One enterprising aquarium hobbyist on YouTube was setting up to use a diatomaceous earth pool filter on his aquarium. His was going to use a small aquarium pump to power a relatively large pool filter. This was just kind of humorous. Pool pumps are large and powerful as that is needed to hold the diatomaceous earth on the filter media. A small aquarium pump won’t begin to work with a pool filter.
Note that many people successfully use the Vortex (model XL 400 GPH) diatomaceous earth (DE) portable aquarium filter to treat ich and other disease, although the practice is pretty well outdated now and the filter is no longer made. DE filters can remove many free-swimming infective stages of various parasites from the aquarium water before they can attach to their hosts, and when the attached adult parasites on the fish die, the fish are eventually left parasite-free.
Because many free-floating bacteria are also removed from the aquarium, wounded fish or fish with bacterial diseases often heal more quickly. But in an aquarium a DE filter generally can’t be used for too long (i.e. more than one day) as it will plug.
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Dave says
In reply to Henk ….. I much prefer to get my dazzling clear water via over filtration combined with a mature aquarium. It is much easier and far more stable.
Henk Waagmeester says
Works great, very dirty water becomes completely clean with the help of the diatomaceous earth. First add the powder to the pump and fill it with water from the aquarium. Close the outflow to the aquarium.
Then first let it circulate in the pump by shaking the entire pump several times, and then switch it on as soon as the powder is around the bag in the pump.
Then run the exhaust to the aquarium by opening the tap
The rest is self-explanatory.
The difference is dazzling
Dave says
In reply to Paolo … To the best of my knowledge diatom filters for aquariums haven’t been manufactured in at least ten years. So I have no recommendations.
Paolo Fichera says
I have been looking for a diatom filter or a cartridge power filter suitable for diatom powder.
May You suggest this kind of filter ?