55 Gallon Aquarium Filters
Filters for your 55 gallon aquariums are an essential piece of equipment to keeping your water safe for your aquatic life. Having excellent water quality is vital for keeping your fish healthy. Filters are meant to remove the toxins in your water and waste produced by your fish. It will not stabilize your water chemistry so you still need to remember to do water changes frequently. With the modern day filtration systems there are three different kinds you can choose for your 55 gallon aquariums: Biological filtration, Chemical filtration, and Mechanical filtration.
The most popular biological filters are under gravel filters.
Biological filtration consists of taking the ammonia, nitrite, and other deadly toxins to fish and making it into beneficial bacteria. In any aquarium you will need some bacteria to make it habitable for your fish. Also the beneficial bacteria will help make your water clear in your 55 gallon aquariums.
Chemical Filtration removes the dissolved wastes built up in your aquarium. Carbon is the most commonly used type of chemical filtration. It is best used for discoloration in your water and fish odors.
Mechanical filtration is when you personally discard of the fish feces, and food scraps. It is straining of the solid particles in your aquarium. This method will not remove the ammonia from your aquarium. You can use other methods to help you filter out particles from the gravel, corners, and nooks of your aquarium. Some common used methods to help with this are sponges, loose floss, paper cartridges, and circulation pumps. When doing water changes you should always remember to vacuum out the gravel of any deceased fish, feces, and left over food.
Different types of filters include: sponge filters, under gravel filters, corner filters, power filters, canister filters, and algae scrubbers.
Sponge filtration is commonly overlooked because people think since it's so simple it must be effective.
Under gravel filters is where the water is drawn through the gravel. It usually is a plastic grate that you will keep under the gravel at the bottom of the tank. It will come with lift tubes to deliver the water and either an air pump or power head to move the water. Two good brands of under gravel filters are Lees and Perfecto Manufacturing.
Corner filters are used for biological filtration and is not effective for mechanical filtration as it cannot move solid wastes. Corner filters are on the side of the aquarium and are also known as "Box Filters." They are not used as much anymore, but are good for beginners. They are less expensive than other filters, quieter, and much easier to install due to their simple system.
Best 55 Gallon Aquarium Filters