Fish Tank Filters
Keeping a large fish tank is an interesting and popular hobby, but in order to keep the fish healthy and in the best conditions you will need a fish tank filter. Fish tank filters help to clean the water by removing unwanted waste as well as filtering the toxic chemicals released by the tropical fish.
Your fish tank filters should come with a pump that pushes all the water through the filter several times an hour. The documentation on the filter will say how much water it pumps per minute and how much electricity it uses. The pump setup can cost as little as R 50 for a small system, and into hundreds of dollars for huge tanks. Filters must be changed or cleaned regularly, and replacement filters can be as little as R 20 for simple systems.
Big Box Stores
Big box pet stores will have a wide selection of fish tank filters, pumps, books and accessories at competitive prices. They are a convenient place to pick up everything you need for your aquarium.
However, the convenience generally comes at the price of personal attention. If you are an experienced fish-fancier, you probably do not need anyone’s advice or help in the store. You just grab what you need with no problem. But if you are new to fish keeping, you might have a few specialized questions that the general staff does not know how to answer.
The Aquarium Shop
A small, individually owned aquarium shop is a nice place to shop for novices. After all, your fish tank filters medium is something that needs regular replacement, so it does not hurt to have a personal relationship with the seller. Fish shop staff generally know a lot about keeping aquariums and can help with any questions you have.
Advanced fish fanciers also like small aquarium shops because of the extremely wide variety of fish and accessories they stock. A small shop specializes in this niche market and has sometimes hundreds of varieties of fish, fish tank filters, pumps, and aerators. Besides, these stores are usually set up with very nice fish tanks to look at and get ideas from.
The picture on the left is an example of a hang on fish tank filter. The filter hangs on the side of the fish tank normally at the back. This is on of the most effective types of filters.
They work by drawing the water up using a mechanical pump and then the water is filtered through one or two filter plates that contain activated charcoal and filter medium.
I have used these filters for a number of years and now it is the main filter that I recommend for fish tanks.
No matter the size of your fish tank, from small to medium and even larger aquariums you should be able to find a hang on filter that will suit your needs.
