Energy-saving advice for aquaria

Accordingly to the energy needs issues that are troubling Europe nowadays, we have asked ourselves: how can we make our aquarium even more efficient but, at the same time, consume the less energy as possible?

Through this article we would like to give you some pieces of useful advice, both from a technical point of view and by guiding you through the less exigent species to add to your fish tank.

Generally, among the pieces of the freshwater aquarium that consume more energy there are the light system and the heating system.

Use an aquarium LED lighting system?

For what concerns the lights for the fish tank, the best advice we can give you is to substitute the old T5 or T8 neon bulbs with a good led lighting system. This is because, equal to the lighting intensity emitted, the neon lights for aquarium disperse half of the energy received as heat, far reducing their efficiency. In contrast to this, the LED lighting system shows a remarkable energy saving.

It should also be said that the light energy of the neon tubes is emitted at 360 ° round resulting in the waste of more than half of it, while the LEDs direct 100% of the light emitted towards the water. And as a last big advantage, the latest generation LEDs have been developed with a greater penetration capacity of the water column than neon lights, needing much less energy to obtain excellent photosynthesis by aquarium plants.

Lighting system such as Amtra Led System Fresh Wi-Fi and Amtra Led System Reef Wi-Fi can greatly improve the energy consumption of the aquarium, mostly thanks to the possibility to regulate the light intensity through the help of an included dimmer switch. Not always it is necessary to regulate the lights to the maximum power, especially if in the aquarium there are less demanding plants. Dimming the light power extends the life of the light fixture and, consequently, it gives you a more remarkable conservation of energy compared to the traditional neon tubes that should be substituted after one year of usage at most.

If you have a closed-top aquarium and you would like to substitute the old lighting system, it is not necessary to alter the light fixture. It is enough to replace the old neon tubes with the Amtra Led Glass Fresh Wi-Fi that, thanks to their support, will be conformed to the old neon system.

The second advice is to pay attention to the energy consumption of the aquarium’s technical equipment. The aquarium water pumps of last generation are far more efficient than the ones you could easily find on the market some years ago. Even a few watts less of consumption can make the difference on turned on engines 24/7. For this reason, we have provided our aquaria with sump and return pump such as Amtra DC Sump Pump. This peculiar example of aquarium pump has the possibility to be dimmed so that it can perfectly regulate the water flow requested by the aquarium, reducing the consumption in contrast with the traditional pumps. In addition, Amtra DC Sump Pump is also equipped with a program for the generation of wave motion, so in some cases it is not necessary to have an additional pump turned on for this specific purpose

Use a low consumption aquarium heater 

The last advice that we give you is to pay attention to the aquarium heater. The choice of the heater is essential to the energy consumption of the aquarium. It has to be well sized and based on the liters of the fish tank, and its functioning has to be monitored with a thermometer. Over time, many heating systems for aquaria can lose their setting and for this reason we have designed our Amtra Klima Evo, in order to be easily set everytime. Having control of the temperature of our aquarium is one of the best ways to have an energy-saving aquarium.

It may seem weird but many fishes that we host in our fish tanks do not need very high temperatures. In fact, many of them spend the winter season easily at 21/22°C and others do not need a heater for their correct conservation.

Set up an energy-saving aquarium in relation to the fishes 

Let’s look at some advice in order to set up an aquarium (such as the Amtra System Tank V2) in the best way possible. This kind of tank is on the market as standard, with LED lighting system, low-consumption pumps and without heater.

AMTRA SYSTEM TANK V2 60 cm, Asian biotope

One of the most iconic fishes in the aquaria world is, with no doubts, the Celestichthy margaritatus, best-known as Rasbora Galaxy. It comes from a mountainous area in Myanmar in which temperature can decrease even underneath the 20°C. For this reason, this is an excellent fish to raise in home aquaria. In a fish tank that includes this fish as the leading character, it is important to add plants that allow these fish to hide themselves and prevent their shyness. Together with these fish, you can also host in your tank colorful caridina shrimps that can help you to manage the remains of feed and algae.

AMTRA SYSTEM TANK V2 80 cm, Asian biotope

Relatives of the betta fish, the paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis), are a good alternative for those who seek medium size, colorful and active fish. It has been one of the first fishes imported in Europe with ornamental scopes. Thanks to its long fins, its bright colors and its elegant moves this fish will not have anything to be envied to its famous relatives. The right aquarium for this fish has many plants inside, in order to avoid conflicts and guarantee shelters and support for their peculiar bubble nest. Together with them and at room temperatures, we can raise the beautiful Tanichthys albonubes to add movement to the central area of the freshwater tank.

AMTRA SYSTEM TANK V2 80 cm, South American biotope

In the south of the Amazon forest, there live many species that spend the cold season at relatively low temperatures. One of these species is a dwarf cichlid, known as Apistogramma borelli. It is a colorful, relatively pacific and small-sized fish and it is the ideal guest for an Amazon community aquarium of temperate water. Together with this fish, you can host the Corydoras paleatus and community fish such as the hyphessobrycon callistus, because they share the same demands.

In bigger tanks such as Amtra Natura Led or Amtra Station Tank, there can be hosted the king of cold waters: the golden fish in its wonderful selections! However, remember that these fish need a great filtering system to avoid problems!