| Types of Filteration |
| When chosing a filter system consider the size of the tank along with the inhabitants it will house, and the amount of waste they produce. Also consider the price of replacement media. Sometimes it is neccassary to use more than one type of filter or a bigger filter of the same type. If changing the water every other day is neccessary then conssider another type, 2 types, or a bigger filter. Lets take some time to talk about GPH(gallon per hour). GPH basicly reffers to water turn over or how many times the water passe though the filter. Oscars and other large fish produce a lot of waste. When eating, lage amounts of food pass out through the gill plate area creating ther own chum. Not to mention the large amounts of poop. This being said, a high turn over rate is prefeered elemanitaing the need for a lot of water changes. To determine how many times per hour your water passes through the filter divide the GHP by the number of auctual gallons of water in the tank. examble. my 55 gallon tank acutacly holds 46 gallons of water. gravel takes up space. so a 33o GPH filter would hav a turn over of 7.2 meaning that every gallon of water in the tank would pass through the filter 7.2 times. Ive recently added a second filter to my Penguin 330 to remove debris left over from eating. I made the second filter using a power head with a mesh basket around the intake. The second filter is just a mechanical filter to lighten the load on the main filter. Adding the extra filter will be cheaper than replacing the cartridges every other week ( 2X$3.99 for cartridge). |
| Internal Filters |
| These small inexpensive foam fliters are great for small aquariums with very small fish. Air is pushed through the foam creating a suction that draws debris onto the foam. Biological filtration is acheived by bacteria growing on the foam. However there isnt much if any in the way of chemical filtration |
| Undergravel Fliters |
| Designed to filter water by drawing it through the gravel. These filters allow benifical bacteria to grow in the gravel. Under gravel filters are powered either by an air pump or a power head. Although they provide excelent biological filtration, mechinal and chemical filtration needs to be suplimented from another type of filter. |
| Power Filters |
| Are the most common. Power filters hang off the back or side of the aquarium, provide bilogical, chemical, and mechanical filtration, and are good for small to mid size tanks. . Power filters have become much more effecient biological filters with the addition of biological grids, pads, and bio-wheels. Excellent for small(2gal.) to midsized (55-70 gal) depending on load. |
| Canister Filters |
| Canister filters provide superior mechinacal and chemical filtration for aquariums with large amount of debris. They are ideal for Cichilds, marine, and planted aquariums. Usually placed behind or underneath the aquarium. Although more expensive, they are the most customizeble filter system making them the most versitile by being able to change the filter media inside it. Also, you can add auxiliary equipment onto it such as bio-wheels, UV sterilizers and water chillers. |
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