Filters & Media

Beware of Tank Peak

Above: a tank at peak. When tanks reach their ‘instagram moment’, it unfortunately also signals that (a) trimming and/or (b) replanting is soon due. In reality, planted tanks are crop-fields, not perennial forests. They look best when they fill the tank. But this peak also marks the ‘point of harvest’. If we do not remove […]

Tank cycling and biological maturity in planted aquariums

Biofiltration 101 The decomposition of waste products in a tank happen in many stages. Fish & plants (yes, plants too, in the form of old leaves and old plant parts) excrete organic waste in the form of waste proteins, amino acids, cellular lining, dead cells, fiber, urea and other organic by products. Snails, shrimps and other detritus […]

Should I bother cycling a planted tank before planting?

Should I bother cycling a planted tank before planting?

Activated Carbon & Chemical Media, are these useful for planted tanks?

Activated Carbon, purigen, are these useful for planted tanks?

6 features of an ideal planted tank filter

6 features of an ideal planted tank filter

Jump Start Method

Seeding an aquarium is an age old method for jump starting the biological colonies in a new aquarium. A cup of gravel from a stable, established tank is placed in a bag and put into the filter. Another option is to take the foam insert from an established filter and place in the new filter Seeding an Aquarium Seeding an aquarium is an age old method […]

Larger Size of an External Canister Filter

When using a single type of filter media such as Lava Chips or Ceramic Rings or Bio Rio, the only way to obtain a larger surface area for bacterial colonization is to increase the quantity of filter media. The external canister filter, which is the main type of filtration system used for Nature Aquarium, consists […]

Required Filtration Capacity for Large Aquariums

It is generally considered that the water in larger tanks does not get very dirty and the water quality is more stable compared to smaller tanks.  However,  there is a  requirement  to achieve this. In Nature Aquarium, the water becomes dirty mainly due to the feces of fish and shrimp as well as the leftover […]

New Tank Syndrome – The Diatoms

The algae that are generally called “brown algae” are diatoms. This type of algae grows only during  a  limited period of time and for the Nature Aquarium, it is usually about two weeks after the aquarium was set  up. After diatoms  are  observed in the aquarium, green algae will grow on the diatoms using them […]

Selecting outflow pipe by desired water flow

For Nature Aquarium,  the Lily pipe with  its unique shape is used as the outflow pipe to achieve  a  sufficiently  moderate  flow  of the water from the  external filter. The Lily Pipe eases strong water flow with its trumpet-like outflow port. If exposed to excessively strong water flow, aquatic plants planted in aquarium can fall  out […]

Filter Installation & Maintenance

Good branded Canister which is equipped  with a pump of high pumping  capacity, which has an excellent feature in that a high water flow rate can be maintained  even when  it  is  subjected  to water  resistance  caused by the filter  media. This feature allows the use of fine grains of biological media as a filter […]

Making Effective Use of Filter Media

The External Canister delivers an adequate filtration  capacity just with the  filter  media provided. However, it takes some time to experience a sufficient filtration effect when a new tank and new filter are installed at the same time. Filter Media Like Bio Rio or Lava Chips provided with the filtration system is a set of […]

Filtration System of Nature Aquarium

The basic concept of Nature Aquarium, that is, making use of diverse living organisms including  aquatic  plants, mud  snail and Cardina japonica for water purification. Although  it  is  impossible to reproduce  the natural ecosystem  exactly as it  within  the limited  space of a  tank, the essence of the ecosystem can be extracted and rebuilt in […]

Do aquarium bacteria starter in a bottle work?

Do aquarium bacteria starter in a bottle work?

Filter media layout and sequence for planted tank

Filter media layout and sequence for planted tank

Filter designs to avoid

Filter designs to avoid

The definitive guide to filter media in planted tank

The definitive guide to filter media in planted tank

Planted tank with no filter ?

Planted tank with no filter ?

Oase Biomaster 300 Dissection

Oase Biomaster 300 Dissection

Is a larger plant tank always better because it is more stable?

Is a larger plant tank always better because it is more stable?

Small tanks can be impactful too

Small tanks can be impactful too