Best internal filter for the lowest price?

Jspigs

Jspigs

There is always more to learn
Aug 5, 2009
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I am thinking about getting an internal filter for extra activated carbon filtration. I know activated carbon is not absolutely necessary but I still want to use it to make the water look clearer (the water is tinted brown from tannins).

I already have a canister filter but there is not enough room in it to add any extra carbon (the filter does have a carbon filter pad in it but it is not enough).

I also have a duetto 50 internal filter in the tank but it has a duetto 100 biological filter sponge in it which does not leave room for carbon. Taking out the sponge is not an option.

There is not enough room for a hang on back filter and another external cannister filter is also not an option so the extra filter would ave to be internal.

So my requirements are:

Must be internal!

Must have activated carbon filtration!

Must be cheap (no more than 20 U.S. dollars)!

Optional:

Biofiltration.

I was looking at the Tetra whisper 10i internal filter and it meets all my requirements and even has biofiltration. Would this be good enough as an extra carbon filter?
 
heres what i use i have 10 of these the sponge is removable and it gives you a large basket you can fill with carbon it has a center tube so carbon doesnt get sucked into the pump. I use the carbon that looks like rabbit pellets not the small stuff but you could put the small carbon in a media bag or old nylon and your good to go. total price shipped 19.99
you can also cut the sponge in half and run sponge on bottom of basket and carbon on top it holds quite a bit. I would say no on the tetra they dont hold much and if you overfill the filter bag you block the water flow on the tetra. I tried them and wasnt any good.

http://cgi.ebay.com/JEBO-INTERNAL-P...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230790c9e1
 
I was thinking of something with a lower flow rate (the filter will be going in a 10 gallon aquarium).
 
Jspigs said:
I was thinking of something with a lower flow rate (the filter will be going in a 10 gallon aquarium).
Click to expand...

In that case the whisper one you were talking about will be perfect. Get a mesh bag (sold in most aquarium shops) fill it with carbon and use that instead of the media that comes with the filter. Walmart sells those filters for $10.
 
Get an old-school box filter and an air pump. Put a little gravel in the bottom to weigh it down and fill the rest with carbon or purigen to remove the tannins. Purigen may cost more to start with, but it's reusable.
 
Downside of using activated carbon is that it will also remove all trace elements your plants need, often resulting in an algae bloom, Seachem Purigen will also remove coloration as well as organic waste and is reusable.
 
asgard said:
Downside of using activated carbon is that it will also remove all trace elements your plants need
Click to expand...
prove it. :nono:
 
Carbon loses its effectiveness quickly after being exposed to air, so be sure to only buy as much as you are going to need for the next month or less even. I'd by several smaller airtight containers rather than bulk container to preserve the effectiveness until you need it and but would still allow you to have it on hand. It can be kept in an unopened airtight container for a long time, but the exposure to air is what makes it ineffective. Also, you'll need to replace it often, about every 2 weeks or less.
 
Penn Plax makes a nice little internal filter that's great for carbon filtration. It runs about $12. Nice flow, comes with a spray bar or venturi attachment, adjustable flow, and you can switch the carbon out for something else if you ever want to.
 
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