Filters play a vital roll in your storage tank's health and wellness.
In this short article, I'll show you how to pick a filter for a 55 gallon aquarium, and evaluate the 6 best choices available as well as reveal the leading pick.
There's often complication amongst brand-new aquarists about exactly what an aquarium filter does.
Lots of assume that a filter simply keeps the water moving so it does not get stationary.
That's technically true, but the main function of a fish tank filter is a bit extra challenging than that.
It's type of gross, yet real, fish and other livestock in your fish tank frequently put off wastes (pee and also feces) into the water.
This waste sinks to the bottom of the tank and begins to rot. As the waste breaks down, it delays lethal ammonia (NH3).
Left to itself, a fish tank with fish in it will certainly become uninhabitable as fish waste builds up as well as produces a lot more ammonia. The ammonia will increase up until the water is so toxic that all the fish die.
The good news is, there is a natural process, known as the nitrogen cycle, that breaks down the ammonia in aquarium water.
Staying in your filters are colonies composed of numerous valuable bacteria (also called nitrifying microorganisms) that detoxify ammonia, making your aquarium water secure.
Pro Tip: It takes some time to get your filter to accumulate the advantageous germs you need to process wastes as well as make your storage tank safe for fish. For an extra comprehensive discussion of the nitrogen cycle, please take a look at this post.
Biomedia
There isn't enough area inside a filter box to house every one of the helpful microorganisms you require for your fish tank.
So aquarists include unique materials, known as biomedia, to their fish tanks to ensure that there is a lot of room for bacteria to expand on.
Biomedia is usually made from some sort of permeable material, like unglazed ceramic or sintered glass, that has lots of little spaces and crannies that are best houses for useful bacteria, kind of like apartment for tiny animals.
It takes numerous nitrifying germs to process even a small amount of fish waste so it's vital to have as much biomedia as feasible in your filter. That guarantees you have lots of room for all of the advantageous bacteria your container requires.
Pro Tip: For more info about various sort of filter media, please check out this write-up.
A lot of filter companies will attempt to market you on the suggestion that filter cartridges are terrific, that they make filter maintenance simpler as well as offer you everything you need to keep your tank healthy.
I think they're a massive waste and right here's why.
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A filter cartridge is simply a plastic structure that holds some activated carbon, sandwiched between some pieces of non-woven plastic pad.
That's it, there's no wonderful elves in there that scrub your tank clean.
The carbon is just good for a few weeks, after that you have to throw the whole thing out and also include a new cartridge. And also those points are NOT economical.
Some state that carbon is the best point given that sliced bread, others assume it's a huge waste because it does not remove ammonia, nitrite or nitrates.
I'm on the side that it's a waste. I have actually run many successful containers without any carbon in the filter for years !!
I only add it when I require to strain meds after needing to deal with a container for some type of illness. As I'm resting below, I essentially can not also remember the last time I even acquired carbon.
And also, when you throw away the cartridge, you're additionally throwing away any advantageous germs that have actually expanded on the surface.
So you're discarding the germs you do need so you can replace the carbon you do not AND it costs a tiny ton of money.
Nope, no thank you, not gon na do it.
I am a much larger fan of using some kind of reusable sponge or other material for mechanical filtration and afterwards using all the various other offered space for biomedia.
GPH
GPH means gallons per hour. It's a procedure of how much water the filter pump can relocate an hour.
It's suggested that you get a filter with a GPH that is at the very least 4 times your tank quantity. For example, for a 55 gallon storage tank, you desire a GPH of at the very least 220.
Yet, more is always much better. Do not be afraid to have a GPH that's 8 or 10 times your container quantity.
1. Seachem Tidal 55
Key Features:
250 GPH
Interior motor
Self-priming
Surface skimmer
Flexible consumption flow
Heater holder
Filter media basket
Bottom up circulation style
The Seachem Tidal actually is among the most effective hang-on-the-back filters offered.
It has a 250 GPH inner electric motor, indicating that the motor stays inside the fish tank. The primary advantage of this is that you never ever need to prime the filter (fill the back of the filter with water).
This is a huge advantage since you do not have to stress over this filter launching by itself after a power outage. Since the electric motor is currently in the water, it will simply start suctioning as quickly as the motor kicks on.
It also includes a heater holder that will certainly allow you break your heating system right onto the side of the filter. This places the heating unit in the greatest circulation location of the container, permitting also circulation of heat throughout the container.
You can likewise readjust the flow on the output, lessening the existing in the storage tank.
The thing I like one of the most around this filter is that it does not utilize cartridges. Rather, it has a large media basket that you can load with whatever type of media you such as.
The basket currently has a recyclable sponge for mechanical purification so you can stuff the remainder of the room with biomedia or perhaps a web bag with carbon if you desired.
The Tidal additionally features a bottom up flow style. So water is pushed via all-time low of the media basket and compelled to stream through the media above prior to it can escape out of the front.
This is very important since various other designs can fail to push water through media, letting it simply move around it, making it much less efficient.
I do not actually believe the surface skimmer is necessary, it's more of a trick. Also, it can trap points you don't want, like food you just added.
Also, there's no other way to cover the surface area skimmer to keep fry or shrimp from obtaining sucked in as well as killed. So this filter is definitely not a great selection for fry or shrimp containers.
Pros:
Self-priming
Huge biomedia capability
Disadvantages:
2. AquaClear 70
Key Features:
300 GPH
External motor
Adjustable flow
Big biomedia ability
I have to admit my bias towards this filter, I have this exact one on my 55 gallon cichlid container.
There are some things that I enjoy concerning this filter, and after that other things I'm not crazy about.
First off, it's obtained great circulation. I've constantly been thrilled regarding just how well this maintains all the water in the container relocating.
If you want a little less, you can quickly adjust the flow down, it takes only seconds.
As well as it has a substantial biomedia ability, which I like.
It likewise features a huge recyclable sponge that is terrific for mechanical filtering.
You can conveniently add on a sponge pre-filter if you intend to maintain shrimp or fry in the storage tank.
My one gripe with it is the outside electric motor. This filter has to be topped or it will certainly not begin. As well as sometimes, like after a brief power failing, it won't start on its own even if the back is full of water.
Up until now (knock on wood) I've constantly had the ability to get it to draw back up by removing the motor as well as by hand transforming the impeller a few times, yet it can be rather aggravating.
Pros:
Huge biomedia capacity
Reusable sponge
Can be made shrimp/fry safe
Disadvantages:
Exterior electric motor can be touchy starting up after power loss
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3. Fluval C4
Secret Features:
264 GPH
External motor
5 phases of purification
The Fluval C4 is a relatively innovative filter that forces water through a number of chambers consisting of various media.
It has numerous phases of mechanical media, an area for activated carbon as well as a chamber that holds ceramic biomedia.
My only complaint with this filter is that they didn't devote much space to biological purification. But, you might put added biomedia in the area indicated for carbon.
This does have an outside electric motor that you will require to prime.
Pros:
Multi-stage purification
Disadvantages:
Little biomedia capacity
Not self-priming
4. SunSun Hw303B Canister Filter
Key Features:
370 GPH
Container style filter
Big media baskets
UV sterilizer
This canister style filter actually is the following level of filtering. It has huge baskets that can deal with up to an extra pound of ceramic biomedia each. It additionally includes multiple-use pads for rugged, medium and also fine mechanical filtering.
You can run carbon if you want or commit even more room to biomedia.
It additionally includes a constructed in UV sterilizer that is indicated to eliminate microorganisms, infections as well as algae spores in the water column.
One gripe is that cylinder filters can leak if their primary gasket isn't seated appropriately or breaks (this holds true of all canisters, not simply this set). Make sure to meticulously follow the manufacturer's directions for setup and maintenance to prevent leaks.
Likewise, maintenance on a container filter is much more of a work than a hang-on-the-back. However, if you've got a greatly equipped tank, nothing can beat the biomedia capacity of a cylinder.
Pros:
Massive biomedia ability
Multilevel mechanical filtration
Built in UV sterilizer
Disadvantages:
5. Fluval 407 Canister Filter
Key Features:
383 GPH
Vertical mechanical media
Three tier media chamber
The Fluval 407 is honestly the coolest cylinder filter I've ever seen.
It features a big insert that holds coarse and moderate mechanical media, but as opposed to it stocking a straight tray, it's in an upright position. This ensures that all water relocating with the filter needs to go via the multiple-use sponges.
It then has three trays for various other media: great mechanical, biomedia as well as carbon. Once more, I 'd avoid the carbon and tons that tray with even more biomedia.
The only point that I can gripe around is that at $199.99, this filter is quite costly. But, it has awesome features and I'm a huge believer in the integrity of Fluval products.
It additionally draws extremely little power, only about as much as it requires to run a home LED bulb.
Pros:
Big biomedia capacity
Energy efficient
Cons:
Pricey
6. Marineland Magnum Internal Canister Filter
Key Features:
290 GPH
Interior filter that operates inside the fish tank
Huge filter media area
This marineland filter is a bit different than all rest because it is an interior filter, which means the whole thing rests inside the fish tank itself.
Inside the body of the filter are layers of mechanical filtration that can be cleansed and reused. At the actual center is a chamber where you can place biomedia and/or loose activated carbon.
Given that the motor will certainly always be underwater, there's no requirement to prime it. This filter is likewise very peaceful due to the fact that the water will certainly stifle any noise.
The only genuine drawback is that it is a bit of an eyesore in the storage tank. However, you can easily hide it behind plants and style so it's not very noticeable.
Pros:
Really peaceful
Self-priming
Cons:
Can be an eye sore since the canister is inside the aquarium
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