Beck & Harich FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
This FAQ contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about airlifts, rearing rings and their accessories.
The air lifters are manufactured in-house, are characterized by innovative designs and stand for the highest quality – Made in Germany.
What is the difference between the standard air lifter and the Xtreme air lifter?
In the standard air lifter, the injection-molded part for discharging the air is located in the riser pipe; the pressure box consists of one piece.
The Xtreme version is easier to maintain and much more powerful. There are no longer any holes in the riser pipe, but in the two-part pressure box. The bolt circle in the separable pressure box can also be cleaned very quickly and effectively using a toothbrush.
What length should the airlift be?
The airlift should be long enough so that at least 3-4 cm of the aquarium floor is free, while the outlet opening is at the water surface. This prevents mulm and dirt from being transported from the filter chamber to the front of the aquarium. The longer the airlift, the more pressure the air pump needs.
Can the air lifters also be shortened?
To shorten the standard version of our aquarium air lifter, the 90° bend on the water outlet must be removed. The pipe can only be shortened at the top, as the injection-molded part with the holes in the pipe is located on the other side under the pressure box. This part must not be cut off under any circumstances, otherwise the air lifter will no longer work!
With the Xtreme air lifter version, the riser pipe can be shortened on both sides without hesitation.
How much power do the air lifters have?
The performance of the air lifter depends on the diameter of the pipe used and its design.
Standard:
- D16mm: 180 l/h
- D20mm: 360 l /h
- D25mm: 700 l/h
Extremes:
- D16mm: 200 l/h
- D20mm: 400 l/h
- D25mm: 800 l/h
- D32mm: 1700 l/h
How much air is needed for the airlift?
- D16mm: 60 l/h
- D20mm: 90 l/h
- D25mm: 180 l/h
- D32mm: ??? l/h
How is the airlift cleaned?
The holes in the standard airlift must be cleaned from time to time so that the water flow remains constant. Otherwise they can become clogged with limescale, especially with very hard, calcareous water. To do this, take a toothpick, for example, and use it to clean each individual hole.
With the Xtreme air lifter, you take the pressure box apart for cleaning and remove limescale and dirt residues from the perforated ring with a toothbrush.
How does filtering with an airlift work?
An airlift is ideal for a filter based on the HMF (Hamburger MattenFilter) principle.
In short, the airlift is attached behind a filter mat, the water outlet is inserted through an opening in the filter mat or protrudes into the aquarium above the filter mat. Air is introduced at the bottom of the airlift. Due to the buoyancy of the rising air bubbles, the airlift sucks in water through the filter mat and releases the filtered and oxygen-enriched water into the aquarium.
Various suggestions for attaching the filter mat can be found on the Internet, keyword HMF or Hamburg mat filter.
Our quick filters with filter cartridges also follow this functional principle and are very suitable for filtering various aquariums.
What are the quick filters suitable for?
The rapid filters are suitable both for quick, additional filtering of an aquarium and for longer operation in the aquarium alone.
The quick filters consist of one of our air lifters with a filter foam cartridge. They function in the same way as a sponge filter, but are much easier to clean, quieter and more effective. Quick filters are available here in the online store in three different sizes and in two shapes, one with an angled foam cartridge and one upright.
Which filter sponges are available?
The filter sponge cartridges for the quick filter are available here in the store in the colors blue and black.
The pore size is specified in PPI.
We use:
- PPI 30 in blue and black (medium coarse)
- PPI 45 in black fine (suitable for shrimps)
How does the holder for the air lifters work?
We designed our universal holder ourselves according to our own ideas. The holder can be easily adjusted in height by moving the two clips and can therefore be individually adapted to the aquarium. The universal holder can be attached to the aquarium glass and also to the aquarium bridge. It can also be attached to the aquarium bridge.
The universal holder is not only perfect for our air lifters, but can also hold other aquarium accessories with a round cross-section of appropriate thickness, such as a heating rod.
Why a holder and not suction cups?
Our decision to offer our special holder for our air lifters in the store was primarily based on durability. Suction cups age quickly in the aquarium water and harden after a while – then the air lifter falls off the aquarium glass.
With the universal holder for the aquarium, we were able to get around this problem elegantly.