Fish Tank Filter Instructions

Filters are placed inside a fish tank to help preserve and maintain the quality of water needed for tropical, saltwater or goldfish. It's recommended to replace a filter every two weeks, although some owners might wait every three to four weeks.

  1. Purpose

    • Aquarium filters fill three purposes--biological, mechanical and chemical. Filters culture harmful bacteria such as ammonia (biological), remove large suspended particular of debris (mechanical), and remove medications and heavy metal traces (chemical).

    Air-Powered Filters

    • These filters suck onto the side of the tank or stand on the bottom. They contain a filter media, foam or wadding to contain bacteria and filter out large debris. These filters are very cheap.

    Under-Gravel Filter

    • Under-gravel filters are cheap and easy to maintain. The filter draws water down through the gravel and across the bottom of the tank through small slots in the tray. It then forces the cleaned water back to the top through riser pipes in the corner of the tank.

    Internal Power-Head Filters

    • Very common and practical, internal power-head filters suck onto the back side of the tank and connect to a power source. An impeller draws the water through the filter media and forces it back into the tank.

    HOB or Canister Filters

    • The filters use two pipes that hang or clip over the back of the tank. Water is pumped through the filter and into a cupboard. These types of filters need to be large enough to circulate 10 times the volume of water per hour.