Fresh Water Aquariums - Equipment
 

Filters

Filters come in many sizes and shapes. For freshwater tropical fish hang on type filters will suit your needs. There are many types: Filters with Bio Wheels (Penguin), and with biological sponges or cartridges (Whisper-Aquaclear-Millenium). The Aquaclear is the least expensive to maintain and the Penguin is the most expensive to maintain and to purchase. The Penguin has the best possible biological filtration with the use of the Bio wheel.  This wheel has a very large surface to grow good bacteria's and uses cartridges inside the filter for removing suspended matter. One additional feature of the the Penguin is that the filter cartridge will hold other media as well.

The other type of fresh water filtering system is the Canister. The principle here is a little different than the hang on units. Canisters basically move less water but clean the water better during each pass of the water. The appeal of the canister is that it can sit under your tank, in the tank stand, and doesn't have to be as obvious. Canisters also can be packed with different filtering media making them the most versatile of all filters. If you are concerned about noise, they are generally the quietest of filters as well. If you wanted to, you could even add a Bio wheel attachment for added biological filtration.

Under-gravel filters have fallen out of popularity lately as the hang on types have been redesigned to accomplish the necessary biological filtration. Under-gavel filters are also maintenance intensive, making them the least desirable filter to many aquarist today.

The most important thing to remember, is that you purchase a filter that will handle the amount of water you want to filter. Always choose a filter that is bigger than you need, never under-power your filtration. No matter what size tank you purchase, there is a filter that will be appropriate for it. We will be happy to assist you in choosing the correct filter for your tank.
 

Heaters

Heaters seem to give new aquarist more trouble than any other type of equipment. Setting the heater so it maintains a constant temperature can be quite a chore for some people. First to ease this situation always put the new water in your tank at room temperature, not cold. Hang the heater on the tank not plugged in, and leave it for about 15 minutes. Never ever plug the heater in before introducing it to your tank. After the heater has hung for 15 minutes the internal thermostat will read your tank temperature. Now plug the heater in. Notice if the indicator light inside the tube comes on. If it does that means the heater is heating the water. Turn the heater knob counter clockwise until the light goes out. Then slowly clockwise just until the light lights. Wait for the light to go out on its own. This will take awhile. When the light goes out, check your thermometer and see if it is at 76-80. if it is, your finished. If its too low, turn it clockwise again until it goes on and repeat until you have the temperature you want. If for some reason it has gotten too warm, just back it off a little and recheck it in a few minutes.

There are also submergible heaters that you can set for a desired temperature. However never assume that the temperature you have set it for is a forgone conclusion, always recheck it later. The down side to the submergible heater is that they are more expensive. The up side is that they can't be easy fooled with by children and can be concealed in the tank because they can be submerged.

A good rule is to buy a heater of higher wattage than you need. The main reason for this is that even though more expensive to purchase they are less expensive to run electrically. This doesn't sound like it makes sense but it does, the wattage will control how long the heater needs to operate to maintain the desired temperature. The higher the wattage the more efficiently it operates.

A good guide is to buy a heater that will give you about 5 watts per gallon at the minimum. It is also a good idea to understand how a heater heats your water. It is all based on the ambient air temperature of the room your tank is located. For instance, if your room is always at 80 degrees your heater will never turn on. But if you keep the room that the tank is in at say 60 degrees during the winter, your heater will run longer and may have to be more powerful than the 5 watts per gallon rule.
 

Air Pumps

Fish need air. The first thing you need to do when selecting an air pump, is to decide what you want it to do besides supply air to the fish. You may want an elaborate air wand or several aerating decorations. All of this makes a difference in your selection. Some pumps are quieter than others as well. Ask for assistance, we will be happy to help you choose the right one for you and show you a wide assortment of airstones to disperse the air to your fish...

 

ETC

Choose a thermometer that is easy to read and that you can place in a location that suits your viewing needs. Fish nets are often overlooked until you need to take a fish out and you can't figure out how your going to do it.

Earlier we talked about vacuums, pick one out that is the right size for the job you need to do. We even have systems that hook up to your faucet and fill and empty your tank automatically. Our mission is not to over sell you, but to sell you the right equipment you need. Some items are necessary, some are nice little do-dads, we know the difference, let our experience help you help yourself. And by the way, we are not always right! If something sounds wrong to you ask for a second opinion. We have many employees and many levels of expertise. Our Store Manager, Asst. Manager and owners have over 100 years of experience in keeping tropical fish. One of these individuals is always available.