Do Cockatoo Cichlids need an aquarium filter?

Do Cockatoo Cichlid fish need an aquarium filter?

If you are a new aquarist, & looking forward to adding Cockatoo Cichlids to your aquarium, then you might be wondering whether they need filters or not. The answer is simply, yes because every fish tank needs a filter for cleaning water. Without proper filtration, the pollutants will decompose & foul water. In dirty water, fish get ill & die. Therefore, a filter is recommended for every fish tank.

For Cockatoo Cichlids, clean water is important. A filter is required for cleaning as well as aerating water.

Do Cockatoo Cichlids need an aquarium filter?

Which aquarium filter is best for Cockatoo Cichlids?

It is recommended to do partial water changes to keep water clean. In the wilds, Cockatoo Cichlids like slow water current. I would suggest you keep a filter that causes a little turbulence in the water. In fast water current, Cockatoo Cichlids will be in stress. An external filter is one of the best choices or you can choose any filter with an adjustable flow rate. My suggestion is to use an external canister filter because it will cause little turbulence and oxygenate water.

Canister filters are excellent in cleaning aquarium water. They hold bold mechanical & biological media. Aquarists keep multiple varieties of media in canister filter baskets. Mechanical filtration media is used for gathering all the solid pollutants, while biological media wipes out the chemicals.

 

Order of filtration media in an aquarium filter:

If bio media is setup before mechanical media in a filter, then dirt will clog the pores of bio media. Therefore, it is important to setup mechanical filter media before biological media.

 

How to setup filter for Cockatoo Cichlids?

For mechanical filtration media, you can use coarse, medium & fine foams. While bio media is required for biological media. Useful bacteria grows in abundance on the surface of bio media. When useful bacteria reacts with ammonia, then break ammonia into nitrites & nitrates. Nitrates are not as harmful as nitrites and ammonia. Fish can live with nitrates in the water. However, higher levels of nitrates is still dangerous for the fish. Certain bio media can remove nitrates too. Canister filter gives you a choice to customize mechanical and biological media for quality cleaning.