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Choosing the Right Equipment for Your Aquarium
Choosing the right equipment for your tropical aquarium can be a challenge. In any aquarium store there is a wide range of equipment so lets have a look at the different parts needed for your aquarium and help you make the right choices. Some aquariums will come with all the essential equipment for setting up including heating, lighting and filters but you will also need to purchase other equipment for maintenance. For example gravel cleaners and algae pads. However the most important, and expensive, equipment after you have purchased the tank is the heating, lighting and filter systems. How do Filters Work Aquarium Filters are essential for keeping your tank clean and free of toxic waste products. Three principals are used. Mechanical filtration removes debris by filtering water through a sponge to trap the debris, which can then be removed when the sponge is cleaned. Removal of floating debris is the least important part of the filters job. The main filtration needed is biological filtration to remove ammonia produced by the fish. Ammonia is toxic to the fish and will damage or kill them if nor removed. Bacteria growing on the filter process the ammonia and convert it to nitrites which are then converted to the relatively harmless nitrates by other bacteria. Encourage the growth of the bacteria by cycling the tank before you add the fish. A filter with a large surface area is needed to provide plenty of room for a large colony of bacteria to grow. Filter Types For tropical tanks three types of filters are commonly used, undergravel, internal and external. An undergravel filter draws water through the gravel and out through a tube back into the aquarium, powered by a small pump. The gravel is both a mechanical filter, filtering small pieces of debris and a biological filter. Bacteria grow on the large surface area provided by the gravel. Undergravel filters are easily maintained but can interfere with plant growth as the continual movement of water is not good for the plant roots. Internal filters Internal filters consist of a container with a sponge medium through which water is drawn by a small pump. The sponge acts as both a mechanical and biological filter. Internal filters are very popular and easy to maintain and are becoming more popular than undergravel filters. External filters These are similar to internal filters but placed n the outside of the tank and are usually bigger. Water is drawn through the external filter via a tube and then returned to the tank. External filters can cope with larger tanks or more densely stocked tanks than internal filters. As they are outside the tank they can be hidden effectively in the tank housing giving a better look to the tank. Heaterstats Heaterstats are combined heaters and thermostats to keep your tank at the correct temperature. All heaterstats are essentially the same, some are more expensive than others and will have a longer guarantee period and usually will be more reliable. Ensure that the heaterstat is the correct size for your tank as a too small heater may not keep the temperature high enough and a too large heater may become overheated. Pumps Aerating the tank is vitally important as fish need dissolved oxygen and the bacteria also need oxygen to thrive. The surface of the tank is where oxygen is absorbed and carbon dioxide released. The larger the surface area and the greater the surface movement the higher the rate of exchange. Increasing the surface movement by air bubbles from an air pump will be beneficial to both the fish and the bacteria. An air pump is also used to drive water through the filter. Ensure that the aquarium pump is sufficient in size for the tank and choose as quiet pump as possible. Lighting Specially developed fluorescent tubes are the most popular type of lighting for tropical aquariums. Fluorescent tubes are cooler when running than other types and are relatively cheap to run. There are a number of different colours and types available. Some are designed to stimulate plant growth, others to enhance the colours of the fish. A full spectrum white light is suitable for both a pleasing appearance and plant growth. |
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Selecting the appropriate filter for your aquarium is very important as not just any aquarium filter will do. There are at least 150 different fish tank filters present in the market and all these filters are offered by the most trusted and top selling brands. When considering all these filters one has to check out the fish tank filter that most suits your tank. http://fish-tank-filters.com
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This intel was contributed by janetra
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February, 2012
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