Fish Tank Filters

When choosing a filter for your home aquarium, there are many things that you need to keep in mind. A large percentage of fish owners choose the wrong type of filter for their tank, which can sometimes result in bad water quality. Knowing which type of filter is best for your tank is a very important part of pet care, since it will allow you to maintain good water quality in your fish’s tank. In addition to this, choosing the right type of filter for your home aquarium will help prevent additional costs of filters that may not be as effective at purifying your tank’s water. Here is some general advice that will allow you to make the best choice about a water filter for your tank.

TANK SIZE

Different types of filters are designed to handle filtration of specific amounts of water. For example, if you purchase a filter that is designed to filter 10 gallons, but put it in a 20 gallon tank, your filter will have to work much harder in order to keep the water clean. This can result in internal damage to the filter’s components, which can sometimes require the purchase of an entire new filter. It’s best to first keep in mind the total water capacity of your tank, and then use this as a guideline when purchasing a new filter. Most filters will have a specific gallon range printed on the outside of their packaging, which you can use as a guide for your tank’s filtration needs.

NUMBER AND TYPE OF FISH

Some fish are well known for expelling a significant amount of waste, which should be taken into consideration when purchasing a filter. If you are keeping fish such as cichilids or goldfish, you will have to factor in the additional waste these types of fish produce. In this case, it’s nearly always best to opt for a more powerful filter, in order to provide your fish with the best possible pet fish care. In addition to this, you also have to consider the number of fish that you will be keeping in your tank. If you plan to keep twenty or more fish, you need to factor in the total waste production that may require you to purchase a more powerful fish tank filter.

FILTER FLOW RATE

Many commercial filtration systems will have a ‘flow rate’ which is the measure of how much water a filtration mechanism will be able to process per hour. As a general rule, you need to purchase a filter that will completely clean all of the water in your fish tank at least four times per hour. This is an approximate value, though it is always better to purchase a more powerful filter for your tank. For example, if you have a 20 gallon tank, you will want to purchase a water filter that is designed to handle 80 to 100 gallons of water per hour. If you have a 50 gallon tank, you will need a filter mechanism that can run through 200+ gallons per hour.