Hi Robyn!
I have a 5 gallon tank with 6 little tetras of all types and a platty. It currently only has an undergravel filter in it. Do you think that it would be a good idea to get a hang on back type filter for it? The only reason that I hesitate on getting a filter is because a while ago I got a filter for my 10 gallon aquarium when I had male guppies in there and they ended up getting ick and dying. The lady at the pet store said that it was most likely caused by the introduction of filters containing carbon, but I have no idea if she was right. Have you ever heard of that happening before??

Thanks,
Laura

HI Laura,

I'm not an expert on filters, and I may be wrong, and the petshop lady right, but in all honesty I think this is a typical example of petshop people knowning nothing and trying to look smart.

I could be wrong, but I've never heard of anything like this before :P , carbon filters causing sickness.
I think that if your water stays clear, and your amonia/nitrate levels remain healthy, that it is unneccesary to change your filtration.
Personally I would go for the second option, but what I'm trying to say is, "IF it's not broke, why fix it??"

I don't know wether Robyn agrees with me on this, so rather wait for her more expert and experienced opinion. :D

well i agree. i don't know tho.

.

Each person has their own preference as to the type of aquarium filter that they like. I don't like undergravel filters (UGF's) myself and use hang-on-tank filters instead. I had the UGF's years ago, and I didn't like them. You don't need both but you can have both. The UGF's are OK for lightly stocked tanks. It can be hard to get a good filter for a 5 gallon tank as the smallest hang-on-tank filters may be too powerful, and other filters may be too weak. My 5 gallon tank only has 1 paradise fish in it. The tank used to have a nice old corner filter with floss, carbon, etc. Now, I have had the Stingray filter for a few years. I must say, I think it's a hunk of junk but, since my one paradise fish doesn't need much filtration, it's okay, just hard to change the carbon things (and they're expensive). A good old fashioned, air-driven corner filter can't be beat for small tanks.

Ick is a parasite. Carbon removes chemical impurities. It does not contain anything alive and certainly not ick. I use carbon in all my aquariums, and none of my fish have had ick in a decade. You can treat your fish for ick by adding aquarium salt at a tablespoon per 5 gallons and using an ick medication. Remove any carbon while treating with parasitic medications as the carbon will remove the medication.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice!!

I found a nice hang-on-tank filter that is spefically for a five gallon tank and it is not too expensive, so I think I will try it. I personally don't like the undergravel filters either, but that was all that came with the tank. I used to use one in my goldfish tank a long time ago when I first got them and it didn't do anything, so I really like the kind that hang on the back!! Well, thanks again!

~Laura~