Filter or no filter?

I've never had a filter and from wht I've been reading that's pretty unusual... I do partial water changes every 2 or 3 days and use a siphon to remove dirt/uneaten bloodworms etc. They both seem very healthy and normal, so my question is are filters actually necessary? Or do they just make the cleaning an easier job?

No, they are not necessary. As long as you are vigilant in your tank maintenance, your animals will be healthy and the water quality will be fine.

Out of curiosity, do you have anything like an airstone bubbling away in your tank or is totally still? Also, do you have any live plants?

I have tanks with filters, and tanks without. I believe that the filter isn't truly necessary, you still need to siphon off the uneaten food and poop, which axolotls seem to make a lot of. The filter does help with aeration, of course.So long as you are doing your regular water changes you should be just fine.

That's good to know . @morphyrichards - I did have an airstone, but I've not used it in a while because it was really loud and the axies didn't seem to like the flowing water. Is there maybe a way to cushion the airstone against something so it's quieter? Maybe I'll buy a less powerful one... Oh and yes I do have a couple of live plants in there.

siona said:

Is there maybe a way to cushion the airstone against something so it's quieter? Maybe I'll buy a less powerful one.

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You can save money and time by taking the airline and bending it in half. This will pinch the airline, decreasing the air flow. You can then tie a rubber band around the pinched area to keep the flow at the desired rate.

Or, you could buy a G clamp which give a lot more control of the airflow - they're about 60p from most fish shops

That's a good idea but that's not going to put any strain on the pump is it? Having to work harder to force air through? (I know nothing of these things! )

As long as air is coming out it's ok, otherwise the pump will overheat.

I find the sound of my pump vibrating is really annoying so I balance it on bits of spongy cloth which absorbs the sound.

Greatwtehunter said:

You can save money and time by taking the airline and bending it in half. This will pinch the airline, decreasing the air flow. You can then tie a rubber band around the pinched area to keep the flow at the desired rate.

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This is a really bad idea. I know, I used to do this and spent a fortune on new diaphragms over the years. By far the best way is either to split the flow between two airstones or to buy a 'gang valve' from your LFS or on-line and bleed off excess air.

If you put too much back-pressure on the airpump then the (rubber / neoprene) diaphragms bulge and wear out much, much faster than they should as they are working in a sub-optimal shape which stresses them. The valves also are rubber things that can be prematurely damaged by back-pressure. Of course the best option is to buy a good quality airpump with a rotary electric 'output control' and just dial in how much air volume you require. (Air-stones that are too small or clog will also put too much back-pressure on the pump.)

I have three Hagen 'Optima' pumps that I've had for over 10 years now. They are adjustable between 5l/min and 5.5l/min air output and a maximum pressure of 4.2 PSI and have a washable air pre-filter. They also have really good sound-damping rubber feet. When I bought them, going by past experience with other air-pumps I bought a bunch of spare diaphragms for them. I still have the spares in unopened packets. :happy:

(I am not an employee of Hagen and have no financial interest in them. There could well be other excellent airpumps around but I can only speak from experience.)

One of the things that I learned from my time in the aquarium industry is that back-pressure is the biggest destroyer of airpumps. You can either buy cheap ones, restrict the flow and generally allow backpressure to build up, then replace them when they die or get noisy... Or you can spend a bit more and get a quality unit that will last you for ages and save you a lot of money long-term.

I hope that helps. :happy:

axiegaz said:

Or, you could buy a G clamp which give a lot more control of the airflow - they're about 60p from most fish shops

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Some fish shops even give them away as they know that, if you use them you'll be back to buy air-pump parts or even a new pump from them sometime later and you'll remember that they were 'kind' to you.

Please check my reply to Justin.