What type of filter is best aquarium

However, plants use both ammonia and nitrates to make more leaves, which in turn allows you to go longer between water changes.

In addition, live plants provide shelter for shy or small fish, produce oxygen for your fish during the daytime , and help reduce algae by using up nutrients in the water. Finally, have you ever seen a jaw-dropping aquascape with lush foliage and driftwood? Recreating a small slice of nature in my home is definitely one of the main reasons I got into the hobby.

Your aquarium will look amazing and your fish will thank you for it! Ah, the golden question every aquarist always wants to know.

Consider the needs of your aquarium — such as your stocking levels, water circulation, ease of use, and budget — and pick the solution that works for you. Good luck and happy filter shopping! Shop Menu. Why do Aquariums Need Filtration?

Beneficial bacteria grows on any surface, including the walls and gravel in your aquarium, so many filters come with biomedia or bio-rings with high surface area to provide more places for the bacteria to live. Chemical filtration uses activated carbon or special resins that can remove medications, tannins, and other impurities from the water.

Once the chemical filtration becomes saturated with impurities, the media is no longer able to absorb pollutants from the water Examples of mechanical, biological, and chemical filter media Bottom Line: mechanical filtration makes your water clearer, biological filtration makes your water safer, and chemical filtration is something best saved for removing impurities from the water.

Sponge Filter Aquarium Co-Op sponge filters This most basic of all filters requires at least three components: a sponge filter which sits inside the tank , air pump which sits outside the tank , and airline tubing to connect them.

Hang-on-Back Filter Hang-on-back filter for nano tanks Just as the name describes, a hang-on-back filter sits on the top rim of an aquarium with the filter box hanging outside the tank and the intake tube lowered into the tank. Canister Filter A canister filter is essentially filtration in a plastic cylinder or box form factor that often sits under the tank, with intake and output hoses that reach into the aquarium. Live Aquarium Plants I bet you thought this entire blog post was going to be about equipment, right?

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This is quite possibly the best decision for filtering your aquarium. All of these systems are going to do a fantastic job filtering your aquarium water through all three stages. Most external canister filter models are going to allow you to customize your filtration. There are many options for configuring your canisters filtration media to handle different mechanical, chemical, or biological filtration loads. It all just depends on the specific needs of your aquarium.

Aside from the ability to fine-tune your filtration, external canisters simply do a better job of filtering the water in all three stages over any of the above-mentioned types of aquarium filter systems. It will run quietly, and you will have continuously crystal clear water and consistent water parameters. Trickle box filter ad.

This filter trickles the water down through bio-media usually bio balls for the best aeration and biological filtration. It is powered by a water pump. The pump draws the water from the tank to the filter box if placed above the tank, left picture or returns the filtered water from the filter box to the tank if placed below, usually in a sump, right picture. They also provide a great place for housing macroalgae, live rock , and equipment that you want to hide from view.

However, they tend to be fairly expensive, so are not used in freshwater aquariums much. When you have settled on what type of filtration will work best for your ideal setup, the detailed pages that I just mentioned include comparisons of several brands, models, and sizes for each type of filter; All in hopes of helping you make the best choice for your unique freshwater aquarium!

Besides choosing a filter type you want, you will need to know how to choose a suitable filter for your aquarium. This depends on the size of your tank and the species of fish it houses. The thumb rule is to choose a filter that turns over four times of your aquarium water in an hour. For example, a gallon aquarium will need a filter with a flow rate of around 80 gallons per hour GPH. Having a filter that is much too powerful for the size of your aquarium is only negative in the sense that the output flow from the filter will be too strong.

This may cause stress and kill your fish, as well as destroy the beautiful aquascape that takes you a lot of time to fulfill. All aquariums are very different which means that the best aquarium filter systems for your fish tanks will unlikely be the same as the best means of filtration for my fish tanks.

Some fish love strong water flow while some like Bettas enjoy swimming slowly in a quiet environment. And your work is to provide the right environment for your aquatic pets. Getting the best quality filtration system for your aquarium can save you from a lot of future hardship.

Getting the cheapest filters can cost you more money in the long run. More frequent media changes, more frequent water changes , malfunctioning equipment, you upgrade down the road anyway…. The slim design of this filter is great for those who are looking to create a minimalist nano tank look.

It takes up about half as much space in comparison to other filters with the same flow rating, giving your home aquarium a sleek, sophisticated look. The most unique feature of this filter is that the motor is submerged in the water, minimizing loud motor noise and makes the filter self-priming. This comes in handy when doing weekly maintenance or in case of a power outage. Bio-Carb and Bio-Clear ad.

This highly porous media is specifically designed to optimize your biological bacteria growth to ensure your aquarium stays healthy. It also comes equipped with a pre-filter sponge, which fits the intake tube, to prevent sucking up any small fry or shrimp into the filter.

The Aquaclear 20 power filter is a great option for those who are looking for a hang-on filter with a large filtration capacity and a high flow rate. With its multi-stage filtration, powerful motor, and quiet waterfall design, the Aquaclear 20 power filter has been top-rated for the past 50 years.

Its powerful motor is designed to move 7 times the amount of water than other filters of the same size. It also has an adjustable flow valve, allowing you to adjust the flow for your aquarium needs. Multi-stage filtration ad.

This filter is designed to increase the filtration contact time with its three filter cartridges; one Foam Pad mechanical , one Activated Carbon chemical , and one Biomax biological. It also comes equipped with a filter basket that prevents the water from bypassing the filters, allowing for maximized filtration. Aquaclear has developed an entire filter media product line including Zeo-Carb and Ammonia Remover, allowing for an easy swap of chemical filtration to directly affect the needs of your aquarium.

In terms of convenience and simplicity, the Tetra Whisper Power Filter is high on the list. With its Bio-Bag filter cartridges, it makes filter replacing as simple as tossing the old one and replacing it with the new. As the name indicates, this filter is designed with an easy to clean motor that pushes the water through the filters, then gently waterfalls back into the aquarium.

It also has a convenient adjustable flow valve, giving you the option to reduce the flow during feeding time. The Bio-Bag filter cartridge is made up of a double-sided mesh mechanical filter and filled with ultra-activated carbon, making it a suitable filter for freshwater aquariums.

You can purchase these filter cartridges either pre-assembled or unassembled at half the cost. Partnered with the Bio-Bag is BioFoam, a three-dimensional foam pad that provides a large surface area for healthy bacteria growth.

The Marineland Penguin is a wonderful option when setting up larger aquariums of 50 to 75 gallons in size. With a powerful and quiet motor, it provides a flow rate of up to GPH. This filter comes equipped with two Rite-Size C cartridges, two Bio-Wheel filters, and an intake tube with an intake screen and extension intake tube.

Bio wheels ad. This biological filter increases the growth of nitrifying bacteria by spinning and exposing them to more oxygen. Resulting in healthier and more active beneficial bacteria to break down ammonia and nitrite. Rite-Size C cartridge ad. Refillable media cartridge ad. You definitely need some form of biological filtration in every aquarium — a filter is the easiest and most common option. They have multiple roles within an aquarium, but their main job is to clean the water.

As water passes through, waste, debris and toxins like ammonia are removed, leaving cleaner water to be released back into the tank. Your fish depend on this, otherwise it is easy for pollutants to quickly build up in the water. At low levels most pollutants are not harmful, but they can become toxic at higher levels.

The buildup happens because you are keeping your fish in a relatively small space with no flushing of the water. This is why smaller tanks are harder to maintain, because it is easier for toxins to accumulate. The second thing a filter does is create a current. This is even more important if you keep plants in your tank. Finally a filter is to be a place for bacteria to grow. While some types of bacteria can cause disease, they store cultures of beneficial bacteria that break down harmful toxins into safer molecules.

Their main role is to carry out the nitrogen cycle. One type of bacteria breaks ammonia down to nitrites, and another type breaks nitrites down to nitrates, which are less toxic. Though nitrates are considered safe, they become toxic in high concentrations. It is your job to keep nitrate levels low by performing water changes. You need to clean the tank too. Understanding the pros and cons of each filter type internal, canister, HOB and sponge is very helpful when making the decision.

Canister filters are kept externally, so they are easier to access when cleaning. HOB filters make a good alternative. They are external too, but they are less bulky so can fit in a wider range of setups.

Their waterfall-like flow of water helps to oxygenate the water , but the crashing of water can get noisy. Some models will have an option to regulate the flow of water, which should solve this.

The benefit of having an internal filter is the space you save on the outside. They can be moved in and out of the tank easily, if positioned in an accessible area. Once out, they are easy to take apart and clean too. If your tank is a bit cramped, you might notice that an internal filter takes up valuable space. A sponge filter is often chosen because it provides a gentler filtration, which could be useful to protect fry. There are lots of ways to power a sponge filter: air pumps, powerheads, and canisters are all options.

This gives you plenty of control over your filtration setup. The main drawback is having to clean the sponge. It is easy to do just rinse it in extracted aquarium water however, it needs to be done regularly.

Larger tanks need a more powerful system to process all the water. Powerful filters tend to be larger, which make external filters the best option. The size of your room will influence the choice too. Small rooms might be best suited to internal filters because these sit inside the tank. Size is not the only thing that influences your choice, think about the purpose of your aquarium.

Another thing to consider is the fish in your tank. Some plants and animals prefer a strong current because that is what they would be used to in their natural habitat.

You might want a filter with a stronger outflow of water to suit the needs of your inhabitants. Tanks containing a greater biomass are harder for filters to deal with because more waste is produced.

A filter that processes more gallons per hour will be more successful at dealing with the extra waste. All filters need to be cleaned regularly to keep everything running efficiently. When picking a filter, find one that is easy to take apart so that cleaning is as easy as possible. Available in five different sizes, this powerful filtration system is one of the industry-leading filters for freshwater and marine tanks.

With so many different aquarium filters, finding the perfect best aquarium filter can be difficult. Luckily you have plenty of time to choose because it is a decision you make before setting up the tank. At this point, you will also be thinking about what other equipment you will need, like a heater. Once you have decided what you are keeping in the aquarium and what tank size you will have, the range of filters gets narrowed down.