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Installing Filter in Your Aquarium
All aquariums should have some form of filtration system to keep the water clean and healthy for the fishes. There are several types of filter sand something to fit every need and every pocket. Filters work in three ways: mechanical, chemical and biological .Basically speaking, a mechanical filter removes large particles suspended in the water, a chemical filter changes the chemical balance of the water,and a biological filter harnesses the cleansing power of colonies of beneficial bacteria to purify the water that flows through it. In practical terms, a simple biological filter performs all three types of filtration at the same time. By far the best all-round biological filter is an under gravel filter. This usually consists of a corrugated piece of plastic with small holes or slot sin it. In one corner there is a large round hole in which a plastic uplift tube fits. The whole thing is placed on the bottom of the tank and covered with a layer of gravel substrate to a depth of about 5-7.5cm(2-3in). When the tank is filled with water and an airline is placed down the uplift tube and connected to an air pump, the air bubbles rising to the surface in the tube draw water up with them and set up a flow of water down through the gravel layer over the entire base of the tank. In effect, the gravel acts like a tank-wide filter bed. Not only does this strain out suspended particles, but after a few hours, colonies of useful aerobic bacteria start to develop in the oxygen-rich conditions in the gravel, and over a period of weeks these will multiply and do battle with any harmful bacteria and chemical waste products. Instead of using rising air to power this type of filter system, a water pump can befitted on the top of the uplift tube. This so-called 'power head' increases the flow rate through the filter bed and up to a point improves the efficiency of its filtration action. Another type of filter is the external power filter. External power filters are usually canisters with an electrically driven water pump on top that draws water out of the tank, through the filter body and back into the tank. If the power filter is filled with coarse gravel, it will working exactly the same way as the under gravel filter. Various alternative biological filter media are available; these are usually little ceramic rings or complicated plastic shapes with a large surface area for bacteria to grow on. External power filters are very versatile and when filled with suitable medium, such as sponge or aquarium floss, they can also bemused as mechanical filters. In fact, a good combination is to use an external power filter to mechanically clean up the water that flows through an under gravel filter in the tank. Other types of mechanical filter include simple power filters that fit inside the tank and air-powered box filters filled with aquarium floss that also go inside the aquarium. There are also sponge filters; these have their own air uplift and draw water through a cylinder of sponge. These give good mechanical filtration with quite a bit of biological action as bacteria grow within the sponge. The air supply for filters comes from an air pump. These are obtainable from aquarium shops in a range of types and prices. Some make more noise than others and this may be an important consideration for a tank set up in the living room. Do not be tempted tousle air pumps intended for anything other than aquariums; these pump scan have oils in them and if fish come in contact with oils of any type,they will die. Your aquarium dealer will be able to supply you with clear plastic tubing - universally called airline - which attaches to the pump and runs to the aquarium. The dealer will also supply valves, T-pieces and clamps so that you can run several airlines from one pump and adjust the air flow to various pieces of equipment as required.Make sure that your pump is placed above the water level so that if for any reason the pump should stop, water will not siphon back through it and onto the floor. If you cannot place the pump above the water level Aquarium gravel is the best overall choice as a substrate. Sand is not ideal as the grains will clog together and stop water flowing through the under gravel filter plate. Before putting the gravel into the tank, wash it very thoroughly(without using soap) until the water running away from it is clear. Cover the filter plate with al ayer of aquarium gravel about5-7.Scm(2-3in) deep. Avoid gravel used for building purposes as this may have stones which are not suitable for tank use. Pick a gravel with a particle size relevant to your fish, i.e. small gravel for small fish and larger gravel for larger fish. What total heater rating will my aquarium need? These recommendations are based on allowing 10watts of heating per 4.5litres( 1 gallon) of water to maintain a temperature of24'C(75°F) in a normally heated room. Since aquarium heaters are usually rated in multiples of50 watts, the next highest rating has been suggested.Of course, you can fit two or more heaters of lower ratings to make up the figure. >then fit a non-return valve in the airline near your pump. This will allow air to pass towards the tank but stops water flowing back.An air supply is also needed in the tank in order to help the fish breathe. This is usually accomplished by passing air from the pump through an air stone that splits the air into masses of tiny bubbles. The rising column of bubbles moves the water around and, in doing so,helps it to absorb oxygen from the surface. There are many types and sizes of air stones; some are pieces of wood, others consist of sand particles glued together. Some dramatic effects can be created by positioning air stones so that they bubble up from under rocks or from underneath the layer of gravel on the base of the aquarium.
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