Your aquarium filter has three functions: It creates water movement that adds oxygen, it removes physical debris from the water, and it serves as an environment for the ecosystem’s beneficial bacteria to grow in.
In a Nature Aquarium setup, filters should not produce a lot of surface water. Systems such as undergravel filters and sponge filters that use air pumps should not be used with Nature Aquariums, because the air bubbles produced from the air pumps will negate the CO2 injected into the water. It’s like shaking a soda, which speeds up the release of CO2 gas from the liquid.
Hang-on filters can be used with Nature Aquariums, but the tank water level should be kept high to minimize splashing. However, these filter systems are best used if you plan to cover the back wall of the aquarium and hide the equipment. We like Eheim’s hang-on filters, pictured at right.
The best option is to use an external canister filter system such as the ADA ES Super Jet Series. These filters are placed under the Nature Aquarium cabinets and only clear hose connects to the input/output pipes. The input/output pipes are made of crystal-clear glass instead of plastic.
The ADA ES SuperJet filters are made of high quality stainless steel, which is far more durable than the usual plastic filters on the market. Takashi Amano was inspired by the stainless steel locks used in photographic equipment cases – they have the durability and strength to clamp down and prevent leaks. Other brands that use plastic parts for these locks can easily break, resulting in the total loss of your Nature Aquarium and a very wet floor.
These filters are coupled with large Japanese Iwaki brand pumps that are often used in marine reef aquariums because of their power and consistent volume displacement. In ADA canisters, the pump is placed on top of the filter media. ADA studies show that magnetic fields in the pump assembly can disturb the beneficial bacteria growth rate.
The most important feature of the ADA SuperJet Series Filter is the filter media volume capacity. There are no plastic trays inside the filters that will take up precious space for filter media. The dense filter media means more beneficial bacteria growing and less chance of algae problems.
This video shows you how to install an ADA SuperJet Series. Take note of how to hold and insert lily pipes into the clear tubing. Be careful not to break these fragile glass pipes!
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Click on the icon below for ADA literature about filters.
