Last update on / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API 2. Surface skimmer and intake can suck in invertebrates/fry.The intake and the surface skimmer are not designed to be covered with a sponge pre-filter so tiny inhabitants could be sucked in and killed. The biggest downside to this filter is that it is not suitable if you have fry or freshwater shrimp. I don’t think it’s necessary and it can suck in things you don’t want it to, like flake food that you’ve just added to the tank. It also has a surface skimmer meant to suck in any kind of detritus from just below the surface.įrankly, I’m not too crazy about this feature. It has a large compartment that can be packed full of the biomedia of your choice, something I’m a big fan of. You can also adjust the flow rate if needed. The impeller is self-cleaning, which should help cut down on maintenance. You can just plug it in and it should be good to go. This means you don’t have to prime the filter (fill it with water) so it’s much easier to get it started after the power goes out or after a water change. The filter’s pump is on the front of the filter so it’s in the aquarium water itself. The Seachem Tidal filter offers some really great features. Best 10 Gallon Aquarium Filters Reviewed 1. The majority of species benefit from stronger flow in the tank because it keeps water moving over the biomedia and prevents stagnant areas in your aquarium. I would urge you to go much higher than this, if at all possible. So, for example, you’d want at least a filter with 40 GPH for a 10 gallon tank. It’s generally recommended that your filter have a GPH that is at least 4 times the capacity of your tank. This lets you know how many gallons of water the filter’s pump can move in an hour. Flow Rateįlow rate for aquarium filters is measured in gallons per hour (GPH). I recommend avoiding cartridges if at all possible. On top of all this, cartridges are expensive. So you’re throwing away what you really need just to swap out the carbon that you really don’t! That means you’re also tossing out any beneficial bacteria that has grown on the outside of the cartridge. In order to add new carbon, you have to throw away the entire thing. If you’re using cartridges, the carbon is only good for about 3-4 weeks and then it needs to be replaced. I’ve run successful aquariums for years without ever adding carbon to my filters.įor me, carbon is just an expensive add on that doesn’t do that much. I’m on the side that says you only need carbon if you need to filter out medications after you’ve treated sick fish. Some people absolutely swear by it, and some say you don’t need it except in rare instances. There is a huge debate about whether or not you even need to run carbon in your aquarium filters. The coarse material catches particles in the water, and the carbon filters out things like tannins, chlorine and dissolved organic compounds. Lots of companies will try to sell you on how awesome and convenient filter cartridges are, but I really do not like them.Īll a filter cartridge really is is some activated carbon sandwiched between thin pieces of coarse material (similar to kitchen scrubbies). So maximizing the surface area they have to grow on is key. All those bacteria need a place to set up shop so they can do their job. It takes millions of beneficial bacteria to process even a small amount of fish waste. The more biomedia you have, the better off your tank will be long term. I want to be able to pack as much biomedia into a filter as possible. Biomedia Capacityįor me, the single biggest thing to look for in a filter is biomedia capacity. Let’s discuss what you need to look for when choosing your filter. Last update on / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API What to Look for in an Aquarium Filter
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |