A water filer is necessary in a fish tank to continuously capture dirt and keep the water clean so that fish get a habitable and healthy environment.While fish are in natural environment because of the flowing nature of water or big lakes the issue of dirt or wastage materials does not occur. But in a fish tank since there is limited space, it is necessary to keep the water clean and healthy.
Some fish species produce too must solid waste that can alter water chemistry and since the water in the fish tank does not flow, it is necessary to keep is revolving using a water filer.
Some water filers have a supply of forced air from the outside air pump so that they can rotate water and capture solid particles that come through it. Filters have nylon or ethylene wool inside them to capture solid particles. Do not use a filter with cotton wool because this rots in a few days becoming incapable of filtering water.
Where Should I place the water filter in the tank?
The water filter can be placed where water flow is maximum. You can place it at the corner of the fish tank at the top using a weight so that water passes through it and gets filtered.
However not all filters are designed to be submersible in water 100%. Some filters hang on the wall of the fish tank with a portion dipping in the water.
Is it necessary to keep the filter running all day?
Yes, it is necessary that you keep the filter running all day long and even during night hours. The filtration system does two things in your fish tank.
1) It captures solid particles and waste keeping water chemistry balanced and water clean.
2) It stimulates water flow so that at the surface good amount of oxygen can be exchanged into the fish tank water.
The hang on top types of filters are very popular and efficient. These are popular because they are easy to maintain. In these types of filters a small tube that is dipped into the fish tank water sucks the water into a box that cleans the water and releases again to the fish tank. The box hangs on the fish tank wall on the outside which makes it easy to clean. While buying a filter you’ll notice two important characteristics displayed on the box. The first is for how much quantity of water the filter has been designed for and secondly the GPH (gallons per hour) value of the filter.
Which are the popular fish tank water filter brands in the market?
Many models are available for different sizes of fish tanks from the following manufacturers
- Aqueon
- API
- MarineLand
- Coralife
- Tetra
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How much do fish tank filters cost?
If you check amazon.com you’ll find different types of filers with various gallons of tanks starting from under $25 to more than $200.
A good quality and affordable power hang on the wall tank filter will cost you around $20 to $30.