External Aquarium Filters

External aquarium filters are those canisters you see standing outside the fish tank or aquarium. These aquarium supplies are an absolute necessity to keep your fish tank healthy. They pump water in and out of the tank while filtering out dirt and bacteria, necessary to maintain the delicate balance of the aquarium environment.External Aquarium filters come in different types depending on your tank’s size and load.

If you have a mid to large size aquarium, an external aquarium filter is your best bet.

Why an External Filter or Canister?

To understand how a filter works and why it is important, you need to understand what a filter is for. Just because somebody tells you to buy a filter for your aquarium is not ground enough for you to follow suit. After all, it’s best not only to know what you need for a basic aquarium but also the “why” part of it all.

Biological bacteria. A filter breeds two good bacteria that will benefit your fishes. These bacteria are cultured to break down the poisonous gas waste excreted by fishes to less harmful nitrates.

Removal of dirt and debris. A filter removes particles of suspended debris from the water, which is a result of food particles, fish dirt and other wastes out of the living environment inside the aquarium.

Chemical function. A number of filters include the addition of active carbons to combat elements like heavy metal traces in the water which can be harmful to your fishes.

What Types of External Filters are Available?

Yes. There are different types of external aquarium filters you need to consider. We will outline the most popular ones found in the market:

Canister Filters. These filters don’t hang from the outside of the tank but are set as a canister right beside it. They provide more filter materials and also more flexibility on what filter materials to include. There is an intake pipe at the bottom of the canister where water from the aquarium enters and is filtered through the filtering materials inside the canister. Water is then pumped back to the aquarium with the help of an electric pump located at the top of the canister.

Diatom Filters. These are ideal for aquariums with minimum loads. This type of filter is only used for sporadic cleaning and is not continuously attached to the aquarium. The filter use diatomaceous earth which can filter out particles down to 1 micrometer in size.

Trickle Filters. Commonly know as wet and dry filters, they greatly aid in biological filtration allowing aerobic bacteria to grow. They may be placed on top of the aquarium or below the tank, thereby allowing you to freely choose according to your space limits or how you want your set up to be.

Baffle Filters. These are similar to wet and dry filters in the sense that they are placed below the tank. This filter type consists of a series of baffles which acts like canister filters containing different types of filter materials for different filtering purposes.

External aquarium filters allow you to maintain your aquarium and keep your fishes fit and happy without crowding the tank. It saves internal space and assures you will only have the most picture perfect, serene aquarium with fishes and decors without some ugly looking machine. You only need to watch out for leaks in the pipes leading to your outside filter, other than that the benefits far outweighs this single disadvantage.