External Filters

[Meggie :)]

Hey all

I am setting up my fifty gallon tank pretty much as soon as I get a nice piece of manzanita wood....

I was originally going to just put two nice power filters in there, but after being on this forum for so long I realized how many people prefer externals. What are the benefits of externals compared to internals? And what do I do about water flow/surface movement?

Another thing, I know that externals can get pretty expensive, so what ki d would you suggest that's efficient but not crazy crazy expensive?

Thanks,
Meg

 

[MegaZerino]

The start out price is more expensive but in the long run you save money. i used an internal power filter for a few years and it cost me a fortune. for a start they seem to break easier than external, you have to constantly replace filter pads, and cleaning them is a messy job. With externals, they are a lot easier to clean, you dont have to clean them as often, they dont take up room in the tank, there are compartments for different filter options (bio balls, carbon etc.)

 

[BigFairy]

external have a larger filter surface area, so much more bacteria can live on it and therefore can support more fish in your tank.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

Hey all

I am setting up my fifty gallon tank pretty much as soon as I get a nice piece of manzanita wood....

I was originally going to just put two nice power filters in there, but after being on this forum for so long I realized how many people prefer externals. What are the benefits of externals compared to internals? And what do I do about water flow/surface movement?

Another thing, I know that externals can get pretty expensive, so what ki d would you suggest that's efficient but not crazy crazy expensive?

Thanks,
Meg

The externals are more powerful.
They are far less likely to get clogged with food or plant matter.
An external filter affords the fish more swimming space.
Fish can get jammed between glass and any internal filter.
You can clean the external filter media without bothering the fish much.
Internals can be unsightly and due to the caseing having sucking vents can't easily be covered up with plants.

My 200 Litre (44 GALLON) tank is powered by a Fluval 405, I think they are great filters. So I would recommend it to you.
It's better to get a filter that does more litres than your tank as this will account for more messy fish or higher stocking levels.

Hope this helps!

 

[minnnt]

Some fantastic information already given.

The main reasons for me to have an external filter(s!!!) is to remove an unsightly internal one. Usually if your tank is big enough for you to be considering an external filter then the size of an internal filter will be pretty big. This gives you back a fair old whack of tank space which can mean more plants and more fish! External filters also have much more media capacity which gives you alot of options for different kinds, whether it be rings, foam, sponges, floss, carbon, zeo, purigen etc all of which can be beneficial for your tank and its inhabitants.

External filters can have spraybars or more of an outlet like on an internal filter. These are usually positioned at the surface or just below it to create surface movement. You will be suprised how much you will get.

Aim for a filter that has something like 5x plus turnover of your tanks volume.