Got a new 35 Gallon Fish Tank, now I am shopping for a Water Filter. I am shopping at PetSmart. They have brands called Marineland and AquaClear and Tetra. Any experience with which is best? I am primarily concerned about how well they clean the water in addition to how quiet they are.
Thank you.
Fluval seem pretty good and are the commonest here. I have three and they all appear to be fine.
I use AquaClear in my 10-gallon tank. I have no complaints, but also don’t have any experience with the other brands.
I do know that the filter part needs to be changed every week (per instructions - I actually do it every two weeks) because it contains activated carbon that helps to remove things like ammonia. In my tank, I pull the filter out and rinse it off in tap water every couple of days because algae builds up on it otherwise.
No matter what filter you get, you’ll still need to suction the bottom - this not only get gunk out of the rocks, but is necessary for clear water. Suctioning the bottom also removes some of the water. Even if you’re not going to do the suction, change out a gallon or two of water periodically to help keep water levels balanced.
FWIW I’ve been pretty happy with the Marineland in my 58 gallon tank. It has worked reliably for probably 8 or 9 years now. Knock wood. Reasonable quiet, seems to do as good a job as other filters I’ve owned.
Be sure to be careful when setting up the new tank to not rush into too many fish until you have the nitrite / nitrate cycle worked through.
I use an Eheim Classic canister filter (the 2215 model) on my 55 gallon tank, and love it. Very quiet and reliable, but it’s pricey.
I haven’t run any carbon in my filters for years. Many plants and few fish are good for sparkiling water. The filters are just to keep the water circulating.
Canister filters seem to have increased in price over time at a greater rate than the simple siphon filters that hang on the back of the tank, but they are much better filters, and usually quieter as well. Models which can act as a diatom filter also can get you incredibly clear water, if that’s you’re goal. Even with excellent filtration, water changing is necessary to maintain good water quality. The canister filters make this task easier because they can be used to pump out old water, and pump in fresh. A ‘gravel vacuum cleaner’ can be attached to the intake hose as well. Do this job before you clean or replace the filter element in the canister.
Under gravel filters are a relatively inexpensive option that will provide excellent water quality for the fish. These systems use the gravel on the bottom as a filter, drawing water downward through the gravel, and then up through tubes in the rear corners of the tank. They can be powered with an air pump or an electric power head pump, or even connected to a cansiter filter pump. With these, the gravel on the bottom acts as the filter. Biotic action will break down most waste, and the gravel shouldn’t need cleaning any more often than with other filter types. The downward circulation of the water aids in oxygenation also. There are reverse flow types that push water through the gravel from the bottom, keeping the gravel much cleaner.
35 gallons isn’t that big of a tank. Water changing is always a necessity no matter what type of filtration you use, and for a small tank, it can be very easy to do. Get a couple of 1 to 2 gallon plastic buckets. Keep one filled with fresh water, uncovered to allow dissoved gases to disperse. Every week, or more often, drain old water into the other bucket, pour in the clean water, then refill the bucket. Waiting longer and changing half or all of the water will turn into much more work, and wayward water.
Good luck with your fish.
Eheim classic 250 external filter works best for me for my 150 gallon tank. and it did helped me to speed up the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle process