New Filfter for 10g

Corona

Hello everyone, figured I would pop in here with a question. I've just gotten into the world of fishkeeping, and started with a used tank, bought with fish, filter, everything. The tank is a 10 gallon, with a Top Fin 10 HOB filter. According to AqAdvisor however, I need to add more aquarium filtration. The fish include 2 Black Mollies, 2 Black Skirt Tetra, and a Panda Cory. Any reccommendations on a good filter that isn't extremely expensive?

JMILLER

I have an AquaClear 20 on my 10 gallon that I like quite a bit. Lots of room for media in it.

Angel079

I'd use a internal filter (eg Cascade filters) as well; add plants to help with the bio filtration and then think about your stock (who's gonna stay there and who may be leaving to the LFS).

iamntbatman

Maybe a sponge filter of some kind? That would add a lot of biological filtration without increasing water flow too much.

JohnnyD44

good advice on filters from the others, I like Marineland Bio Wheels....

besides the filter question...I'm sure how aware you are of your stocking you currently have...you have room for them in a 10G, I would up the amount of black skirt tetras and the corries to 6 each.

They are shoaling fish and are less stressed and are healthier in their respective shoaling...

ron521

HydroSponge makes a nice internal filter for a 10 gallon tank, it will add a huge amount of biological filtration. Just connnect it to an airpump and you're done.

Tyyrlym

I'd recommend a small internal filter. Sponges are nice and do a good job but they're not a whole lot less expensive than a powered filter once you factor in the cost of an airpump. For a tank that small your average HOB will have a bit too much Oomp. I've got a Penguin 100 on my 10 gallon QT tank and there's a lot of current in it. I'm fine with that since its a QT tank and no one lives there permanently and it can be a bit overstocked at times. Long term I'd want something that created less of a river effect though.

rsn48

I'm not really a sponge fan as you have a big blob of black in your aquarium, and using plants to hide it eats dearly into your already small tank capacity. But having said I'm not a fan of sponge filters doesn't mean they aren't effective, they really are, and the link I'm sending you to is authored by a chap who has professionally maintained many tanks over time; he's a big fan of sponge filters.

I personally don't like the looks of them, that all. The link I am suggesting is a very long read. I too have a 10 gallon I will be starting in the not to distant future when I stop working for the Olympics (now the Paralympics) here in Vancouver (actually Whistler now).

There is an entire section on good cheap filters for small tanks and why he likes them. I'd print that section out and take it with you shopping. Fortunately there are some cheaper filters out there that work better than some of the more expensive ones - enjoy the read:

http://www.americanaquariumproducts....iltration.html