Perlon for aquarium

An aquarium with slightly dirty water

The perlon for aquarium is a material that you can use as a filter, with many advantages, and that can be of great help to keep the water in your aquarium clean whether you are an expert or if you have just adopted your first minnows.

In this article we will talk about what is this fascinating material, what advantages does it have, how is it used, how often does it have to be changed… and much more. Combine this article with this other one external filters for aquarium to introduce you to the exciting world of aquarium filtering!

What is the perlon

The greyhound is a synthetic fiber, very similar to cotton, which is used to use due to its extraordinary filtering power. Although it can be used for all types of filters, its use is wildly popular as an aquarium filter.

The perlon fabric, as we said, is synthetic, with which must undergo a treatment to acquire the texture and properties that make it so similar to cotton. It is made from three different nylon filaments (textile, industrial and staple fiber). It is usually sold in packages (much like the typical cotton packages in first aid kits), although in some places you can also find it in bulk.

Advantages of the greyhound in an aquarium

Close-up of a fish

The aquarium dog has a lots of advantages to keep your aquarium clean and your happy fish. For instance:

  • It's a highly elastic material, which fully adapts to your needs (although be careful not to stretch it too much or it will lose its filtering properties)
  • He takes care of filter out smaller particles that can escape to other filter systems.
  • Job title lasts a long time and it does not need constant maintenance.
  • Does not degrade nor does it release fibers (as it happens with other organic fabrics).
  • It cleans in a very simple way.
  • Es very cheap.

How to put perlon in filter

Aquarium background with statue

The perlon it is not used to being a dry stick in the filter And that's it, but it is usually accompanied by another material, the foamex sponge, which is responsible for filtering the thickest particles.

The most important thing is that, when mounting the filtrate, first put the foamex sponge. This material is the first that must pass through the dirty water that comes from the aquarium, since, if it were mounted upside down, all the particles would try to pass through the perlon at the same time, which would "clog" it and cause the water not to leaked, which, on top of that, could alter the ecosystem in which your fish live.

In summary: ALWAYS put the foamex sponge before the perlon.

How often do I have to change the perlon filter?

Depending on your tastes and fish, you will have to change the gilthead more or less frequently.

There doesn't seem to be much consensus when deciding when to change a perlon filter. Some experts affirm that it must be changed every two weeks, others that washing it is enough ... although It seems that the most normal thing is to wash it (below we will tell you how) until it deteriorates and stops filtering well, then yes it will be time to put a piece of new perlon in your aquarium.

Often This change will depend on your aquarium, how often you clean the other sponge and the care you have with the greyhound: the change could be from a few weeks, to months to even a year.

Can the greyhound be washed in an aquarium?

The perlon allows to keep the water very clean

You can, and in fact it is highly recommended because that way it is not necessary to be changing it every two by three. The only thing you should bear in mind is that you cannot wash the greyhound (or, by the way, the foamex sponge) with tap water, as this would unbalance the biological balance of the water in the tank. It is better that you use the aquarium water itself to rinse them and remove all the filth that they have accumulated.

Is it better perlon or sponge?

The sponge is a good ally of the greyhound

For neither the one nor the other: the dog and the sponge must go together, since if you only put one separately, its function will not be correct. Thus, if we put only perlon, the dirt in the water will immediately plug the filter and it will not be able to absorb everything, which, of course, will influence the quality and transparency of the water in your aquarium.

By contrast, if we only put a sponge, only the thickest particles will be filtered, so the finest ones will continue to dirty the water. It is a bit like doing the job halfway, so it is important to use at least a sponge and perlon (there are also those who use biological filters such as ceramics or cannulas, which allow bacteria to be accommodated and transformed into beneficial elements for your aquarium. But this It is another topic that we will talk about another time).

The sponge, by the way, has to be made of foamex. It is not a very expensive material and can be washed, like the aquarium perlon, so it will last a long time. This material has the perfect consistency and porosity to perform this filtering function in the aquarium.

And perlon or cotton?

Cotton is organic and falls apart

Although at first glance they are so similar, They are very different materials, since the perlon, being synthetic, holds much better, lasts longer and does not fall apartUnlike cotton, which can make your water look like foxes.

If for whatever You can't find a dog, you have two possible solutions: First, use cotton and check the filter every day to avoid clogging and deterioration. Second, use some synthetic cushion filling, called wadding. This material is very similar to perlon. Being synthetic, it doesn't fall apart, and even if it doesn't work as well, it can get you out of a tight spot.

However, we insist: better not to look for substitutes for the greyhound, a material that is already very cheap and fulfills its function perfectly.

Conclusions: using greyhound in an aquarium, yes or no?

In such small fish tanks you do not need greyhound

The perlon is easy to use, it does not need excessive maintenance (although that depends on each one and your aquarium, of course), it is cheap and easy to clean. You just have to combine it with a sponge so that its filtration is correct, and make sure that it is not organic cotton so that it does not become clogged or degraded.

In short, this material can be a great ally to keep your aquarium clean of the smallest particles.

Where to buy perlon cheaper

There are two great places where you can buy the cheapest and highest quality gourd for your aquarium.

  • First of all, in Amazon You will find a lot of brands and different prices of greyhound for aquariums. Depending on the amount you want (although you don't have to buy a lot to make it work, since, as we said, it can be cleaned and lasts a long time), the price is around € 3 per 100 g. Plus, if you have Prime, it'll get you home in no time.
  • Second, you can go to specialty stores for animals like Kiwoko. The good thing about these is that, if they have a physical version, you can go in person and see the product and buy it right there. The downside is that, in order not to have to pay shipping, in most cases you have to place a minimum order. The price is very similar to that of Amazon, about € 2,5 per 100 g of this product.

The aquarium greyhound is a filter that helps keep water crystal clear thanks to its super filtering power, although not everyone has the same experiences. Tell us, how was yours? What do you think of this material? How do you filter your aquarium?

Sources: Watercolor, Aquarium fish


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.