Buy Best External Aquarium Filter for Your Aquarium Tank (2021)
Filter is essential for every aquarium because you need to keep the water clean and healthy for the fishes and other livestock live and grow healthily inside the aquarium.
Uneaten food, fish excrement, plants, dead fish, and more are produce waste that contaminate the water day after day. So to clean up your aquarium filter is an essential item.
Each filter works differently to remove contaminant, therefore, you need to choose the right aquarium filter to make sure you provide healthy environment for the fish and other animals and plants.
What is External Aquarium filter?
External filter is aquarium filter that you place it outside the aquarium. It could be hang on the side of aquarium, put under the aquarium tank, put on the top, or anywhere but outside the aquarium.
External aquarium is very common choice that suitable for both fresh water and salt-water aquarium.
Benefit of External aquarium filter
- The external aquarium filter is more effective due to the water is pushed or pulled through filter media and return back to the aquarium for continuous filtration.
- It is easy maintenance because it already out of aquarium so you don’t have to take it from the water to cleaning or filter replacement.
- The third benefit of external aquarium filter is that- the physical body of this type of filter will not disturb the beauty of your aquarium. You can hide it and make it not visible.
- The external filter has the potential to hold a lot of media such as biological media like ceramic ring, mechanical filtration media like filter sponges and filter floss and also chemical media in different section of the filter.
- They are relatively quiet compared to other types of filtration. So if you have a centerpiece show tank in a living room or a bedroom or someplace public and you do not want to hear your filters running a canister filter can be a really good option for that.
External Aquarium Filter Type
Commonly, every aquarium both freshwater and salt-water needs three different types of filter that are biological, mechanical, and chemical.
Biological filter:
Biological filter is filter that maximizes the benefit of nitrogen cycle. Aquarium need bacteria to breakdown ammonia and this filter providing area for the bacteria to live and grow.
Biological aquarium filter remove ammonia, nitrates and nitrites from organic waste found in the aquarium. These kinds of filters give good bacteria in a particular place where they can colonize.
These beneficial bacteria will remove toxins, which are produced by organic waste.
Since denitrifying bacteria are naturally aerobic, make sure that oxygen levels are kept healthy with the use of an air pump or an aerating water pump.
The removal of toxins from the water is considered the most important process in filtration to maintain the health of an aquarium.
When choosing which biological filter media to use, take into consideration the type of filter being used and the surface area needed. For heavy bio-loads, the surface area should be maximized.
When cleaning the biological media, remember that the bacteria has taken time to establish itself, hence removing the media all at once can lead to disastrous spikes in ammonia content and pH levels.
Some filters are designed for partial media cleaning changes. If your filter is not designed so, rinse the material, which have been packed in multiple filter bags, one at a time using aquarium water.
Mechanical filter
Mechanical filter is filter that remove particulate materials from the water.
One best mechanical filter could be canister filter. It is very common because it effective and affordable.
The canister is filled with various filter materials and the water is push though the intake pipe of the canister, pass through filter material, and return back to the aquarium.
The benefit of canister type is more volume for various type of filter material. Since it is mounted externally, it wills not reducing aquarium space.
Another mechanical filter is diatom filter. This filter provides fine filtration up to 1µm. The filter could make the water very clean but sometime it also remove useful microorganism.
Therefore, diatom filter is not tending to be used continuously. In addition, this filter is quite expensive that people commonly use it only when they need it such as for cleaning the water after aquarium medication.
Chemical filter
Chemical external aquarium filter removes the pollutants and other organic compounds in the water that the biological and mechanical filter media has failed to remove.
These pollutants include those that come from fish medications and organic compounds that are produced by the biological processes occurring inside the aquarium’s ecosystem.
For example, unpleasant odors and unsightly colors in the aquarium water are removed by chemical filter media. Activated carbon is a type of chemical filter media.
External Aquarium Filter for Your Aquarium Tank (2021)
- #1. ZooMed Nano 30 External Canister Biological aquarium filter
- #2. Sicce Space EKO Canister external Filter | Freshwater and Saltwater
- #3. Fluval Advanced Filtration System aquarium external filter
- #4. Aqueon Quietflow external aquarium Filter
- #5. Penn-Plax Cascade Canister external Filter for Large Aquariums
comes with adjustable flow control system
Our Ratings
Specifications
Brand- ZooMed | Volts/Cycles- 120/60 | Watts- 11 | Max GPH(Gallon per hour)- 120 | Pre Filter(Cubic inches)- 43 | Bio filter(Cubib inches)-34
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About this item:
Nano 30 is an external Canister filter design to maintain clean water in your aquarium. This filter combines biological, mechanical and chemical filtration to efficiently clean your aquarium water.
This external aquarium filter is best for up to 30 gallons aquarium tanks. You can use it both freshwater and saltwater aquariums.
It comes with removable hose-connecting device and adjustable flow control system. It’s filter head is easy to open and easy to clean.
Features:
- Removable hose-Connecting device
- Adjustable flow control system
- Easy to open filter head
- Calibrated anti-vibration bushing
- Space saving design
Pros:
- Comes with reasonable price
- Noise level is quiet smooth
- Suction power is good
- Flow rate is great
Cons:
- Big particles can get stuck
ideal for freshwater aquariums
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About this item:
This external aquarium filter is ideal for freshwater aquariums. It comes with unique design; you can hang it directly on the aquarium tank.
This external filter includes with all tubing and connectors, filter media, a quick disconnect system, media baskets and heavy duty locking clips.
It comes with a self cleaning impeller and a knob which allows to control of water flow.
This filter combines biological, mechanical filtration. It has additional pore sponge and ceramic rings for biological and mechanical filtration.
Features:
- External filter
- Compact design
- For aquarium or turtle tanks up to 100L
- Multi stage modular filter basket
- Water flow control using the knob on output fitting
- Low consumption and extra silent
- Filter material and transparent tubing included
Four different model and details specification of Sicce Space
| |||
Q max | 145 US gph | 190 US gph | 240 US gph |
H max | 2.6 ft | 3.3 ft | 5.0 ft |
Watt | 5 W | 6 W | 14 W |
Cable length | 6.0 ft | 6.0 ft | 6.0 ft |
Pros:
- Comes with self priming system
- Quick disconnected system
- Tool free maintenance
Cons:
- High Quality product
comes with LCD motitoring system
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About this item:
This Fluval filter not only works great, but it also looks very attractive. It is a high-tech marvel that has a sleek cubic design. It looks so attractive that you won’t mind placing it anywhere in your home. After all, it will only add to the beauty of the place.
Good flow capacity:
The Fluval external aquarium filter comes with a pretty good flow rate. It is a good choice for tanks up to 80 gallons. So if you have a large aquarium, it will serve you perfectly.
When it comes to flow rate, Fluval advance filter can easily process approximately 185 gallons of water per hour.
Easy self-priming
One of the most amazing things about the Fluval G series advance filter is its self-priming feature. The Fluval G series filtration system has been designed to make things easier for you.
It has a one-push prime button that will no longer require you to keep pumping incessantly. The button is very easy to use and does its job quite well.
Touch screen display monitoring system
With the display you can easily control the flow. This can be very useful considering how many fish you have in your tank and also the level of contamination of the water there.
Basically, this filtration system has an amazing monitoring system that helps you keep track of the water parameters. It is powered by a microprocessor that collects essential data about your tank.
So we can say that it is a fairly clean tank filter. Its ability to monitor water parameters certainly makes it an advanced filter.
Model | ||
Aquarium Capacity | 40-80 US Gallons | 80-160 US Gallons |
Dimensions | 10 x 9 x 10 inches | 10 x 9 x 13 inches |
Pump Output | 340 US Gal/h | 650 US Gal/h |
Filter Circulation | 185 US Gal/h | 265 US Gal/h |
Head Height (max.) | 6.1 ft | 7.6 ft |
Media Capacity | 2 Baskets | 3 Baskets |
Wattage | 120V/60Hz: 18W | 120V/60Hz: 27W |
Pros:
- High Quality product
- It is extremely silent
- Its look beautiful, User friendly
- Easy to maintain
Cons:
- It is expensive
comes with hang on back water polishing unit
Our Ratings
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About this item:
This external aquarium filter is design for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. It is suitable up to 55 gallons of water tank.
It comes with hang on back water polishing unit that makes maintaining your aquarium filter quick and easy.
It comes with the biological, chemical and mechanical media filtration system which is useful to clear your aquarium water more effectively and remove waste and harmful toxins from your fishes’ water.
With this filter package includes- Quick Disconnect Valves, Pump Locking Heads, Water Intake and Output Connections, Hoses, Water Polishing Unit with Cartridge, and Filter Media such as activated Carbon, Coarse Foam, Bio-Balls, Bio-Ceramic Rings.
The air tight seal of this aquarium filter assures proper flow rate while maintain ultra quiet operation.
Pros:
- It is easy to assemble
- Customer service is good
- It is silent and effective
Cons:
- It take time to clean
best aquarium filter for large tanks
Our Ratings
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About this item:
This penn-plax cascade is suitable for both freshwater and salt water aquarium. It comes with intuitive setup and powerful 3 stage filtration.
It comes with 360 degree rotate water valves for easy maneuvering in even the tightest aquarium cabinets. It also has large capacity media baskets which allow customizing your filtration media such as you can install biological, mechanical and chemical media.
It is easy to install and it comes with all necessary accessories to connect to your tank and begin filtering in approx.
Its quick push button primer make it easy to start-ups and the flow rate control valves and swimming pool style hose clamps make its setup and adjustment easy.
With this filter you can also get bio-floss, bio-sponges, activated carbon and others filtration media.
Features:
- 115 GPH, recommended for aquariums up to 30 gallons
- Swimming pool style rotating valves with flow controls
- Easy to use push button primer for quick and easy set up
- 2 large media baskets can be customized to meet the needs of all aquarists
- Flow valves can be easily removed for canister maintenance while your hoses, intake and output remain at the aquarium
Item Number | |||||
For Aquariums up to | 30 Gallons | 65 Gallons | 100 Gallons | 150 Gallons | 200 Gallons |
Gallons per Hour (GPH) | 115 gph | 185 gph | 265 gph | 315 gph | 350 gph |
# of Media Baskets | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Dimensions (in inches) | 11.5 x 13.5 x 9 | 11.5 x 15 x 10 | 11.5 x 17 x 10 | 11.5 x 20.5 x 11 | 11.5 x 20.5 x 12 |
Pros:
- Comes with ergonomic design
- Easy to setup
- Comes with big three trays
Cons:
- Reassembling is tricky
Which filter should you buy for your aquarium Internal or External?
Internal filters are filter which is installed inside your aquarium. They generally are a rectangular or square box and they contain media which can be a combination sponge pad, carbon or anything that the manufacturer decides to put inside of it.
But normally they are just simple sponge inside. Now internal filters can be pretty simple or really complicated depending on the manufacturer.
They have a flow control which allows you to speed up or reduce the amount of flow coming out the filter.
Internal filter are quite simple you simply put them in your aquarium turn them on and it start working.
External filters are a lot bigger than the internal filters; however they work on a very similar principle.
The main difference of an external filter is it is installed below your aquarium instead of being inside the tank and is connected by tubing.
When it comes to maintenance of an internal filter normally you just take the sponge out give it a quick rinse put it back in or replace any pads as necessary.
Internal aquarium filters are a lot smaller and they go into your tank and do not take a lot of space and will give you a reasonable amount of flow and filtration. They are ideal for a small aquarium anything less than around 100 liters.
External aquarium filter normally have a stronger pump than an internal aquarium filter and therefore they have a higher flow rate. The amount of media inside the filter is a lot bigger than an internal filter, so you do get an overall better filtration experience.
External filters to be far superior over internal filters. External filters can go a lot longer without being cleaned than internal filters.
When cleaning an external filter it can be a lot longer job than internal filter and this is because you need to disconnect the filter from the aquarium open up the filter casing and then remove it and clean the filter media this can be a bit of a longer job than an internal filter.
Internal Aquarium Filter
Conclusion
External filters are generally better than internal filters there is no doubt about that. But each of them have their own advantage.
If you have a simple aquarium with normal community fish and you do not over stock it or feed too much then internal filter can be a good choice. They are also very easy to clean and maintain taking up very little time.
Whereas if you require extra filtration, more flow and don’t mind the extra time to takes clean then the external filter is always the better choice.
Externals aquarium filter always give you a better performance than an internal filter and will keep your fish and aquarium healthier.
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