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I am going to get a new 20 gallon tank. I had a question about what kind of filter I should get. I am sure some are better then others. I know I should get one w/ a bio-wheel but should I get a under-gravel one, one that hangs on the side, etc. Also is it necessary to have an air pump in your aquarium? I was planning on getting mostly mollies in my tank. How many (if any) should I use to cycle my tank?

Thanks

Jamie

P.S. Petsmart sells a 20 gallon start up kit which comes with a heater, filter, lighting and other stuff. (I think its around $80) Is this a good deal or should I pick out my own filter, heater, etc?


Thanks

Jamie

I wouldn't buy those packs as you don't get the exact things you want. etc they sometimes come with bad quality filters and heaters and you are better off, choosing your own.


Bio-wheel filters-I haven't used these but their are great biological fitlers.

Undergravel-I wouldn't use these, not very good.

Hang on back-These are good if you want very clear water, but don't get an AquaClear, as I lost 3 fish to it because the intake tube fell of.

Internal-These are good filters, I use the Eheim AquaBall 2210 which would be a great filter for a 20 gallon.

Canister-very very good, great biological filtration, probably the best type of filtration.

For mollies, I would go with an Eheim Classic 2213 canister filter. Mollies have a quite big bio-load, and canister filter can cope with this. Even though they are pretty pricy, it is worth it! (I have one on my 30 gallon and it is really good. They only need to be cleaned every 3 months!)

I would go with maybe 10 mollies as they are quite big - can get up to 4".

What type of Mollies do you want? Like sailfin are a lot bigger, but balloon are quite small.

For cycling, I would get some pure ammonia from the supermarket and cycle your tank using that. I do not know how much, so you should ask someone else how much to use.

Or you can use a thing called Bio-Start which is made for aquariums and it is a synthetic ammonia. It tells you on the bottle how much to use.

Good Luck! And have fun!

Last edited by labrakitty at 09-Apr-2005 17:39

Not real sure what the internal and canister filters are Only have experience with the hang on the back ones...Could you give me a little more info about these

jamie

Here is a link to a page on an Internal Eheim Aquaball filter:
http://shop.petsmart.com/product/2534374302023693/2534374302023693/845524441808323.htm

Here is a link to another internal filter (fluval):
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441781312&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030565&bmUID=1113086851055

Here is a link to an Eheim classic canister filter:
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441808255&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302035926&bmUID=1113086922329

Here is a link to the fluval canister filter:
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441778596&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030549&bmUID=1113087009102

Just highlight the address then copy and paste it into the web address thing.