Aquarium Filters
Posted by: GHarris in Fish Health, General Documents, Tank Maintneance, Tank Setup Add comments| Hot: |  |  | | | |
An aquarium filter helps increase the quality of the water in your fish tank. By running the water through the filter, you will remove all of the waste in the tank and help keep your chemical levels stable. There are three different types of filtration that need to take place in every aquarium mechanical, biological and chemical filtration.
Mechanical Filtration
Mechanical filtration removes any free floating particles from the aquarium water, such as fish waste, and food particles.
Biological Filtration
Biological filtration is the most important aquarium filtration type. Taking place usually in a regular filter, biological filtration maintains a “colony” of good bacteria that helps regulate the ammonia level in your tank. For more information please read about the Nitrogen Cycle.
Chemical Filtration
Chemical filtration involves removing the dissolved wastes from the aquarium water. Often times this is accomplished through the use of activated carbon in the aquarium filter. Activated carbon can also help to reduce the odor that stale “used” fish tank water will have. Activated Carbon must be replaced regularly or it will re-introduce the harmful elements back into your tank that it has already filtered out.
Types of Aquarium Filters
Corner Filter
The corner filter sits inside the aquarium in one of the corners or even sticks on to the glass. Although they will require regular maintenance, these corner filters can be used for all three types of filtration. The key is not to change out the entire filter material when performing maintenance, only change out the carbon and part of the filter material.
Under-gravel Filter (UGF)
Under-gravel filters are commonly found with beginner’s aquarium kits and are not the best type of filtration that you can use. Under-gravel aquarium filters can provide good mechanical filtration because it forces the water down through the aquarium gravel where particles are trapped. The good bacteria live at the bottom of the gravel and complete the biological filtration there. Once the water has been pushed up the tube into the actual filter, the chemical filtration takes place.
One major issue that people have with the UGF is its inability to completely filter out the particles. Once the water is being pulled down into the rock, some of the particles stay there, making it necessary to constantly vacuum the gravel. If the gravel is not vacuumed regularly, then the filter becomes clogged, making a complete cleaning necessary.
Power Filter
The power filter is probably the most popular filter type for a variety of reasons, two of which are the ease of cleaning and maintenance. There is one major drawback to this type of filter; the intake tube for the dirty aquarium water is directly below the return for the clean filtered water.
Canister Filter
Don’t get sticker shock when you look at the price on a canister filter, but they are expensive because they are good quality and they work. A canister filter usually has three different stages for filtration, depending on how the water enters the canister; the order of the stages of filters will vary. Usually the layer closest to the water entry point will be made up of sponge filters. These filters are where your initial mechanical filtration will take place. Most of the large particles will be strained out of the water in this area. The sponge will also be the place where your bacteria colony will start to form and begin cleaning the water as it passes through, stage one of your biological filtration. The second stage will usually contain activated carbon and sometimes the carbon is placed between two additional sponge filters. This area is where the majority of your chemical filtration takes place. The water will pass through the carbon and the dissolved harmful chemicals will bond to the carbon particles and will be removed when you replace the carbon. The third layer usually contains some form of bio-beads. These bio-beads are the main area for bacteria growth in your filter. Stage three is the main biological filtration area in your filter. It is IMPORTANT to remember that when you are cleaning your filter NEVER try to clean the bio beads or any similar biological filter in regular tap water. By using tap water to clean a biological filter, you will kill the good bacteria colony that has grown there. If the biological filter needs to be cleaned, use regular tap water to rinse them off and then place them back in the filter.
Protein Skimmer
There are three main styles of skimmers for aquariums, the in tank, back of tank, and sump models. Any of these models can work for you but you have to decide which will be the best for your individual set up. Just keep in mind that you will need to clean this skimmer out so it is best to place the skimmer in a place you can easily reach it.
Although a protein skimmer is virtually useless in a freshwater tank, they are on the “must have” list for a salt water aquarium. The main function of a protein skimmer is to remove dissolved materials, such as fish scales or food, from the water. Seeing how this is an expensive requirement for a salt water tank make sure you shop around at your local aquarium stores and compare prices to what you would find on the internet to get the best deal.
There are other items that you can consider and research such as powerheads and sump tanks but for starting an aquarium they are not a requirement.