Arowana tank filter setup.

Arowana tank filter setup.

Today we are taking up the topic of Arowana tank filter setup. This is a very important topic and in fact if I call it the most important topic of our arowana series then it won’t be an exaggeration. It’s because the very survival of your fish depends upon the quality of water maintained inside the tank which is done by the arowana tank filter setup. If you like this work please share it with your family and friends and dont forget to comment your suggestions and opinions regarding this work. There are several things that need attention particularly in case of arowana fish. Providing your arowana fish a clean environment that imitates their natural habitat is a one of the highest priority  Specifically the arowana tank filter setup is done as a part of regular maintenance. Let us now look into arowana tank filter setup in detail.

Introduction to Arowana tank filter setup.

Arowana tank filter setup is done in a few parts. There will be four parts for proper filtration. Mechanical filtration, chemical filtration, biological filtration and organic filtration will constitute complete filtration cycle. One step would be water change cycle. Another important aspect will be maintenance of filtration equipments and components that make up the complete filtration system.

Types of Arowana tank filter setup.

As discussed above there are four important types of arowana tank filter setup. These are mechanical filtration, biological filtration, chemical filtration and organic filtration. Mechanical filtration is about filtering out debris and other waste produced by arowana fish in the tank or by some environmental factors. This is done by using regular sponges or any obstruction material that can trap unwanted suspended materials in any type of filter.

Biological filteration.

Biological filtration is the process of filtration that involves the removal of unwanted biological wastes inside the aquarium. Here also the biological filtration is a process that overlaps more than one filtration system in a broader sense. This type of filtration overlaps biological filtration done by good bacteria, algae eating fishes and other organisms, removal of biological wastes by different mediums.

Chemical and organic filteration.

Chemical filtration refers to the elimination of harmful chemicals from the tank water. Active carbon filtration is also a type of chemical filtration but it’s altogether a deeper topic so we will deal with it separately in this article.

Organic filtration refers to the type of filtration that removes organic matter from the tank water. The removal of organic matter is also covered to some extant in the mechanical filtration as the filter media filters out organic waste (poop) produced by the fish. A more professional approach refers to the filtration of organic compounds produced by the fish and chemicals developed by interaction of different chemical components present inside the aquarium water.

All of the above mentioned ways of filtering your aquarium water are to be discussed in detail in other articles. For now let us take some factors that are particularly important when considering arowana fish.

What to keep in mind regarding Arowana fish tank filtration.

As have mentioned earlier in my posts, arowana fish need huge volumes of water to remain healthy. A juvenile in case of most asian arowana breeds will thrive in 120-150 liters of tank but as it grows it is going to need a really large tank.

Most frequent complaint I have encountered specifically in case of arowana is that they wont live long. In case of new comers to this gigantic aquarium fish they have complained that the fish for such an expensive fish it does not live for more than a year. Well, that is not the fault of the poor fish. Housing this behemoth will require at least 300-500 U.S gallons of tank. Yes! at least a 1000 liters tank to keep that fish flipping and kicking that beautiful tail for decades.

Customised arowana tank filter setup.

To filter this kind of volume of water you will be in need of a large external filter. You can use a ready made canister filter or a sump filter. Details of these filters are provided in another article dealing specifically with types of mechanical filters. You can go through that to get information about various options available in the market.

Personally in my opinion a customized filter for specific tank is best. you can go through some of my articles dealing with the same topic.

As for the type of filter i prefer a custom made sump filter with compartments to store ceramic tubes, carbon balls, filter media in all different compartments. Building a sump filter for your aquarium is a worthwhile investment. You can alter sizes of different compartments and can vary the amount of different filter media that you find appropriate, also you can choose bush-less out of water motors to pump desired amount of water volumes through the aquarium.

Selecting the pump for arowana tank filter setup.

Specifically for a 1000 liters tank 750 liters per hour pumping capacity motor would be enough. Please take notice of the fact that this size of aquarium is best suited for Asian arowana fish. If you are housing silver arowana or an Australian jardini arowana then its best to add 500 liters of water volume capacity. For Arapima (God help) a fairly large tank will be required.

In my experience adding ceramic tubes in a much greater volume than that of filter media or carbon balls will be very helpful as these will provide appropriate site for good bacteria to grow and since they will be outside the tank you need not to worry about development of micro organism growth inside the tank.

my personal tanks.

One thing that i would like to highlight here is that in my personal arowana fish tanks I keep them clutter free by not adding any decorations. Arowana fish produce a lot of bio waste and decorations will provide sites for bacteria to develop inside the tank. I would like to avoid this situation as much as possible. This practice also helps in keeping your aquarium clean. Decorations also provide latching sites for waste produced by Arowana fish and the uneaten food. Having no decoration eliminates this situation hence help in keeping water clean for longer periods of time. But, this is a personal choice. i have 32 aquariums so i try to keep things as easy as possible.

Commercial filters.

You can also use ready made canister filter of appropriate ratings. A filter that can circulate at least two parts of complete water volume in its one recommended cycle is deemed appropriate. You can also build your own as per your requirement for arowana tank filter setup.

Biological filtration for arowana tank filter setup.

First let me clear the basic concept of biological filtration for arowana tank filter setup. Biological filtration refers to the breaking down of toxic biological waste materials and chemicals produced by the fish into more acceptable forms that do not pose a treat to the health of the fish. Basically, any process that removes biological waste form the aquarium water can be considered as the biological filtration process. One thing that should be kept in mind is that this term overlaps several processes like mechanical filtration, algae eaters and chemical filtration also so in case of arowana tank filter setup everything is relative.

Good bacteria in arowana tank filter setup.

Here lets just concentrate upon the promotion of good bacteria inside the aquarium system. Good bacteria that are present in the aquarium system will break down biological waste into chemicals that do not pose any threat to the fish. To develop a healthy population of beneficial bacteria you need to provide some sites inside the aquarium system for bacteria to stick to them and multiply. If the population of micro organisms is allowed to grow inside the aquarium some extant of bad bacteria will also develop and since developmental sites are provided inside the aquarium the arowana inside the aquarium will be highly likely to get affected because of direct contact.

For this reason I always prefer to provide such sites out side the aquarium boundary. This purpose is very well served by a customized sump filter along with providing great opportunity to design according  to personal needs. Details of constructing a sump filter is provided in another article. There i have explained the need and use of ceramic tubes. These tubes along with assisting in filtration of micro particles in the water running through them provides excellent site for good bacteria to develop on them.

Arowana tank mates.

As arowana is a territorial and aggressive fish i will not recommend you to keep it with any other fish especially if your tank is just big enough for the arowana itself. Yes there are several examples of arowana living in harmony with some other similar sized fishes but my focus is on the longevity of life span of individual fish rather than the beauty of tank. Of course the beauty of tank is also important but for me personally the joy of seeing fish grow day by day and achieve its maximum size and live a long healthy live is paramount. Regarding the tank mates of arowana fish I will publish a detailed work later.

Why to avoid tank mates.

Here try to concentrate on my point here that there is no evidence of any arowana reaching beyond 10 or 12 years of age in a community tank. There are some examples tough of full sized arowana living in a community but they are all housed in medium to large sized ponds. So, to my best understanding the option of algae eaters to be kept with arowana is out of consideration. Now with option of algae eaters out there is really not much scope of any biological decompose-rs like shrimps. only option to my best knowledge is left with good bacteria flourishing in the ceramic tubes inside sump filters or canister filters.

Chemical filtration in arowana tank filter setup.

As mentioned earlier chemical filtration includes active carbon filtration and other processes. We will take carbon filtration in detail later for now let us combine all chemical processes that can be used for arowana tank filter setup.

In general the chemical filtration is the process in which some external or outer agents are used to react with nitrates, sulphates, chloride etc present in the aquarium water. These chemical may be present in the new added water volume or some of them may develop in due course of time because of the biological waste ( stool and urine) produced by the fish. Sometimes some harmful chemicals may also be introduced in water that has not been replaced for a long time by underlying bacterium growth. In any case as the concentration of these harmful chemicals will increase the risk of losing your fish.

Active carbon in arowana tank filter setup.

A very useful and important chemical cleanser is the activated carbon. There are different forms of this material that are available in the market. Personally for me the cube works the best. You may choose other forms like capsules, powered form inside a pouch, specialized shapes to fit your filter and some other also. For the ease of using the cube has been a motivation to use this form. How does the activated carbon works is a topic that should be dealt with separately. But here I must point out that this method is one of the most effective way of neutralizing harmful chemicals in your aquarium water.

Other methods are chemical specific. There are some chemical neutralizing resins available for removal of nitrates and sulphates. But I have not use them personally so i do not have much information on them.

Final thought on arowana tank filter set up.

I have given a brief account of every step in the arowana tank filter setup. I wish you luck in maintaining your tank and have an enjoyable long long time with your arowana fish. At last i would like to reemphasizes two very important things. First, house your arowana in an appropriately sized tank and secondly do regular water changes. Remember not to change water for more than 25% at one time and repeat this every week to maintain good water quality. Most of the biological waste and harmful chemicals might be kept in check by this simple step and this will really simplify your arowana tank setup.

Thank you for going through this article. We would very much appreciate if you could comment below and let us know what you think of this topic. Surely I will take heed of your suggestions in future works.