Today, we're going to dive deep into the world of aquarium filters. From the humble sponge filter to the mighty canister filter, we'll explore the pros and cons of each type, helping you make an informed decision for your aquatic habitat.

Sponge Filters: The Under-appreciated Workhorses

Let's kick off our filter journey with sponge filters. These unassuming devices often go unnoticed, but they are fantastic for those on a budget. With the help of an air pump, sponge filters can effectively aerate and filter the water. They are not only inexpensive but also a safe choice for shrimp and baby fish. Many hobbyists use sponge filters for fish breeding or as a cost-effective way to maintain water quality. The primary investment is in a reliable air pump, which can even handle multiple sponge filters, making them ideal for larger setups.

While they are great, sponge filters are not without their drawbacks. They can be noisy due to the air pump and the bubbles breaking the water's surface. Some people may find the aesthetics of sponge filters less appealing, making them unsuitable for meticulously designed aquascapes.

Internal Filters: Compact and Versatile

Internal filters sit inside your aquarium and are excellent choices for smaller tanks. They are also budget-friendly and widely available. Some models come equipped with a spray bar, offering improved surface water movement and a delightful sound of water splashing. However, internal filters have limited space for filter media and may reduce the space available for aquascaping, affecting the types of plants and fish you can keep.

Hang on Back Filters: Space-Efficient and Accessible

Hang on back filters, available in two variations - cartridge and customizable media chamber models, are both space-efficient and accessible. They offer good water movement and are budget-friendly. The customizable media chamber versions allow you to tailor your filter media to your specific needs, reducing the need for regular purchases. However, they can be bulky, and cartridge models require ongoing investments in replacement cartridges.

Canister Filters: Powerful and Customizable

Canister filters, the heavyweights of aquarium filtration, are external filters with tremendous water turnover capabilities. They come with ample space for customizing your filter media and are relatively low maintenance. Canister filters tend to be quiet, making them suitable for bedroom aquariums. However, they come at a higher cost and occupy significant space in your cabinet or on the floor. A rare disadvantage is the potential for catastrophic water loss in case of hose failure.

Sumps: Hidden Powerhouses

Sumps are like chambered aquariums, often hidden beneath your setup. They are powerful and provide a clean, cable-free look for your main aquarium. However, sumps can be intimidating to set up and are relatively expensive. They also require careful consideration of your space and floor support due to their weight.

Which One is The Best Filter for Your Aquarium?

The question of which filter is best ultimately comes down to your specific needs and preferences. All these filters perform the same essential function: filtering water. Choose the one that aligns with your budget, tank size, and design preferences. They all work effectively when properly maintained.

We hope this comprehensive guide to aquarium filters has been helpful. By the way, the best way to keep your aquarium clean is with a healthy parameters and inhabitants. Using KAI, the Felix Smart controller, you can completely automate your aquarium's environment, which helps immensely in the battle of filtration. 

Tips by Dou Mok, Felix Smart Ambassador 

If you're starting a freshwater planted tank, you will inevitably run into the question - do I need CO2 to grow plants? The short answer is no - you actually don't need CO2 to grow plants. The long answer is not for dummies - so I'll leave that to the experts* to discuss. However... "no" doesn't mean that all plants can't benefit from CO2 injection. So, what do you really need to know?

* https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/blogs/choosing-co2-why

Buy things once, right - not twice.

There is no question that you should consider buying and setting up a CO2 system if you are serious about growing plants underwater. There are various options out there, but the one I recommend is the option that involves a CO2 Cylinder and a Regulator with Solenoid. Do your research and buy products from reputable brands so that you can focus your attention on your tank and plants. Injecting CO2 is something you will want to put on a schedule and automate, so that you don't have to manually turn on and off (Use the FelixSmart's Range feature!).

Take things slowly at your own pace.

It might be tempting to add a lot of CO2 in your tank at first, because you want your plants to grow fast, but adding CO2 does come with it's own complexities. With any new element that you add into your tank, you should take things slowly so that you can observe the changes. Start with 1 bubble per second and see what happens after a week. If you have many plants, consider starting with 2. Make sure that your CO2 bubbles are being spread all throughout your tank - this might mean moving your CO2 diffuser underneath your outflow! If your tank is one that develops an oily film on the surface, add a skimmer and set that on a timer (use the Felix Smart's Range feature!). If you have fish, they will appreciate you giving them some time to get used to the CO2.

"The Water Tests" vs. "The Eye Test"

How does one find out if one's tank has enough CO2? You can either test your water parameters (pH/kH) or do an eye test. The eye test is about confirming that your plants are growing by observing whether you see pearling (photosynthesis) or not. George Farmer* describes this best - it happens when plants have the food they need to grow so well that they start to form visible bubbles of oxygen on their leaves. You should be able to observe this happening within 2 hours of your lights turning on if you inject CO2.

If you really want to get into this more, I'll leave you with some verbiage from Tom Barr**: "Adding CO2 increases photosynthesis 10-20X normal rates without adding it, thus the O2 is produced at a much higher rate. This leads to more pearling due to O2 production by the plants. Oxygen is pretty insoluble in water to begin with, CO2 is not. Try and get 50 ppm of O2 into your tank's water sometime. Water is equilibrated with air at 100%(say 7 ppm at 28C), but it's so "saturated" that O2 forms into bubbles and pearls away."

The water test is not for dummies so if you're ready to challenge yourself, here is some advice from Dennis Wong***, author of "Advanced Planted Tank": "As a very general guide, if you have KH values between 1 - 10 dKH, aim for a 1 point relative pH dropfrom the point when CO2 injection is not yet turned on to the time after it has been turned on and CO2 has risen to a high, stable equilibrium point."

If you have a Felix Smart, you can easily monitor the pH through the App as a rough way to gauge your CO2 levels. Practical.

* https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC210QPUiYoCjm9IEuu5SHLQ
** https://barrreport.com/
*** https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/blogs/choosing-co2-why/the-wrong-way-to-read-the-ph-kh-chart

Remember, every tank is different just like we are as humans. The right answer is the one that works for you and your plants - don't feel pressured into doing something that you don't feel comfortable with (or at least do your research!).

By the way, if you're looking to keep your aquarium inhabitants happy and healthy with automation, you should check out the KAI Smart Controller aquarium kits!

A favorite aquascaping material, driftwood has been used by aquarists since the dawn of fish keeping to create beautiful and natural aquascapes within our aquariums. There are a wide variety of woods available, all with unique shapes, colors and textures, making it easy to find a type of driftwood to match your taste. Driftwood, despite being a wonderful decor option, does have a few properties you will want to consider before plunging a choice piece in your aquarium.

 

Tannins

Driftwood, like most plant material, contains tannins. So unless you are trying to achieve a blackwater biotope, you will probably want to mitigate as much of the tannins as you can. Pre-soaking driftwood in hot water for a few hours will help remove a lot of tannins before you put the wood into your aquarium. You can repeat the process several times until the wood has lost the majority of its tannins. If you still end up with some yellow coloration in your aquarium even after you've pre-soaked your wood, a small amount of carbon in your filter can remove the coloration.

 

Wood Floats

Until it becomes waterlogged, most driftwood will want to float, although some types of wood are denser than others and may naturally want to sink. When aquascaping with wood, it can be beneficial to mount the wood to a piece of slate, or other rock, to help keep it in place while it slowly absorbs water and naturally weighs itself down. Alternatively, pre-soaking the wood until it sinks is a great way to make sure the aquascape you worked hard to achieve does not float away as you fill the aquarium!

 

Breaking Down

Wood is organic and that means it will break down over time. How quickly it breaks down will depend on a number of factors, but on average, most driftwood will begin to show signs of deterioration as early as 2 years after being submerged and may need replacing after roughly 5 years. As the wood begins to deteriorate, the outside of the wood will start to feel soft and fall away in the form of fluffy, muddy debris. This debris can build up on the substrate of the aquarium and resemble piles of fish waste. It will often be sucked up by the filter and can clog mechanical media with a dark brown mud. If the rate of deterioration is making aquarium and filter maintenance difficult, it is likely time to replace the driftwood in the tank. This might seem unfortunate, but it gives you the opportunity to re-scape your aquarium and try something new, be it another driftwood showpiece, or something more permanent like dragon stone!

 

With these considerations in mind, working with driftwood to create beautiful aquascapes and biotopes can be a fun and rewarding process!

By the way, if you're looking for a way to automate your aquarium, you should check out the KAI Smart Controller aquarium kits!