![]() This puts the heater in the highest flow area of the tank, allowing for even distribution of heat throughout the tank. It also features a heater holder that will let you snap your heater right onto the side of the filter. Since the motor is already in the water, it will just start suctioning as soon as the motor kicks on. This is a huge benefit because you don’t have to worry about this filter starting up on its own after a power outage. The main benefit of this is that you never have to prime the filter (fill the back of the filter with water). It has a 250 GPH internal motor, meaning that the motor stays inside the aquarium. The Seachem Tidal really is one of the best hang-on-the-back filters available. 6 Best 55 Gallon Filters Reviewed Seachem Tidal 55 (Top Pick For HOB) Don’t be afraid to have a GPH that’s eight or ten times your tank volume. ![]() For example, for a 55 gallon tank, you want a GPH of at least 220.īut, more is always better. It’s recommended that you get a filter with a GPH that is at least four times your tank volume. It’s a measure of how much water the filter pump can move in an hour. I am a much bigger fan of using some sort of reusable sponge or other material for mechanical filtration and then using all the other available space for biomedia. So you’re throwing away the bacteria you do need so you can replace the carbon you don’t AND it costs a small fortune. Plus, when you throw away the cartridge, you’re also throwing away any beneficial bacteria that have grown on the surface. As I’m sitting here, I literally can’t even remember the last time I even bought carbon. I only add it when I need to filter out meds after having to treat a tank for some kind of illness. I have run many successful tanks without any carbon in the filter for years!! Some say that carbon is the best thing since sliced bread, others think it’s a big waste since it doesn’t remove ammonia, nitrite or nitrates. There’s a huge debate about whether or not you even need the carbon in the first place! The carbon is only good for a few weeks, then you have to throw the whole thing out and add a new cartridge. That’s it, there’s no magical elves in there that scrub your tank clean. I think they’re a huge waste and here’s why.Ī filter cartridge is just a plastic frame that holds some activated carbon, sandwiched between some pieces of non-woven plastic pad. Why I’m Not a Big Fan of Filter CartridgesĪ lot of filter companies will try to sell you on the idea that filter cartridges are great, that they make filter maintenance easier and give you everything you need to keep your tank healthy. Pro Tip: For more information about different kinds of filter media, please check out this article. That ensures you have plenty of room for all of the beneficial bacteria your tank needs. It takes millions of nitrifying bacteria to process even a small amount of fish waste so it’s important to have as much biomedia as possible in your filter. So aquarists add special materials, known as biomedia, to their aquariums so that there is plenty of room for bacteria to grow on.īiomedia is usually made from some sort of porous material, like unglazed ceramic or sintered glass, that has tons of little nooks and crannies that are perfect homes for beneficial bacteria, kind of like apartment buildings for microscopic critters. There isn’t enough surface area inside a filter box to house all of the beneficial bacteria you need for your fish tank. For a more in depth discussion of the nitrogen cycle, please check out this article. Pro Tip: It takes time to get your filter to build up the beneficial bacteria you need to process wastes and make your tank safe for fish. Living in your filters are colonies made up of millions of beneficial bacteria (also known as nitrifying bacteria) that detoxify ammonia, making your aquarium water safe. Luckily, there is a natural process, known as the nitrogen cycle, that breaks down the ammonia in aquarium water. The ammonia will increase until the water is so toxic that all the fish die. Left to itself, an aquarium with fish in it will become unlivable as fish waste builds up and puts out more ammonia. As the waste breaks down, it puts off deadly ammonia (NH 3). ![]() This waste sinks to the bottom of the tank and starts to rot. It’s kind of gross, but true, fish and other livestock in your aquarium constantly put off wastes (urine and feces) into the water. That’s technically true, but the main purpose of an aquarium filter is a bit more complicated than that. Many think that a filter just keeps the water moving so it doesn’t get stagnant. There’s sometimes confusion among new aquarists about exactly what an aquarium filter does. Last update on / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Why do you need a filter for your aquarium?
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