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Flow pumps in aquaristic use
Suitability of flow pumps in the aquarium
Flow pumps are suitable for use in both sea and freshwater aquariums. The technical characteristics are listed below:
- Gentle, near-natural flow pattern to create near-natural living conditions
- Optimized water circulation
- Increase of the oxygen content in the aquarium water
- energy efficiency
- Low power consumption
- Low maintenance effort due to manageable complexity
- Compact design
- Suitable for all types of water (fresh water, brackish water, sea water)
Flow pumps for near-natural living conditions in the aquarium
Flow pumps are necessarily installed in the actual aquarium. Since flow pumps only depend on the flow rate, a compact design is possible here, which can also be easily hidden in the tank if desired.
Flow pumps are not only small, but also efficient and energy-saving. They can usually be placed anywhere in the tank.
The flow can be designed individually and directed in any direction.
Flow pumps in aquaristic practice
Possible uses of flow pumps in the aquarium
Not only saltwater aquariums are dependent on a current. Freshwater aquariums that are designed to be close to nature also need a flow pump to adjust the living conditions.
The use of a flow simulator is recommended for representing a flow in a near-natural aquarium. This can be used to imitate changing water currents, such as those found in rivers or on coral reefs.
Due to the possibility of simultaneous electronic control of several pumps, an aquarium can be individually equipped with a suitable simulation of natural flow conditions.
Flow pumps are used in aquariums where the required flow cannot be guaranteed in any other way. Examples from the freshwater sector are the keeping of organisms that are specially adapted to biotopes with running water.
These rheophilic species include, for example, fan shrimp, fin suckers, many species of loach or humpback cichlids, which naturally occur in streams and rivers with strong currents.
They have adapted to these currents as environmental conditions and also need good water movement for species-appropriate keeping in the aquarium.
Other advantages of using flow pumps in the aquarium
In the summer months, an additional flow pump makes sense to ensure more water movement and thus a higher oxygen intake. In addition, flow pumps can also be converted for universal use in filtration tasks.
For example, some flow pumps can be converted to a powerhead filter. With the help of a filter cartridge or a piece of filter sponge you cut yourself, a flow pump becomes an efficient and shrimp-safe quick filter.
Alternatively, a flow pump can also be used behind a Hamburg mat filter.
Maintenance of flow pumps
If the water flow through the pump decreases significantly, the mains plug should be pulled out and the flow pump disassembled according to the operating instructions.
As a rule, the filter wheel is clogged with plant remains or the like. After the dirt has been removed, the pump can be put back into operation as usual.
Water movement in coral reef aquarium
Coral reef aquariums and their inhabitants rely on water movement to thrive. There is at least one «dead spot» in most aquariums that replicate a coral reef. Water does not flow through these areas sufficiently.
This spot can be near a coral or behind living rocks. In this case, a targeted water flow is necessary. Increasing the flow of the filter pump or the return pump is then not a solution.
This applies in particular to influencing the flow conditions in nano reef aquariums. Nano flow pumps can help here. They are small, flexible and can be installed almost anywhere in the nano aquarium. The flow pressure can easily be directed to where the water flow is needed.
If a high flow rate with programmable wave patterns is required, an advanced system with wave generator flow pumps should be considered.
These have programmed flow modes to recreate scenarios such as lagoon, tide, and interruption for feeding. In most cases, the required pumps can be magnetically attached to the disc, allowing them to be placed almost anywhere in the aquarium.
This ensures that the entire water column of the pool is included in the flow cycle. And that even behind densely arranged corals or living stones.
Advanced flow pumps can be controlled wirelessly via the app on a smart device or with a third-party controller.
Guidelines for throughput and volume when using flow pumps in the aquarium
With an appropriate aquarium size, it is more advantageous to use several pumps than a single powerful one. Correctly attached, they ensure an even circulation of the aquarium water.
This also results in less strong selective flow conditions that could be harmful to the organisms being looked after.
For reef aquaristics it is recommended to reduce the pump output to about 12 times the volume of water vote. With a standard pool with a gross volume of 200 liters, this means using a flow pump with a flow rate of 2000 l/h.
For other seawater aquaristics, am 10 times the power ratio to orient. The latter applies equally to the installation of flow pumps for use in a freshwater flow basin.
For the other freshwater aquariums that are to be equipped with flow pumps, a service that is the 4 times corresponds to the pool volume.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the importance of proper water flow should never be underestimated.
Water flow in an aquarium is essential for corals and other reef creatures that rely on moving water to feed, remove waste, and exchange gas.
A freshwater aquarium that is intended to provide a habitat for current-loving shrimp or fish also requires the use of current pumps. In addition, flow pumps also have a positive effect in all other freshwater aquariums that are not expressly intended to be set up as still water zones for appropriate stocking.
Although this is not absolutely necessary. But it has never been so easy to achieve optimal water movement in the aquarium as with the large selection of flow pumps that are available today.