Sludge sucker in the aquarium | stock-adobe.com – madhourse – 244067475
Types of mulch suckers
There are different types and designs of mulm vacuum cleaners on the market. These are:
- Electric vs. non-electric garbage collectors
- Debris vacuum with water change function
- With filter (cartridge) or without
- With suction aid or without
Decision-making aids:
1. Sludge sucker for which aquarium:
The size and condition of the aquarium play a major role when choosing the mulm vacuum cleaner. For rather small aquariums or nano aquariums, you should use a correspondingly small sludge vacuum cleaner or a special nano sludge vacuum cleaner for very small aquariums.
2. Aquarium height:
The higher the aquarium, the fewer sludge suckers are narrowed down. Only a few mulm vacuum cleaners make it in the standard version over 60cm in height. With electric ones, it is due to the nature of things that they must not get into the water – therefore, for example, they cannot grow with the aquarium once it has been changed.
3. Frequency of mulch removal:
The more often you have to remove sludge, the more important it is to have a very good sludge vacuum cleaner and the more you can invest with a clear conscience. This does not mean that there are no cheap mulm vacuum cleaners, only the investment is more worthwhile the more often you use it. Mulm is primarily caused by plants and fish stock, but should the mulm become too much, the aquarium should be checked as a matter of principle. As explained below, not every mulm has to be removed immediately – mulm is part of the biofilm and can and should be present in the aquarium to a certain extent.
We have created the following table for selection – with 3 common mulm vacuum cleaners from the trade:
Luigi’s hand pump
Solid cleaner with suction function
Standard mulm bell – good for small aquariums
Our recommendation:
Solid cleaner with suction function
Standard mulm bell – good for small aquariums
How mulm suckers work
As long as sludge does not accumulate in large quantities, it does not have to be vacuumed off. In special situations or when caring for fish with a high metabolism, e.g. B. altum angels and congo tetras can accumulate so much sludge that it can be sucked off every now and then.
The simplest method is to hold it close to the ground when changing the water so that the sludge is sucked up with it, but the substrate remains. If the substrate is sand, it is often impossible to prevent some sand from being sucked up. If the suction is too strong, partially hold the end of the hose in the bucket with a finger.
mulm bells
A so-called mulm bell is placed on the end of the hose and works in principle like a simple hose. Plastic funnels or small plastic bottles with the bottom cut off can be used as a simple mulching bell. If you still have old film canisters, you can provide them with small slits and use them as debris bells.
Commercially available Sewer bells often have barriers or foam inserts, which are intended to prevent leaves or substrate from being sucked off as well. Some mulm bells are no longer sucked in. Shaking the bell starts suction. Some bells have a rotating head to keep the hose from twisting. Thin mulch bells make it possible to vacuum dense plant populations without damaging the plants.
Quasi an extension are mulm bells, which are operated with air. The advantage is that these bells are independent of the water change. However, the sludge is often flushed into a collection bag that is attached to the sludge bell and is therefore in the aquarium water. This bag must be water-permeable so that it does not burst. However, fine sludge residues are usually washed back into the aquarium with the water. Only coarse mulm gets stuck in the sack. Depending on the filter performance, the aquarium is cloudy for a long time before the small particles have settled back to the bottom.
Electric debris vacuum cleaner
Electrically operated mulm extractors are also commercially available (detailed information: Nano mulm extractor from Dennerle) Some require batteries, others are e.g. B. operated with 12 volt power supplies. Their advantages and disadvantages correspond to the mulm bells already described. With some vacuum cleaners, the suction power can be changed with different attachments. In addition, these devices are often relatively large. Often they cannot be kept close to the aquarium, or they have to be reassembled again and again before each use. Debris vacuum cleaners with a power supply often have a cable that is too short.
Most aquarists have acquired at least one sludge bell or sludge extractor over the years. As a rule, however, these are only used a few times. Then it is sucked out again using the conventional method when changing the water with the hose or at most with the debris bell attached to the hose. In general, it’s not worth buying.