There are three basic types of filter media to consider when deciding which to use inside your aquarium filter: Biological media This type of media is most common in the form of ceramic or glass noodles and bio balls. The sole purpose of this media is to facilitate the growth of bacteria to break down [...]

It’s been a busy month of vigorous growth in the Walstad tank. Algae is on the slow retreat, the front glass used to get green film over it in just a few days now it’s about 3 weeks and it’s due for a wipe. Hopefully this gets longer and longer as the plants out compete [...]

The tank has been up and running for about 5 weeks now. I did some tests today and everything seemed to be doing fine considering I haven’t done a waterchange now in over a month. Nitrate: about 7 (goal is

Ok, so you’ve bought all your equipment and now it’s time to set up your tank. The following can be applied to any freshwater setup but I’ve specifically included some points relative to fancy goldfish as they do need some extra precaution. It helps to draw up a plan on some scrap paper of how [...]

One of the biggest dilemmas a goldfish keeper can have is the want to keep healthy plants in unison with your goldfish. The benefits of plants are that they attractive to look at, help with biological filtration and I find allow the fish to display a more natural behaviour. When I initially set up my [...]

A canister filter is without a doubt the best type of filtration for a goldfish tank. A canister filter is essentially a hose fed “box” that houses copious amount of mechanical and biological filtration with the choice of exactly how you want to filter your tank. Because of their design and the fact they are [...]

HOB filters *insert drum roll here* literally hang on the back of a tank. They are somewhere inbetween canister and internal filters. They offer good bang for buck and are definitely a step up from internal filters as they introduce seperate biological filtration but not on the powerhouse level a canister filter does. The two [...]

Internal power filters are the most common type of filter sold today, probably due to the fact they are ideal for tanks on the smaller side which most people start off with. An internal/power (I’ll refer to them as internal filters from here on out) filter is basically a water pump with a foam/sponge filter [...]

Some people have great success with goldfish and undergravel filters, I personally think it’s not worth the bother. Cleaning difficulty is the number one concern when running an under gravel filter. For their size, goldfish are quite the messy fish and I find my gravel collects enough gunk on it’s own without actively pushing water [...]

After tank size, filtration is the most important equipment choice when it comes to keeping goldfish. A filter keeps your water clean, and not just in a ‘my water is clear’ sense. Inside a fish tank filter biological reactions take place converting waste and toxins in the water into the less harmful Nitrate. The two [...]