In this article of “Best small aquarium filter” we will discuss the top 10 best small aquarium filters and their features. We will also discuss why you need a filter in your small fish tank.
How does an aquarium filter work?
Just like an air filter an aquarium filter is a device in an aquarium that filters the water and removes physical and chemical waste from the fish tank. There are several aquarium filters but the best small aquarium filters are given below:
- Marina Power Aquarium filter
- Aqua-Tech Small Aquarium Filter
- Penn Plax Cascade 400 Submersible Fish Tank Filter
- Fluval 106 Small Fish Tank Filter
- Marineland Penguin Small Fish Tank Filter
- Aqua Clear Small Fish Tank Filter
- Penn Plax Cascade 500 Small Fish Tank Filter
- Aqueon Quietflow Led Power Fish Tank Filter
- Lee’s 13210 10 Original Under Gravel Filter, 10″ x 20″ (Needs an Air Pump)
10 best small aquarium filters
Marina Power Aquarium filter
The Marina Power Aquarium filter is developed by the same engineers that developed the Aquaclear filter, produced by the famous pet company in Canada, HAGEN, in the watery product range.
This is among the best small aquarium filters because of its beautiful and unique design. It is slim and compact so that it can adjust easily behind your aquarium. It also gives the aquarium a lot of elegance.
Aqua-Tech Small Aquarium Filter
The Aqua-tech Small Aquarium filter has a three-phase filtration system. It performs its action by chemical cleaning of bacteria, changes in colour and odour, cleaning of dirt and debris and normalizing the pH of the water for fish. One key feature of this small aquarium filter that includes it in the list of the best small aquarium filters is it uses carbon filters to clean water.
It ensures that the carbon filters have maximum contact with the water to clean the maximum amount of water. It is also inexpensive.
Besides this, the aqua-tech aquarium filter is a small and light-weighted small aquarium filter. It weighs only 8 ounces and can easily fit behind the aquarium. It is easy to remove this aquarium filter and clean it.
This small aquarium filter also comes with the carbon tanks. The installation and the replacement of the filter are not easy. It is the quietest small aquarium filter and the only sound is the flow of water because it pumps the water in the fish tank.
Penn Plax Cascade 400 Submersible Fish Tank Filter
This small aquarium filter stands in the list of the best small aquarium filters because of its syringe option that equally distributes the water by helping tank ventilation. It can be concealed and set horizontally.
It can filter the water of around 110 gallons in a tank of 20 gallons.
Fluval 106 Small Fish Tank Filter
Fluval 106 is a smart multi-layer outdoor filter that is used in a 25-gallon aquarium. It has the sealing technology that filters mechanical, biological and chemical particles. It has multi-cell filters. The Fluval 06 series filters filter more volume of water than would be possible by rounded boats of the same external dimension.
It is among the best small aquarium filters because it has liquid filters that direct the water in the complex path which allows the water to gain maximum contact with the filters. The result is the maximum filtration of water, low maintenance and reliable service. Fluid filters are designed to provide reliable and simple service.
Quick-connect mounting and lifting brackets in one pass make it convenient and make installation and maintenance quick and easy.
You can discount and reconnect the pipes without closing the system by using the AquaStop valve patented by Fluval. This allows starting and stopping the filter.
Fluval C Power Filter is an amazing HOB filter.
Marineland Penguin Small Fish Tank Filter
This small aquarium filter provides mechanical and chemical filtration of the water for clean and debris free water. It has carbon filters. As we have discussed earlier the importance of carbon filters. Each carbon filter contains a new Black Diamond Premium Activated Carbon that increases the filtration efficiency of this best small aquarium filter.
Aqua Clear Small Fish Tank Filter
It is a multistage small filter used in fish tanks. It performs its action by chemical, mechanical and biological filtration for superior water quality. Furthermore, it has the ability to increase the filtration rate up to 7 times than a normal small filter.
It has the mechanism to increase the contact of the water with the filters thereby increasing the filtration efficiency. Its filter retains the harmful bacteria creating a bacteria-free and a stress-free environment in the tank and also promotes the growth of the tank.
It has a unique cascade design to return water to the aquarium and gently break the surface tension thereby increasing the beneficial oxidation process.
Penn Plax Cascade 500 Small Fish Tank Filter
Cascade 500 small fish tank filter is the best small aquarium filter that you can get for your small fish friend. It has a canister filter cartridge that stands out in all the small fish tank filters. This small fish tank filter performs its activity by increasing the filtration rate and volume of the water to be filtered.
It has a series of internal drawers that facilitate the mechanical, chemical filtration of the water by using threadpads and carbon pouch. No dirt or bacteria you can see in the water of the aquarium.
This small fish tank filter has a coarse sponge that provides the facility of biological filtration in the aquarium. It is sometimes called a sponge filter. The drawers are large so that you can add a variety of media for filtration and other means.
The motorhead has an O-ring and 4 clampings to provide a strong grip. This cascade filter provides quick disconnection of pipes which are also used as a flow control system. It has a self-priming button which makes it easy to start it. inlet/outlet nozzles allow you to adjust the pipe’s direction according to your need.
The filter has a set of parts that includes a sprayer and a jet nozzle, so it gives you the option to choose one of them for your aquarium.
This type of filter is best to use because it provides you with the facility to increase the efficiency of the filter.
Aqueon Quietflow Led Power Fish Tank Filter
The big advantage of this small fish tank filter is its unique pump which eliminates leak and dampens noise, so you do not hear any kind of noise while sleeping. It also has a self-priming function which means that it quickly and automatically starts when you clean it or restore its power supply. It filters water to provide high dissolved oxygen to the fishes to promote active and healthier life of fish.
It has five stages of filtration and that is chemical, biological, physical and an extra buffer system which promotes life in the aquarium by providing clean and odour free water. It is one of the best small aquarium filter.
Tetra Whisper EX Power Filter
This small fish tank filter is easy to set up, no need to lift as it smoothly comes up. It is very reliable. Furthermore, it continuously discharges to prevent the accumulation of waste in the tank.
This small fish tank filter is simple and comfortable. It performs a maximum of agitation and oxygenation. Because of this reason it is among the best small aquarium filter
Lee’s 13210 10 Original Under Gravel Filter, 10″ x 20″ (Needs an Air Pump)
It is one of the best small aquarium filters. It is made up of hardened plastic that prevents any kind of damage and cracking. This keeps your fish safe and protected. It offers mechanical and biological filtration. Moreover, your fish, plants and shrimp are safe in case of this type of filter because it doesn’t do sucking.
The air pump is necessary to be installed in such a type of small fish tank filter because it provides an easy flow of water. The installation is complicated in this case.
Why do you need a filter in a small fish tank?
There are several reasons why you need a filter even in small fish tanks. The filters provide mechanical, chemical and biological filtration. It means that it protects your fish from any kind of dirt or debris. Moreover, it protects your fish from harmful bacteria that can cause disease.
Furthermore, the chemical filtration protects your fish from toxins such as the high rise of ammonia. The fish in your aquarium releases waste material that needs to be removed from the fish tank otherwise it can cause serious complications if built up in the fish tank.
Filtration also promotes the beneficial oxidation process to increase the life-span of marine life. Even the nano tanks need filters.
Conclusion
After reading this article “Best small aquarium filter” the reader will be able to enlist the best aquarium filters and know about their features. The reader will know what features to consider.
Feel free to ask anything about “Best small aquarium filter” in the comment section below.
FAQ; Best small aquarium filter
Frequently asked questions of “Best small aquarium filter” are:
Is it bad to have a bigger filter for a smaller tank?
No, it is not bad to have a bigger size filter for a smaller tank as long as the water flow is suitable in the tank. Once the water is filtered from the tank all the harmful waste and bacteria are removed from the water and clean water is available to freshwater aquarium fish.
Is it OK to have 2 filters in a fish tank?
Yes, it is fine to have multiple filters if you have a large fish tank. If you have a large fish tank you need to set up the small filters to maximize the filtration rate.
Can a strong filter kill fish?
No, if you are talking about a strong filtration system then it is not harmful to the fishes as it only filters the water and causes no damage to the aquarium and the fishes.
Can you over filter a tank?
No, you cannot over-filter an aquarium, but you can under-filter an aquarium. You should purchase a filter that is designed for an aquarium that is larger than the one you have. It will give you an advantage of increase filtration rate because of the higher capacity of such filter
How many times per hour should I filter my aquarium?
You should filter your aquarium four times per hour to remove all kinds of harmful particles. If you have a 5-gallon fish tank you need a filter that has a speed of 20gph
Is too much filtration bad for an aquarium?
You cannot filter the tank too much, but you can have too much current in the tank. If your betta fish tanks have too much current the fish will be hiding in the eddies.
