do i need a fish tank filter?

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watup

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i just got a 10 gallon fish tank and i got 4 fish a frog and a snail, the people said the snail would clean the tank and so far the water doesnt look dirty so do i need a filter or can i just get more cleaner fish. ive had the tank for a little over a week and the water is fine.
 
If you have a lot of fish, then a filter would make it easier for you. The water in your tank should be kept clean, and a filter will make it be clean for longer. If you don't mind cleaning the tank a little fore frequently, then a filter isn't needed for you.
 
Don't get any more fish, especially "cleaner fish." Plecos, the most common, can get at least 6" depending on the species. And cory cats like to be in groups of 3 or more, I believe.

The snail will clean the tank. However, it's always best to get a filter if you can. A snail can only do so much and there is no fish that will eat another's feces.
 
yes, you need one, cleaner fish only clean up the scraps of food left by the other fish, they dont clean the tank.
 
Just because the water looks clean, doesn't mean it is. You won't see ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates in the water. And, snails don't eat poop....nothing will. Snails will eat mostly algae, and then will move on to any uneaten food or anything decaying on the bottom. But, it's not a good idea to leave anything rotting on the bottom. This will produce ammonia and kill off your animals.

Filters generally provide 3 types of filtration. Mechanical-which is the physical removal of wastes and solids. Biological-which is the conversion of ammonia into nitrites then into nitrates. This is done via beneficial bacteria that grows in the filter media and other objects in the tank. You must have a filter for this, because the beneficial bacteria needs oxygen to survive. And, chemical filtration-which is adding carbon and such to remove certain impurities. I don't use this one in my filters, so this isn't always necessarily going on in the filtration.

And, filters also help to add oxygen into the water. When the waterfall/filter output hits the water, it creates surface agitation. This surface agitation is what allows CO2 to escape and O2 to enter the water. Just using an air stone like some believe, is generally not enough to allow that happen, unless the air stone is close to the surface causing enough surface agitation.

All fish and frogs need a filter. The only exception would be the labrynth fishes-bettas, gouramis, paradise fish, since they have a special organ that allows them to breathe at the surface. However, they really should have a filter as well, for all the above reasons, and when they sleep, they do take in oxygen through their gills through the water.

So, just spend the few bucks, you can get a somewhat decent filter for your tank for about 10-15.00. For a few dollars more, you can get a better quality one-I would do that, and go with a Penguin/Marineland or an Aqua Clear. Also read through this link, will give you more info on the biological part of the filtering. Good luck!

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm


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I use to have a fish tank also. I would get a filter just in case. It doesnt have to be realy exspensive filter, it can be a cheap one. Its always good to have the tank extra clean.
 
The snail will help with algae build up but you should get a filter so the water that is in the tank stays free of dust, chlorine, feces, and other pollutants. The filter also helps bring oxygen into the water by circulating the water and preventing it from becoming stagnant..

I had a fish tank for YEARS with many different kinds of fish and even had snails as well as turtles in mine.
The tank stayed clean of algae because of the snails but I still noticed that the filter really helped with keeping the water pure and safe for my fish and other animals.
I highly recommend you get a filtration system, they are usually less than 15 bucks and they are easy to install and maintain.

hope this helps!!
 
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