Tropical Fish Site

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Filtering The Malawi Fish Tank Aquarium

One of the key parts of keeping any tropical fish is the filtration you use and although Malawi Cichlids are very hardy and can generally stand a range of water parameters, it is always best to give them the best environment possible. Malawi Cichlids also tend to be aggressive and although the Aulonocara we plan on keeping in this tank are quite timid, it is still advisable to overstock them so over filtration is an absolute must.
jbl-micromec-2

The tank that we are using is a Fluval Roma 240 which is 240 litres. We wanted to be sure that we are as safe as possible so running 2 filters is of great importance and each filter must be more than capable of filtering our tank on it’s own, just in case one of them failed. It was decided upon to use the Fluval 405 filters as these are rated for aquariums up to 400 litres so with 2 of these we are hitting 800 litres which is over 3 times the size of our aquarium and should one fail, we are still over filtering the tank.

Fluval 405 Filters

The Fluval 405 filters come with 4 media baskets as well as the foam inserts. To cover off all required filtration we wanted to use the appropriate media and have found in the past that the media which offers the largest surface area (to enable the most growth of beneficial bacteria) is the Micromec by JBL. So we will fill all 4 baskets in both filters with this media and allow any larger waste to be picked up by the foams.

For further information on what equipment we used and final fish and aquascape check out the article dedicated to this aquarium and it’s history.

JBL Micromec 1l, Sintered bio-glass balls for aquarium filters for breaking down pollutants

JBL Micromec 1l, Sintered bio-glass balls for aquarium filters for breaking down pollutants

Features:
  • Biological breakdown of pollutants in fresh and saltwater aquariums: sintered bio-glass balls for the use in aquarium filters
  • Easy to use: use biological sintered glass balls inside the second last filter stage.
  • Intensive water clarification through bio-filtering: microorganisms settle on the filter material and break down pollutants
  • Highly effective: conical tunnel pores create ideal settling area of 1500 m2/l for beneficial microorganisms. Intensive breakdown of ammonium and nitrite
  • Contents: glass balls 650 g for aquarium filters, Micromec, Ø 1.4 cm

New From:
£15.99 (£15.99 / l) In Stock

Fluval 107 External Filter, 1 kg

Fluval 107 External Filter, 1 kg

Features:
  • Fluvial eTEC (Efficient Technology) construction employs cutting-edge design, materials & manufacturing methods to deliver powerful pump performance, reduced energy consumption & ultra-quiet operation
  • Powerful motor generates constant pumping power and pressure that endures over time
  • Re-engineered, precision-crafted pump runs up to 25% quieter than previous generation
  • Model number: HGA440NET

New From:
£110.00 In Stock

Fluval 207 External Filter

Fluval 207 External Filter

Features:
  • Fluval eTEC (Efficient Technology) construction employs cutting-edge design
  • Powerful motor generates constant pumping power and pressure that endures over time
  • Re-engineered, precision-crafted pump runs up to 25% quieter than previous generation
  • New ergonomic AquaStop valves with raised lip for smoother operation
  • Unique vertical pre-filter cartridge with independent access provides more surface area and better mechanical filtration

New From:
£125.00 In Stock

Fluval 307 External Filter, 1 kg

Fluval 307 External Filter, 1 kg

Features:
  • Fluvial eTEC (Efficient Technology) construction employs cutting-edge design, materials & manufacturing methods to deliver powerful pump performance, reduced energy consumption & ultra-quiet operation
  • Powerful motor generates constant pumping power and pressure that endures over time
  • Re-engineered, precision-crafted pump runs up to 25% quieter than previous generation

New From:
£159.99 In Stock

Fluval 407 External Filter

Fluval 407 External Filter

Features:
  • Fluval eTEC (Efficient Technology) construction employs cutting-edge design, materials & manufacturing methods to deliver powerful pump performance, reduced energy consumption & ultra-quiet operation
  • Powerful motor generates constant pumping power and pressure that endures over time
  • Re-engineered, precision-crafted pump runs up to 25% quieter than previous generation
  • Energy-efficient some 07 series filters draw as little energy as a single household LED lightbulb
  • Redesigned, substantially enlarged rubber feet stabilizers offer superior vibration-dampening ability and added protection

New From:
£199.99 In Stock