It is not easy to consider the best filter for 30 gallon aquarium, which is to maintain the cleanliness of your tank, provide adequate filtration and take less effort to clean the tank.
A fish tank needs to have proper filtration in order for the good water condition, the health and survival of the fish.
However, there are many types of these products on the market, so choosing one can be confusing for beginners, who do not have any experience in buying filters for 30 gallons tank.
The following is about two filers for 30 gallons tank that we want to recommend for you: Penn Plax Cascade Canister Filter VS AquaClear Power Filter.
#1 Water-flow rate
The Water-flow rate is the amount of water that the fish tank filter can move every single hour. It is very important to check the flow rate since it will determine how efficient the filter is.
For 30 gallons tank, it is better to get a filter that can be able to move at least 3 times all the water of the tank in one hour. That means 30 gallons tank should have a filter can process at least 90 gallons water per hour.
Penn Plax is an ideal filter for any 30 gallons with a flow rate of 115 GPH. So it can filter the entirety water of 30 gallons tank for almost 4 times per hour. AquaClearn has a flow rate of 200 GPH, which means it can filter 7 times of the tank per hour.
These two filters also come with the flow rate control valves. This allows users to set the flow rate at the ideal filtration level for your fish and your tank. You will not have to worry if the flow rate is too strong for your fish.
#2 Filtration process
Ideally, you should get the filters that offer three filter media. They are mechanical, biological and chemical filtration. Each filter media produce its own filter effect that can help your keep the cleanliness of the tank, remove harmful chemicals and support the colonization of good bacteria.
Penn Plax includes 3 filter media above. Floss pad is used to remove any particular that contained in the water, and a coarse sponge that provides an abundant surface for encouraging bacterial growth.
AquaClear also engages in all 3 major types of filtration. It is featured with Aqua Clear Foam, Activated Carbon and BioMax and Cycle Guard for continuous biological filtration.
#3 Easy to install and use
If you do not have much experience with the tank filters, so you should choose the easy-to-install device. The drawback of Penn Plax Filter is that it is Canister filter so it will take your space inside the tank and reduce the living space of your fish.
However, it has an easy off the top and easy to handle tubing. Penn Pax also easy to use, you just need to push a button to control this device.
AquaClear is the hang on back filter that means it will not take any space inside your tank. This device also comes with a few pieces that you will need to put together. It may take you some effort to install, but due to this feature, it also easier to clean and maintain.