You may have an aquarium and want to keep it as clean and healthy as possible so that your fish can live in optimal conditions. To do this, it requires some elements and devices that serve to improve its maintenance. Among those elements we find a fish food dispenser and water oxygenators. Today we are going to talk about external filters for aquariums.
Do you want to know which are the best external filters for aquariums and what you should take into account when choosing them? Well, keep reading, because this is your post 🙂
The best external filters for aquariums
External filter for aquarium white and blue
This type of filter is quite good and versatile. It can filter the water in aquariums with a capacity of up to 400 liters. It is used to clean the water in both fresh and salt water aquariums. The assembly is quite simple and incorporates three different spaces. What's more, the filter works in stages. That is, it does not always work with the same intensity. It is quite good when it comes to saving energy since, when it is not so necessary to filter the water, it does not need to work at full capacity.
It's a filter, you can buy here.
Black and red color filter
No products found.
This filter has some pretty nice finishes in red and black. The biggest part of this filter is transparent. Its technology guarantees better security to avoid any type of aquarium overflow.
The filter base is made of rubber and it is quite quiet. It filters the water quite well and leaves it clean.
You can buy it No products found..
Professional filter
This more professional type of filter sits on the edge of the aquarium and is shaped like a backpack. It is a good option for those aquariums of a medium-small size. It has a fairly silent pump that takes the water from the aquarium and It is then sent to the tank where it is filtered and purified to be returned again. Its efficient filtration technology will help keep your water clean for longer.
Its price is very affordable, buy it.
External cascade filter
This filter has a fairly efficient design. And it is perfect to add as decoration and without taking up space. If you don't have a large aquarium, this type of filter is perfect. It makes very little noise and is suitable for both aquariums de peces like turtles that also tend to get quite dirty with their use.
External filter for aquariums with 3 sponges
It is a filter for aquariums of no more than 120 liters capacity. Its operation is quite efficient and allows you to regulate the water inlet and outlet with a multifunction valve. It is quite silent and is suitable for both fresh and salt water.
Buy this filter here.
External backpack filter
This type of filter also has a backpack shape. It is perfect to be able to place it in the aquarium without taking up too much space. It is small in size but its efficiency is comparable to many larger ones. It allows you to filter the water in a simple way to keep your fish and algae healthy for as long as possible.
It is quite affordable in value for money. You can see it here
Filter with 55W motor
These filters have a 55W motor whose operation is respectful with the environment. This filter is necessary if we want to purify the water in large tanks of up to 2000 liters of water. It also has a 9 W clarifier and a pre-filter that helps remove the largest dirt so that the main filter does not deteriorate.
Hereyou can see its price.
What to consider when choosing an external filter for aquariums
As we have talked about in other articles, a water filter is a very important element in order to have the best conditions for your fish. Keeping the water clean and oxygenated is the most indicated if we want our fish to grow well and have a long life. In addition, this way we will not have to change the water in the aquarium so often.
Currently, we find a large number of external filters for aquariums of all kinds. That is when the task of knowing well which one to choose becomes complicated. To choose the filter that best suits our needs, we must take into account some aspects.
The first is to know the exact size of the aquarium to know what volume of water we must filter to keep it clean always. Trying to filter the water in a 50-liter aquarium is not the same as a 300-liter one. Outdoor filters are generally the best option for smaller aquariums. If we put internal filters and the space for the fish is reduced, we will be hindering their freedom to swim. Therefore, it is much better to place them outside so that they can carry out their attack more efficiently.
The second aspect to consider is the budget. As there are many ranges, there are many prices. It is best to review the different functions that the filter has so that we can choose the one that best suits our conditions.
Key features
The best thing to do to buy the best filter for our situation is to review the functions it has. It is a basic tool that helps to keep the water as good as possible and keep it away from the impurities that are formed as life develops in the aquarium. Impurities such as food scraps, fish defecation or loose plant leaves. All these particles degrade the water in the fish tank and require its filtration. In this way we will also be lengthening the time it takes to change the water.
Make sure that the placement of the external filter is simple and stable. Connections to the outside through hoses and valves are perfect for water to circulate effortlessly and clean more quickly. The more flow capacity the filter has, the more water it can clean per unit of time.
The only drawback of external aquarium filters is that they generate some noise when they are used. They also tend to have the highest prices, although quite competitive. To avoid these inconveniences, we have made a selection of the best filters here.
How to install an external aquarium filter
When installing the external filter for aquariums it is normal to have some doubts. The main parts are: the filter, the aquarium filter tubes, the filter materials, the outer filter priming and the hoses. Let's see how to assemble the aquarium filter step step:
- The first thing is to mount the hoses of the aquarium filter. To do this, we connect the diffuser bar with the outlet arc. This diffuser bar is the one in charge of pouring the water once it is filtered into the aquarium.
- We attach the artichoke to the aquarium using the suction cups. We connect the shower head with the hose to the water inlet of the filter.
- These hoses usually enter the different tubes under pressure. If you want to make them more flexible, you can warm them up a bit.
- To mount the filter materials, you must pay attention to the direction of the water circulation inside the aquarium. Biological filter materials must be loaded so that the necessary environmental conditions can be created for colonies of nitrifying bacteria to establish.
- Once the mechanical filtering materials are in place, we place the chemical filtering materials such as activated carbon. It is interesting to check that all the filter materials have good efficiency and are in contact with the filter walls.
How often do you have to clean it?
One of the main advantages that these centrals have over others is that they require very little maintenance. Simply clean the external filter every 3 or 6 months or when you can see a decrease in flow. It does not need cleaning so frequently as to count it as a maintenance task.
How to clean an external aquarium filter
When cleaning the filter there are some doubts. Let's see how the external filter should be cleaned. If you are replacing one of the filter materials, it is not recommended to replace more than one at a time. If you do it this way, you can lose bacterial colonies necessary for good water quality.
To clean the foamex it should always be done with the aquarium water. The objective is the same, not to lose the colonies of bacteria. There is no need to change the eartips as they are capable of lasting for years. Just clean them if we had dirty it. It is enough to rinse them with the aquarium water.
What is convenient is to constantly reinforce the population of bacteria. Every time we clean the filter, the ideal is to add new bacteria with some of the products recommended for this purpose.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about external aquarium filters and choose the one you like the most.