you need a power filter that can filter at least double the capacity of the tank. as goldies are so messy they need over-filtered tanks. (fyi 250 litres = 66 US gallons). an air bubbler will help with the tank, and position both the bubbler and the filter so there is lots of surface agitation, allowing for plenty of oxygen exchange. what type you get depends on preferance and how your tank is designed, if it has a fixed lid, for example, a hang on the back (or HOB) filter may not be possible and an internal power filter would be best. many people swear by HOB filters.
as for chemicals, all you really need is dechlorinator and a test kit, buy a liquid test kit and NOT the strips. the liquid is far more reliable. i recommend the API master test kit.
remember to put your tank through the nitrogen cycle before you add the goldfish. see the guide below for the nitrogen cycle.
References :
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/The_Nitrogen_Cycle