jarn

Ive been reading and im lost in the filter world.....!!!
what type of filter is recommended for a 46 gallon tank or maybe 36, i havent bought it yet.... im hearing about canister filters charcoal no charcoal, Penguin,biowheel ?
im lost i need a good lesson in filter's

what is Filter Media? by the way LOL
and how should you clean your filter and maintain it...

i dont know how ive managed to keep my 15 gl going at all after reading this site, those petsmart employees are anything but...
i wanna get serious about this fish stuff so im here to learn from the masters it seems

Thanks ahead of time

pepetj

Welcome jarn.

We are all learning here, sharing our know-how, experience, and most importantly our doubts.

What type of fish are you aiming at?

That is what you need to address first, before purchasing a tank, filter, anything.

Say you want:
a) Angelfish pairOR
b) Rainbowfish school OR
c) Oscar, by itself

just to give you an example:
If Angelfish pair, you need to aim at a taller than longer-wider tank (e.g. 29gal tall) and low-flow filter -e.g. a sponge filter would be ideal if they breed;

if Rainbowfish a longer-wider than taller tank (e.g. 40gal for smaller ones, up to 100gal for the big ones) and high-flow filtration is better (e.g. several powerheads to aim at no-dead spots;

if one Oscar you need as huge tank as possible, a 55gal 48"Long x 24"Wide footprint as ideal minimum -although 48"Long x18"Wide would still make it (a 6footer, 100gal for one pair); however your filtration should be as good as it can get (e.g. flow of 10 times the volume of your tank if using Hang On Back filters or 6 times if canister filter)

As for activated charcoal... well, if we go into that... it's your choice. Read around and make up your mind. I use it in most of my tanks, but most aquariums stay healthy without it.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

jarn

Im not to sure what type of fish im going to stock yet , maybe some electric yellows or whos knows yet..
im going for a bow tank 36 to 46 most likely

im asking for more of a general filter explanation here though. what types are for what,brands pro's cons... ill figure out for my setup when i know what it is

Ghostfish

I like canister filters. They are usually much more quiet than biowheels. Biowheels are easier to maintain, but I still prefer the quiet canisters. I highly recommend Rena filters. I find them to be the highest in quality and reliability. You can get a Fluval for a bit cheaper and they are pretty good too, but the Renas are my favorite.

Red1313

Just for the other side....
HOB (Hang On Back) filters do the job. Aqua-clear is a good brand and is almost silent. It's a matter of price and preference. The Canister's are expensive but do the best job. HOB's are cheaper and do a good job. Both offer you the ability to play around with the type of media (stuff that actually does the filtering) both have limitations.

Pamphilos

Hi jarn welcome to fishlore!

As for your question on filter media, there are basically three kinds: Mechanical, Chemical and Biological.

Biological is most important because this facilitates the nitrogen cycle.

Mechanical removes medium to large particles such as fish poo and left over food.

Chemical removes undesirable substances that are dissolved in the water.

For a comprehensive but easy to understand list of such, check out this link.

Good luck!

BTW, which kinds of media you will use mainly depends on the type of filter you have. Personally I'm a fan of HOB(acK)/HOT(op) filters, which are most effective for small to medium sized tanks.

jdhef

I have a 36 gallon bow front and use a Fluval 205 cannister filter. I love that filter. It is easy to maintain and works great.

jarn

got any pics of your tank..and how much roughly for the tank
and how much for the filter..thanks

jarn

So i take it canisters are the most quiet??
that is key for me because i sleep in the same room the tank is in...

Minnow

I have a 30g bow-front tank in my room, and it's got an HOB filter. It makes a sort of gurgly, tinkly noise as the water goes back into the tank. I find it very relaxing, but I guess that's a personal preference

soldieroffortune1974

I use cannister filters without carbon filtration,except in my quarantine.In the quarantine I use a HOB pwer filter with carbon (for removing meds).

Cannister filters operate quietly,and "behind the scenes" located under the stand,out of sight. The nitrifying bacteria lives predominantly in the filter media,and thrive in dark conditions. The HOB filters are exposed to larger amounts of light and atmosphere,and the bacteria doesn't thrive as well.

The basic function of a filter is to filter waste,create water flow for gas exchange, and give the bacteria a place to populate.

High flow,low flow are dependant on what type of fish you are going to have.Some fish prefer fast currents,others prefer almost no current. The bigger the aquarium,the hugher flow you need.Smaller aquariums require less (once again dependant on what fish)

Placement of filter is good to determine the type of filter.

The type of fish will determine the type of filter as well. Oscars,goldfish,etc are messy fish,with a high bioload,so a bigger filter will be necessary. Tetras,angels,etc have a lower bio-load and don't need as large a filter.

The different filter media produce different results. Carbon filters reduce different chemicals in the water,as well as some wastes.Filter media can 'polish' the water giving it a look of clarity.

Some type of filter is necessary,but where you want to put it,what your goal of the filter is,what type of fish,size of aquarium,noise level,etc will all help determine what type of filter you need.