Tropical Aquarium - What is the Best Type of Filter for a Beginner?

From the point of view of satisfactory service over a long period of time, an outside filter is the most satisfactory. Hanging in the rear and outside of the aquarium, outside filters are easily concealed yet readily serviceable.

By their very nature, filters become the repository of all the waste and filth in the tank. They should be cleaned every two weeks, on the average, to remove this waste matter. An outside filter is the easiest to disconnect and remove to be cleaned. Also, it can be examined easily to determine the amount of accumulated dirt. If the tank is located where it does not permit the hanging of a filter on the outside, however, it is necessary to employ an inside

The air lift filter is a closed plastic box containing the filtering material. The air-lift tube is straight, instead of curved, and is set in the middle of the filter in the filtering material. This type of filter has perforated sides and rests on the bottom of the aquarium, usually at the rear. The air-lift draws the water from the center. New water comes in through the perforations and passes through the filter material as it makes its way toward the center.

A bottom filter is frequently used by dealers for several reasons. It requires a lesser amount of air than do outside ones. Many dealers have their tanks banked closely together, and do not have space between them for outside filters. Also, bottom filters double as aerators. The stream of air agitates the water as it rises, serving to aerate and circulate the fluid.

Against this, however, is the reluctance on the part of a fancier to disturb a tank once it is set up. There is a tendency to let a bottom filter remain without cleaning for months on end, until it becomes a focal point for pollution. Far from serving as a cleansing agent, it becomes a menace. The same holds true of the other types of filters, but to a far lesser degree, because there is much less tendency to neglect them.

Because under-gravel filters have disadvantages, I usually recommend that they be used in conjunction with a good outside filter. Thus several areas will be served, and there will be less likelihood of difficulty if the under-gravel filter clogs up.