How to install the filter in the aquarium?

The aquarium filter is an indispensable element in any aquarium. It performs mechanical and bio-treatment, and also favors oxygen saturation. The choice of filters in retail outlets is huge, so it will be easy to purchase a device. But with mounting there may be problems. The installation of an aquarium filter element for most inexperienced aquarists is a real challenge.

Alas, not always according to the annotation attached to the unit, you can navigate in the subtleties. The installation order will be different for the internal and external (external) filter elements, but anyone can really handle the task.

The preparatory process includes several actions.

1. First of all, you need to prepare dry rags, because not every time it turns out to eliminate the leakage of water.
2. We free the device from packaging and take out all the contents. Without fail, the complete set must include: the device itself, fillers, plastic water bends, internal sponges, hoses.
3. Before assembly, it is necessary to check whether all components are spotlessly dry. The assembly of the external (external) filter is carried out according to the manufacturer's instructions. Be sure to follow the established procedure. The taps on the cover must be in the closed position.
4. Now you can do the preparation of external elements so that you can release and take water. An element of the fence is a long tube, rounded at the end. One end must be lowered into the aquarium.The withdrawal device is a curved short tube, it is installed at the other end of the aquarium. It is imperative to measure the size of the tubes so that their length is enough to the pedestal.
5. Before installing the device, it is necessary to fill at least 50% of the aquarium with water, since the cleaning equipment is used exclusively in filled form.

Determining the right place for the filter element depends on the characteristics of the aquarium, its dimensions and configuration. As a rule, filtering devices are fixed to the side wall of the tank, near the rear window, so as not to interfere with the life of local residents. If the filter element is internal, then there is a special mark on it, indicating a ban on immersion too deep so that it does not touch the bottom.

The range of filters is very large, so you need to know all the nuances of installing various types of filters.

Installation of the filter element in the aquarium is not a particularly difficult procedure, you only need to calculate in which place this equipment will be placed. As a rule, it is placed in a curbstone under the aquarium; for this, the holes required for laying hoses are drilled in the rear wall of the furniture.

The filter will need to be assembled in strict accordance with the practical manual. All sponges and a specialized nutrient medium (substrate) are laid in the filter cavity for biochemical water purification. Tubes are placed in the aquarium for inlet and outlet, which must remain under water. With the correct installation of the filter in the aquarium, the equipment should be located below the bottom, which will make it possible to guarantee maximum pump performance.

The filter must be installed in its permanent place, then by means of a manual mechanical pump to pump the system, trying to remove air from the tubes and the housing as much as possible. Only a few presses of the mechanical pump are necessary, as a result of which the liquid medium will spontaneously move along the inlet tube, expelling air from the filter element. After the body is completely filled with water, air will stop coming out of the exhaust pipe.

If the filter does not start or operates at low power, this indicates the presence of an air plug in the system, therefore, it will be necessary to remove air from the tubes and the casing. For this purpose, already on a working filter, several times press the button of a mechanical pump, which makes it possible to squeeze out air from the system.

A small amount of air may linger inside the case, which will begin to gurgle. In order to finally end such small bubbles, you must carefully pry the filter and bend it from side to side.

Starting to work at its full capacity, the device immediately activates the mechanical treatment of water. But biochemical filtration, when nitrates and nitrites are removed, starts approximately a month after the start of equipment. During this period, colonies of chemosynthetic bacteria that are responsible for the chemical purification of water will settle on the applied nutrient medium.

Installation of an internal filter element in an aquarium is characterized by simplicity.This device does not need to purchase additional equipment or modernization, and most of the models can be delivered both vertically and horizontally. In this regard, regardless of the modification, the filter is assembled in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

1. Acquaintance with the device. The correct installation of any filter starts with an audit of its completeness and reading of a practical guide. It is advisable to do this before purchasing the device. If you are unsure of your own technical abilities, it is worth asking the sales assistant personally to show you the assembly procedure or to describe it in detail.
2. Assembly fixtures. In fact, all internal filtering devices are assembled according to a single method. First of all, you need to place the filter material in the "glass" of the apparatus. Then, if it involves a structure, insert the rotor into the pump. Fix the pump to the cup and connect the air exchange tube.
3. For certain modifications, the mounting plate is isolated from the casing. Insert the clamps of the “glass” into the recesses provided on it and place the suction cups in the appropriate connectors. Everything is prepared for mounting the filter in the aquarium.
4. After the filter is ready for installation, do not rush to put it in the aquarium. First of all, all inhabitants are evicted from it in a separate container. The operation is not necessary, but if the purchased device is endowed with factory defects, then when it is connected, the pets have every chance of suffering. Professional aquarists advise not to jeopardize the health of the fish, and place them temporarily in the hider, and then install the internal filter in the aquarium.
5. Fixation apparatus. In fact, all aquarium filters are fixed to the tank wall with suction cups. It is only necessary to press them to the surface of the glass and press firmly. Submersible filtering devices must remain completely under the water surface - never turn on the filter if it peeks out of the water. The ideal depth of the filter element is 2-5 centimeters from the surface. Standard internal samples have a transparent flexible air exchange tube. Its function is to supply air, so one end of the tube is connected to the device, and the other must be in the open.
6. First start. Switching on at the completion of installation of the filter in the aquarium basically means working in test mode. Therefore, it is desirable to monitor the functioning of the filtering device. Adjust dive depth.
7. Power setting. During the first start-up or immediately after that, it is required to turn the dimmer to medium parameters. Subsequent adjustment should be carried out, taking into account the volume of the aquarium, its level of contamination and, of course, the habits of its inhabitants. Individual fish, for example, with small and weak fins, do not withstand an extremely powerful current.

The bottom water filter should be located at the bottom of the aquarium. This type is chosen by the owners of large aquariums with a small amount of underwater flora. The device itself looks like a thin plate with a filtering filler, and a large number of holes through which water passes.

A large number of aquarists believe that the bottom filter element, simply located at the bottom, is enough for the eyes. Nevertheless, the filter needs to be mounted, and not placed on the substrate.

The bottom device in the aquarium - installation procedure:

1. all soil is removed from the selected site at the bottom of the aquarium so that the base is 100% bare;
2. the bottom filter is carefully placed at the bottom;
3. the device is covered over the ground so that the device does not spoil the appearance of the aquarium;
4. start the device.

The device for biological cleaning of the aquarium operates due to special bacteria that absorb hydrogen nitride, which forms during the life of the inhabitants.

The biofilter can be easily manufactured independently. And we will consider the installation of exactly a home-made model called the "bottle". Its size depends on the volume of the aquarium.

To install such a device:

• make holes in the bottom of the bottle so that the water gets inside;
• wrap this place with elastic polyurethane foam (foam rubber);
• fasten by means of plastic collars in order to prevent excess pollution of gravel;
• pour about half the filler into the bottle;
• through the neck from the top, lead the compressor aerator tube;
• thanks to the “airlift”, water will be sucked out of the bottle, and fresh, untreated water will arrive through its bottom.

Do not associate the phytophilos with a biological purifier. The principle of a phytofilter is that vegetation does not grow in water, but on the surface. And only its roots are in the water, purifying it.

The simplest phytofilter structure is a tray with plants, mounted on the wall of the aquarium. Ordinary indoor vegetation is planted in the prepared nutrient medium in a tray with holes. Then the tray is fixed to the wall of the aquarium, and a stream of water from the aquarium passes through it.

Another variation of this device is a vegetation tank integrated into the lid of the aquarium.

The main thing that the aquarium filter requires is a constant cleaning of the filter components from dirt accumulated in them. The principle here is this: the smaller the size of the filter elements and the higher the load on the device, the sooner it becomes dirty and the more often needs to be cleaned. Basically, cleaning the internal filter device in an ordinary aquarium is performed approximately once a week.

Cleaning an external device - 1-2 times a month. The most accurate cyclicity is calculated in each option personally based on the characteristics of the entire aquasystem as a whole.

The cleaning procedure should be carried out to the maximum quickly, in a gentle mode and exclusively in the water taken from the aquarium. Everything is very simple. The main value in the cleaning material is the colonies of microorganisms involved in the biological cleaning process, and the main goal in cleaning the filter media is, on the one hand, to eliminate debris and dirt accumulated in the filler, and on the other, to minimize damage to the microorganism colony, which is located in those places. The minor damage is caused to microorganisms, the sooner the filter will resume its ability to biological treatment.

And in conclusion, an extremely important recommendation that novice aquarists sometimes forget about - the filter must function non-stop. It can only be turned off during cleaning and rinsing of cleaning elements.

See how to properly install the filter in the aquarium in the next video.