Keeping pets requires a lot of responsibility. It increases doubly, when it comes to aquatic organisms, such as fish. Pleasing the eye and soul with their appearance, they need constant care and guardianship, because various factors can harm their well-being. The main condition for their longevity is a comfortable aquarium and clean water in it. In order to rid it of pollution, it is necessary to install a filter. At present, their diversity is so great that it is easy to get confused. This article can help you make the right filter choice for your aquarium. Despite the fact that a lot of them are sold in pet stores, they are not identical to each other. It will not be superfluous to also learn how to correctly install the filter in the aquarium, care for it and much more.
What is an aquarium filter?
This is a design that is installed either inside the aquarium or next to it. It consists of a compartment for the filter material and an electric pump, which facilitates the movement of water and various excipients. They are based on materials that trap debris, chemicals or special bacteria. Each filtering method has its own strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the choice takes into account the volume of water that the aquarium filter can process without replacing elements in accordance with the dimensions of the tank.
external filters
Suitable for compact aquariums as well as for large ones. In most cases, they are equipped with fairly capacious canisters, which makes it possible to use several types of fillers, which allows for better water purification. In addition, the location of the device outside the aquarium will not occupy its useful area and scare away fish with excessive noise.
Two hoses are attached to the canister. One of them is for collecting dirty water, it is connected at the other end to the pump, and the second for supplying it to the aquarium after cleaning. Compared to other types, these filters are more expensive, but these costs pay off. Proper installation of the filter in the aquarium and the use of high-quality materials will allow cleaning the container once every 5-6 months.
internal filter
It is advisable to use it in small aquariums, the volume of which does not exceed 70-90 liters. These samples have a low cost and are also easy to assemble and install. They are particularly appreciated by those customers who are just beginning to get acquainted with the rules of the aquarium installation and maintenance of fish. The main drawback of these filters - they are designed for a small amount of water, therefore, require more frequent cleaning. Small dimensions make it possible to use only one type of filler. You need to take care of masking the filter, for example, using aquatic plants, so that its design does not scare away fish.
Bottom aquarium filter
It consists of drainage pipes, a pump and a porous plate on which a layer of soil is placed. The main advantage of this filter is invisibility, which allows the fish to feel comfortable, and the interior of the room and the aquarium is not disturbed by unnecessary details. However, it is rarely used, mainly only in the smallest aquariums. The main disadvantages:
- To clean the filter, it is necessary to completely free the aquarium of water and temporarily relocate the fish.
- Too much water circulation at the bottom can harm plants because it over-saturates them with oxygen.
Filtering methods
- Mechanical. Its main task - to rid the tank of debris and waste, create a primary purity. For this, filters made of porous materials are used that best trap all kinds of debris. This cleaning method should be used in combination with others, because getting rid of clogging alone is not enough to maintain proper water quality.
- Chemical. Helps purify water from harmful chemical impurities that eventually appear in water. These are, first of all, chlorine, nitrogen-containing poisons, heavy metals and drug residues. Best of all, activated carbon can cope with this as the most budget option, as well as zeolite resin. This method allows for deeper cleaning, which will allow the inhabitants of the aquarium to remain healthy.
- Biological. Its task is the reproduction of special bacteria that rid water of ammonia harmful to fish. To do this, you do not need to populate them from the outside, in a small amount these bacteria are already in the aquarium. It is only necessary to create the necessary conditions for their life. The use of fillers, which tend to enrich water with oxygen, can help. In this regard, plastic, synthetic winterizer, pebbles, foam rubber, bioceramics have proven themselves best.
- Combined. Some models of filters have capacious canisters, which allows you to use several types of filler at once, so that multi-stage water treatment will be carried out. You can use factory designs, or you can make them yourself - everyone decides for himself.
How to choose a filter?
To get the right device, you need to know the parameters of the aquarium. It has already been noted above that it makes sense to choose an internal or mounted filter only for compact tanks, because these treatment plants are not designed to process large volumes of water.
For aquariums that contain 100 liters or more of water, only external filters with multi-stage cleaning are suitable. In some cases, it is advisable to install several filters, but it is unlikely that such bulky aquariums are found in residential buildings often.
An important parameter is the power of the pump. It should be selected in such a way that it can process 4-5 volumes of the aquarium per hour. Filters of lesser power will not be able to maintain the necessary purity of water, especially if the number of fish is too large.
Aquarium Filter Manufacturers
- Aquael - Polish company which manufactures predominantly internal filters for aquariums up to 100 liters. Despite the fact that they are not silent, prized by aquarists for the reliability and quality of treatment. Installing a filter in an aquarium does not take much time. When buying, you should check the tightness of the structure so that when using the parts do not loosen.
- Chinese companies Dennerle, Jebo, Resun, Sobo produce internal filters that will please with low price and noiselessness, but their quality can be found in different ways. Fakes quite often come across, so if you buy them, then only in specialized stores with a good reputation.
- The canister filter for the Tetra aquarium (Tetratec) is the most popular among German devices. They are silent, are designed for a multi-stage cleaning, maintenance and purchase of components does not cause problems. Some of them have sensors to control the temperature of the water. Check the quality of the fasteners more carefully to prevent future leaks.
- Eheim. These filters are in many respects similar to the previous brand in terms of efficiency and quality; there are models for aquariums of any size. The price for them is quite high. In addition, it may be difficult to find spare parts.
Installing a water filter in an aquarium
Installation of the internal filter in the aquarium is carried out using special suction cups. The device should be completely immersed in water, the distance between its surface and the filter should be at least 5 cm. Only the tube through which oxygen is supplied is exposed to the outside. Keep in mind that during installation, the filter must not be connected to the mains to avoid electric shock. In order to adjust the air circulation sensor, you should know what breed of fish will live in the aquarium. One of them needs a more intense course, and the other a slower one.
Installation of an external filter in the aquarium begins with assembly in accordance with the instructions. If it is multi-stage, it is important to fix the cartridges in the correct sequence: the porous material for mechanical cleaning is placed at the very bottom, then a biological filler of fine-porous material and a chemical one are installed. The final step is to connect the tubes and fill the filter with water. After that, the device can be connected to the network.
Filter cleaning
The frequency of its conduct depends on the number of inhabitants of the aquarium. On average, the internal filter is cleaned once a month, and the external filter once every two to three months. Care should be taken when cleaning the biological filler so as not to destroy beneficial bacteria. The processing of this element is carried out in aquarium water. The remaining elements can be washed with tap water using a brush. In this case, you can not use disinfectants, their traces can get into the aquarium and pose a threat to the health of the fish.
Useful Tips
- You can not connect the filter to the network without immersion in the aquarium, its electrical system without water quickly overheats.
- You cannot turn off the filter for a long period of time. In this case, the threat to the inhabitants of the aquarium is not only dirty water, the filter itself can also cause harm, which turns on after a break without rinsing. Pathogenic bacteria can form there, which will instantly lead to the death of the fish.
- Do not place the external filter and the aquarium in places where direct sunlight falls. Excessive heating will contribute to the formation of harmful chemical impurities in the aquarium, the propagation of toxic algae.
- If several filters are used in a large aquarium and it is time to clean them, it is recommended to process them one at a time, this will help maintain the correct bio-balance of the entire aquarium system.
- Do not rinse the filter construction elements under a direct stream of water, boiling water is contraindicated.
Conclusion
Installing a filter in an aquarium is an obligatory point in its arrangement. Without it, the fish will not last long. You need to know how to place the filter in the aquarium, how to keep it clean, what fillers to use. Following the recommendations of the article, you can avoid unnecessary errors associated with the selection, use, and care for them. The optimal ratio of the volume of the aquarium with the type and power of the filter, the choice of the right method of water purification, timely care for all components will avoid many problems and unnecessary financial costs for medicines. For such responsibility, the water inhabitants will certainly thank, will delight the eye and soul, not only for many months, but also for years.