Okay, so I'm going on holiday soon, and when I get back, I want to start a whole new regime with my fish tank. I've considered external filters in the past, but not much, and the price tag on most of them is very high. Looking again, there are some cheaper ones (£50-£60 or thereabouts), but the thing is, I do not know how they work. How are they placed? If there is a need to leave the lid off the tank, well that won't work for me. What external filters are the best?
I have a 50-60L tank, been getting by since my bigger 90L started leaking last August (big emergency evacuation...). Figured out how the Fluval tanks work and how to keep them clean. However, I'm still not satisfied, I want to get it cleaner. Is an external filter the way to go for this? I do 10L water changes every week (but for the next 2 1/2 weeks I can't...the fish will be on a once-every-other-day feeding plan while I'm gone, don't trust my brother and he won't clean the tank either), it does the job. I even got back from a nitrate crisis (above 50ppm, down to 10-20ppm, closer to 10ppm). But, can external filters help relieve any pressure on the tank? Can they help make things easier? I do obsess a lot about the health of my fish and their water quality, so I'd look at anything to make sure the water was getting the best possible treatment.
I have a 50-60L tank, been getting by since my bigger 90L started leaking last August (big emergency evacuation...). Figured out how the Fluval tanks work and how to keep them clean. However, I'm still not satisfied, I want to get it cleaner. Is an external filter the way to go for this? I do 10L water changes every week (but for the next 2 1/2 weeks I can't...the fish will be on a once-every-other-day feeding plan while I'm gone, don't trust my brother and he won't clean the tank either), it does the job. I even got back from a nitrate crisis (above 50ppm, down to 10-20ppm, closer to 10ppm). But, can external filters help relieve any pressure on the tank? Can they help make things easier? I do obsess a lot about the health of my fish and their water quality, so I'd look at anything to make sure the water was getting the best possible treatment.
