external filter....good bacteria....ammonia

[longbrro]

hello there.....wht is your opinion about external filter ???.....is it better than the internal one ??.....should i put stones and sponge to it to make the good bacteria came to life ??......and what is your opinion about buying some good bacteria from the market ...is it good and works for my tank or is it just a brand to get money from ??.........does the good bacteria helps remove ammonia ??....and does the external filter better to reduce ammonia from the water and wht filter power should i get to my 180 liter tank ?

 

[Blueiz]

IME, the store bought bacteria is not any good, I would stay away from it.

As far as which filter you choose, an external hang on back filter will filter the water just as an internal filter and a cannister filter. I prefer the cannister filters myself, I think they are more efficient and I don't like the way an hob looks or the sound of water flowing into the tank.

You can add different filter media to it, such as bio rings, sponge, floss, etc to give the good bacteria more places to attach. Your tank needs to go through the nitrogen cycle.

Check this link out http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html

 

[longbrro]

hi there....thanks for your replay.....i bought this filter : http://images.gittigidiyor.com/2206/DOLPHIN-C-1000-DIS-FILTRE-asgarisiz__22068688_0.jpg

and this is the best brand i found in my country....i didnt find better one ( sera or eheim )....it is made in china but it is good brand....
any advices ?

 

[cabezon]

that looks like an eheim copy. if it works it will be great. Some copies from China are good, some are...

you want to find used material from an established tank. If you have a friend with a fish tank, get a used filter pad from him or take some of his gravel. It only takes a little. then have an ammonia source, either raw shrimp or bottled ammonia without surfactants. shake the bottle, if there is soapy bubbles, it is no good for your tank.