Aquarium filters are key to keeping fish healthy. They help filter out harmful chemicals and dirt that can damage and shorten the fish’s life.
If you are in the market for aquariums with a built-in filter, I will guide you through the process of choosing the best one. I have mentioned all the benefits, types, and key aspects that you should look for in a tank’s filtration system.
What Are The Advantages of Fish Tank With Built In Filter?
A built-in filter cleans the water regularly and maintains the aquarium’s environment. It picks out uneaten food and algae floating in the water. A good filter oxygenates the water, which is essential for the fish’s survival.
It helps clean out harmful ammonia, nitrogen compounds, and debris and stops their growth over time. If these toxic chemicals build up, they can become deadly for your fish.
Having a built-in filter also saves you some work. You don’t have to do water maintenance by yourself—the built-in filter is there for you.
How Many Types of Filtration Systems Are There?
There are three types of filtration systems installed in a fish tank. Every filter media has unique functionality. You need to understand all the filters to get a clear idea of what type you need in your tank.
Mechanical Filtration
Mechanical filtration units consist of filter floss pads and sponges which help you clean out dirt and debris. They also work as garbage collector bags, which can collect all the trash inside the aquarium.
Biological Filtration
Biological filtration includes the plants and beneficial bacteria that keep the aquarium clean and healthy. The filtration system is ideal for removing the ammonia and nitrogen compounds.
Beneficial bacteria grow on the surface of the fish tank, including walls and gravel. Ensure that Biomedia or bio rings are inside the tank so the bacteria can live happily on the high surface area.
Chemical Filtration
Chemical filtration uses special activated carbon resins to remove tannins, medications, and impurities from aquarium water.
Remember to check it regularly. If the chemical filter is loaded with impurities, it no longer absorbs more pollutants.
What Are The Types of Filters For A Fish Tank?
Here, I have explained the most important type of filter you should use in a fish tank.
Sponge Filters
These are the most famous internal filter types, used widely to clean fish tanks. The filter comes with three important parts: a sponge filter, an air pump, and airline tubing.
When you place the sponge filters in the aquarium, the sponge filter goes inside the tank, while the air pump is outside the tank. Both connected with adjustable airline tubing.
When pushed, air comes out of the tube and creates rising bubbles. The air contains all the dirt and debris. The sponge filter collects all the dirt, leaving behind the clean air in the tank.
Pros and Cons
The basic advantage of a sponge filter is that it is cheap and does not require assembling components. It effectively circulates and supply clean air in the tank water, leaving out all the harmful waste.
The problem with sponge filters is that they take up a lot of space in the tank. You need to hide them behind rocks or decorations.
Hang-on-Back Filters
As the name suggests, these filters are placed on the top rim of the aquarium. The sponge goes inside the water with an intake tube, and the filter box hangs outside the tank.
When pressed, the water goes up to the tank, with the sponge sucking up all the dirt. The clean water output that goes back into the tank resembles a mini waterfall.
Pros and Cons
You can add a fine filter pad to polish the water. It is a simple filtration system to use. Setup, installation, and device removal do not take much time. For all freshwater pet fish owners, a hang-on-back filter is a good choice.
The issues with hang-on filters is that they work on motors. There is always a possibility of burnout if the filter is left dry or sand is sucked up by the machine.
Canister Filters
The filter contains a cylindrical plastic container that sits under the aquarium’s bottom. Two pipes connect the canister to the water flow.
The water from the hoses is pumped inside by a motor, and after passing several filters inside, such as an inline heater, it is pumped back inside the fish tank.
Pros and Cons
Canister filters don’t take up much space in the tank. They come in various sizes and models and are a favorite for fish hobbyists.
The major con of this filter is that to purchase this unit, you might need to increase your budget. Also, you need to properly disassemble it to clean the filters from the inside. You may want to keep towels near you, which come in handy to prevent canister flooding.
Fluidized Bed Filters
Fluidized bed filters are a compact tank filters. They have chambers with granules. The water inside moves in circular motions, and particles like dirt, sand, or plastic get stuck in the chambers.
It greatly churns out the water and enhances the growth of bacteria due to contact with oxygenated water.
Pros And Cons
The device contains pre-filters that don’t let shrimp, small fish, or Fry (fish kids) get stuck up in the filter. You can this use this filter as a conjunction unit with other filters.
It is large (11 inches) and can only be used in large fish tanks (40 gallons or above). It produces high noise when in function.
Plant as a Filter
Enough of all the equipment. Try out the natural filters, like plants or substrates, that offer the facility to clean out water successfully. They do all the tasks that other filters do without causing any trouble.
Pros And Cons
Plants survive on nitrogen and ammonia, whereas these chemicals are toxic to sea creatures. So, the plants will suck all the chemicals and keep it clean in the meantime. Also. if you love aquarium aesthetics, here is your solution to increase it.
One issue with relying on plant filtration is that it doesn’t provide extra filtration. Cleaning out the entire water takes a lot of time, and it doesn’t help circulate the water. You might have to handle issues like algae growth and plant damage more often.
Things To Keep In Mind When Buying A Filter
The first thing to keep in mind is to know the type of filter that essentially fulfills your tank requirements. You need to ensure that the water can run through at least 4 times a day from the filtration unit.
Secondly, when looking for a built-in filter, check the type of fish you have. The filter requirements change if you plan to breed fish.
Final Thoughts
There’s always a learning curve in keeping your fish healthy and happy. There are more filters, like undergravel filters, sumps, etc. It is better to try all the filters to know which works best to improve your fish’s health.
