Power Fish Tank Filters

This is a follow up from a previous post titled “Power Fish Tank Filters Defined“.

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When first starting out on their first fish tank, most beginners focus on ease, reliability and convenience especially in the realm of maintaining the aquatic life in their aquarium. And all this while keeping their budget to the barest minimum. Taking all this into account, this article will focus on the one of the fish tank filters that has stood the test of time as the fish enthusiasts’ Ole Faithful, no other than Power Fish Tank Filters.

First off, let me just point out that no matter how great is the filtration system that you’ve set up and how much money you’ve spent on it, nothing will maintain the aquarium in an ideal living condition more than regular water changes. There really are no quick fixes when in comes to creating a healthy environment for fish.

When it comes to Power Fish Tank Filters, there are three brands that are the most well known and have earned the reputation as being the longest lasting in the market today. They are the Tetra Whisper, Marineland Emperor and Penguin, and Hagen Aquaclear. These models have been in the market for quite some time now and are known to be easy to use and easy to maintain. If you are justing starting out with Power Fish Tank Filters, I recommend you consider any of these three. Let’s look at each in more detail.

Tetra’s Whisper Power Fish Tank Filters

The Tetra Whisper Power Fish Tank Filters are designed with only one impeller, drawing in water from the aquarium into its filter, flowing through its filter media before flowing back into the aquarium. The filter media cartridge is easy to use and easy to replace. It utilizes activated carbon for chemical filtration and floss for mechanical filtration, while a bio-sponge additionally provides biological filtration. Having only one moving part makes the Whisper easy to repair and maintain. Just like its name explain, it is almost silent.

The only downside to it is that the filter media comes in fixed cartridges that cannot be customized, for example if you plan to also filter out ammonia or phosphate which in this case you can’t.

Marineland’s Penguin and Emperor Power Fish Tank Filters

Marineland’s Penguin and Emperor are well known for their Bio-Wheel, a unique design which allows beneficial bacteria to gain more oxygen by being exposed to the atmosphere. This makes the biological function of this filter among the best there is in the market today. These fish tank filters also uses a fixed cartridge for their filter media. The Penguin models have fixed cartridges that cannot be customized but the Emperor fish tank filters have an extra cartridge space for your to add on additional filter medias if you choose to do extra chemical filtration. They are pretty quiet except for the sound of flowing water through the Bio-Wheel which if you ask me is actually quite hypnotic.

Hagen’s Aquaclear Power Fish Tank Filters

Hagen’s Aquaclear Power Fish Tank Filters are favored by fish enthusiasts who prefer to customize the filter media on their own. You have a choice of buying the filter media ready in pre-measured packets from Hagen or you can simply add your own using a filter media bag. But this might not be such a good idea it all you want is a quick filter media change because this model does not have simple cartridges.

There you go, three of the most popular choices of power fish tank filters on sale today. Whether you’re a newbie just venturing on your first aquarium or a seasoned breeder looking for a change, these models will give you what you are looking for: reliability, efficiency and ease of use.

This will give you a good idea on how to select the right fish tank filters for your aquarium.

I have been planning on making my own aquarium for a while and quite recently have started gathering design ideas. It’s just that after taking care of fish for so long in those generic store bought aquariums, I’d really like to have something unique and maybe a little weird to breed my fish in.

Well after surfing the net for a while, weird is what I found. There are dozens of cool, strange and weird aquarium designs out there. Some are awesome, some boggles your mind and some….well, there are those that’s just plain dumb.

Here’s five of the most weird and unusual fish tanks that I have found in my search. Enjoy!

The Toilet Fish Tank

This one’s actually on sale. It’s called Fish N Flush as is the creation of AquaOne Technologies. I think this is a really cool idea for an aquarium. It’s a 2.5 gallon fish tank that comes with a dual filter system and pump. All you need is to add the fish and gravel and you’re all set. Bear in mind that this is more of a novelty than a serious fish tank so if you plan to get it, breed tougher fish like guppies, goldfish or danios in it.

The ComFish USB Fish Tank

Well, this is fish breeding for the geeks and techno-nerds. Don’t be fooled by its simple appearance. This tiny little aquarium is actually very advanced. Plugged into the computer’s USB port, it allows you to control the lighting, heater and filter. Plus it also has a little webcam that allows you to see what’s going on inside the mini tank. I wouldn’t call it humane, even though it provides all the basic necessities, it is still too small a living space for the fish to swim in. You could keep territorial loners such as Betta Fish in there, I guess.

The iPond

Here’s another techy one for the geeks….The iPond. I don’t know about you but these tiny aquariums that people keep producing is beginning to get on my nerves. It’s downright inhumane, more like a torture chamber than a fish tank. Well, that’s my two cents at least. The iPond not only stores that fish but music too just like an iPod.

Coffee Table Fish Tank

Now this is one that I like. Extremely classy as well as being spacious for the fish. It’s actually not difficult to make if you look at it. All you need is a normal aquarium, a sheet of glass for the table top and rubber stops to give a gap between the table top and the aquarium opening. But maintaining it is another issue. It’s not hard to clean, just lift off the table to, but you have to make sure it is always pristine or you might end up with a horrible, cloudy coffee table. I remember seeing a guide on making one in Instructables.

Wall Mounted Round Aquarium

This is one that I am in love with. Actually, after staring at it a lot recently, I’m planning to make one of out acrylic for my Betta. But if you’d like the easy way out, you could just go over to Amazon.com and buy one for less than $20.00.

So these are some of the most unique fish tanks out there. There are a lot more like the High Heel Aquarium and the Modular Aquarium but we’ll keep those for another day.

I Like Undergravel Fish Tank Filters

This is a follow up of a previous post titled “What Are Undergravel Fish Tank Filters?“.

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The one thing that with guarantee healthy and vibrant fish above everything else is crystal clear water in your aquarium. And only fish tank filters are able to do this for you. Fish tank filters are the most important tool in an aquarium and together with a fish tank heater, forms a perfect system that is capable of providing your fish with a similar environment from where they originated.

One filter that has stood the test of time is the undergravel fish tank filters. Though it is mostly used by beginners to fish breeding, it is able to provide water filtration that is reliable and efficient comparable to any other filter.

How Undergravel Fish Tank Filters Function

The filter functions by drawing water through a layer of gravel. The gravel rests on a slightly raised platform away from the base of the tank. This creates a division between the unfiltered water at the top and a layer of clean water at the bottom, with the gravel acting as a filter. It performs mechanical filtration by trapping large debris, food excess and waste and beneficial bacteria in the gravel layer also perform biological filtration.

8 Reasons Why Undergravel Fish Tank Filters Are Great

Here are 8 reasons why I consider undergravel fish tank filters to be among the best types of filters on sale today.

Reason #1: It Regulates Temperature

The undergravel filter sucks in water from the bottom of the fish tank and pumps it back from the top. This will mix the water up continuosly, as long as you do not turn off the filter. This circulation of water causes every area of the fish tank to experience the same temperature.  Because of this water circulation, every part of the aquarium maintains the same temperature. Additionally, you could also place your fish tank filters beside the lift tubes, which will warm the water as it rises and provide excellent temperature balance in your fish tank.

Reason #2: Water Aeration

As the filtered water rises from the bottom through the lift tubes, it will come in contact with outside air. This aerates the water even better than the bubbles in the tank could.

Reason #3: Excellent Mechanical Filtration

In this system it is the gravel that acts as the filter media, trapping large debris, food waste and excess perfectly.

Reason #4: A Good Biological Filter

When you have allowed the gravel to age, usually within six weeks without help, beneficial bacteria will colonizes the gravel. These Organisms reduce organic proteins into nitrate which can simply be discarded each time you change the tank water. The nitrate is also a substance consumed by aquatic plant life.

Reason #5: It Is Capable Of Chemical Filtration

This is one factor ignored by most people, that undergravel filters are capable of being fit with cartridges that perform chemical filtration. Inside these cartridges usually are activated carbon that helps remove heavy metal, complex proteins, odor, color and even chemical treatment.

Reason #6: A Bigger Capacity For Waste

Because it is the entire area of gravel at the base of the tank that actually filters the water, undergravel fish tank filters can hold the most waste before it needs to be cleaned.

Reason #7: Easy To Maintain

Over time, the gravel will begin to accumulate a layer of muck thatneeds to be cleaned. if it isn’t then it will begin to choke the filtration system by not allowing water to pass through. How do you clean it? By simplying vacuuming up the muck. A simple method of doing this is by using a rubber hose as a siphon to suck up the muck when you plan to do your water change.

Reason #8: Inexpensive

Isn’t that really the main draw for most of us? Buying an entire set is usually cheaper than other reliable filtration systems. The filter media is the gravel and never needs to be replaced. The parts are quite sturdy and even if you need to replace a part, they are cheap.

There you go. 8 reasons to convince you how good the undergravel fish tank filters are.

Planning To Move Fish?

This is a follow up of an earlier post titled “Setting Up A Fish Tank | How To Prepare A Brand New Fish Tank“.

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It will eventually happen one day. Like most people, you might have began the hobby with a smaller fish tank but as time went by, you would have introduced new fish, new decoration and new plants to a point where that old aquarium is just too crowded. It is then that you decide to buy a bigger fish tank and move fish into the new one. But you can’t just set up the new tank, move fish and expect them to live. They’ll probably last a couple of days before floating upside down on the surface of the water.

There are measures that need to be taken to safely move fish into a new fish tank. These measures involve preparing the fish for the transfer and ensuring that the environment of the new aquarium is as similar as possible to the old one. The main idea is to transfer the beneficial bacteria colonies to the new tank when you move fish.

Step #1: Prepare The Old Tank Before You Move Fish

You will be transferring the gravel, tank decoration, plants and move fish. So the first step is to vacuum large debris from the gravel and tank decoration. Then, test the pH and temperature of the water to have a record of the levels that you want to achieve in the new tank.

Step #2: Prepare The New Tank Before You Move Fish

Since your new fish tank will probably be bigger, we’ll assume that you will be getting a new fish tank filter. Fill the tank to three quarters of its volume with water and run the new filter and heater for twenty four hours. Don’t put in the gravel and tank decoration yet because there might be chlorine in the water that will kill of the bacterial colonies on them.

If your existing filter is large enough and you plan to use it in the new fish tank, leave it running in your old fish tank first and if possible connect an air stone to it and run the air stone in the new fish tank.

Don’t think about reusing the old fish tank heater. You have to stabilize the temperature of your new aquarium by running the heater for a day so get a new one. Anyway, you could always keep the old heater as a spare in case the new one breaks down.

Step #3: Testing Before You Move Fish

After twenty four hours has gone by, test the fish tank pH and temperature of the new fish tank and ensure that it is similar to those of the old aquarium. It should not deviate more than two tenths of a pH level and a few degrees in temperature from the old fish tank. If it is, then leave it for another twelve hours or more until it has stabilized. Do not move fish until you have achieved the fish tank pH and temperature that you need to.

Step #4: Transfer The Gravel and Decoration

Use a clean scoop and move the gravel from the old tank to the new tank first. You could even use one of those disposable plastic cups to do this as long as it is clean. Once you have moved all the gravel, start arranging the decoration. Though you had vacuumed them yesterday, there might be debris on them so allow the debris to settle down before adding the fish.

Step #5: Transfer The Filter

It doesn’t matter if you’re using a new filter for the new tank or not, you will need to run the old filter in the new tank for a couple of weeks. This is because the existing filter media has had time to be populated by beneficial bacteria colonies and by running the old filter in the new tank, you will aide in the growth of bacteria colonies in the new filter media as well.

Step #6: Move Fish To The New Fish Tank

It’s time for the all important step. You should only move fish when you’re sure that the fish tank pH and temperature of the new tank matches that of the old tank. A good, stress free way to move fish is by using a net and a cup. Immerse the cup in the tank water and use the net to usher the fish into the cup. The gently pour the fish into the new tank.

By following all these steps to move fish you will not only give the fish the best possible opportunity to survive and live well in its new environment, but you will also prevent other unwanted occurrences such as cloudy water which new fish tanks are generally prone to.

From learning how to move fish, let’s take another look at undergravel fish tank filters.

But Aren’t All Fish Tank Filters The Same?

This is a follow up from an earlier post titled “Ideal Fish Tank Filters For A Small Aquarium“.

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Well, I hate to say it but not all fish tank filters are created equal. It is true that some perform better than others while there are also fish tank filters that are suited for specific conditions and perform specific tasks. The also differ according to price and how often they need to be maintained. In this article I will expose you to the various choices of fish tank filters that you have and what you can do to select the ideal fish tank filters for your aquarium.

How Important Are Fish Tank Filters?

Fish tank filters are the most important equipment for any aquarium. Along with fish tank heaters, fish tank filters form a system that ensure the living conditions in a tank is just right for healthy and vibrant fish.  Choosing the right fish tank filters for you is also a matter of personal choice. Even though different fish tank filters work differently, they all have the same basic purpose which is to filter out debris and externals from the water which would otherwise contaminate it .

How Do Fish Tank Filters Work?

Fish tank filters generally perform one or more of the following filtration tasks: chemical, mechanical and biological.

Chemical filtration involves the removal of toxins and dissolved matter usually through activated carbon. The porous carbon filter traps phosphates and waste in its pore. It is also able to remove ammonia and odor from the water. While it really isn’t all that important to perform chemical filtration, it can be useful especially in a tank meant for quarantine to filter out the excess chemicals used for treatment.

Mechanical filtration removes large waste and sediments from the aquarium. All fish tank filters perform this basic but important function.  Biological filtration is a very important filtration task.

Biological fish tank filters utilize a colony of beneficial bacteria to filter out toxins and decay from the tank. If you wish to have healthy and thriving fish, then biological filtration is an absolute must.

Different Types Of Fish Tank Filters

The main filtration function performed by almost all fish tank filters are biological and mechanical. The more expensive ones add on chemical filtration as well. Your choice of aquarium filters to use should depend on the size of the tank, the quantity of fish, how sensitive the fish are, the budget you are willing to spend on the fish tank filters and finally how much time you are willing to set aside to clean it.

Here is a general look at the various types of fish tank filters being sold today:

1. Box Filters: Also known as Corner Filters, this is usually a clear box that contains filter floss and other media. Air is push through an air stone that in turn pumps water into the filter, through the floss and filter media which performs mechanical filtration. Over time, there will be a build up of bacterial colony providing biological filtration . Box filters are inexpensive but you should only consider them for small tanks as they are generally not that efficient. Most fish enthusiasts today also do not favor them because the box which is placed inside the tank tends does not compliment the decoration. They require weekly cleaning but are easily to clean.
2. Undergravel Filters: A layer of gravel sits on top of a plastic platform. By utilizing a pump, water is suck from under the gravel, forcing it to flow through the gravel which performs mechanical and eventually biological filtration . Undergravel filters usually comes together with a beginners tank that you buy in a complete set. During the weekly cleaning session, you would have to vacuum the layer of sediments that will accumulate just above the gravel.
3. Aquarium Sponge Filter: These fairly efficient filters are usually used as a secondary filter attached to a main filter to further increase the filtration process. Sponge filters are cheap but the maintenance can be a bit messy because you’d need to remove the sponge from the tank and clean it before replacing it back again.
4. Power Filters: Most fish enthusiasts use this type of filter. They are very efficient and provides a complete filtration process. Some the reasons why they are so famous is because of the mid range price, efficient filtering and simple maintenance. Just right for a mid size tank.
5. Canister Filters: Meant mainly for larger thanks that need a powerful filter. Though they are expensive, they do perform the best filtration process than any other filters. They require very little maintenance usually just a couple of times in a year. Also, the filter is totally out of the water so maintenance does not involve the water in the tank at all.

In Conclusion….

Think carefully about the fish tank filter that you wish to purchase because it should be an investment that is supposed to last you for many years. Selecting the right fish tank filters for you will ensure not only healthy and vibrant fish but a hobby that will be totally satisfying.

From selecting fish tank filters, let’s look into how to move fish between tanks safely.