Sponsors That Keep Fish Tank Pet Alive:
If you need an aquarium filter, and chances are you do, there’s plenty of choices out there. In fact there’s so many varieties, brands and types out there it actually gets confusing!
So to avoid this, we need to go back to the basics of what an aquarium filter does and how it does it.
A fish tank filter is like any other water filter. Its main function is to purify water from impurities and to some degree also add oxygen to the water through its process of water circulation (more on this later). Let’s focus on the filtration part.
In essence there are three types of fish tank filters out there in the market. Another way of saying it is there are three ways aquarium filters purify water. And they are:
Mechanical Filter
The most basic of all. You’ve seen this if you’ve seen sponges, pads, foams or any similar material being used to trap debris by passing water through it. In an aquarium filter, these sponges or pads are placed in series and aquarium water is pumped through them so impurities get trapped. Maintenance of these are easy, as all you need to do is to take out the sponges, pads, etc. and clean it by scrubbing off all the trapped debris. However, one important thing to remember is to always maintain and clean this filter medium. Trapped particles like fish waste quickly break down and form ammonia, and you don’t want this to happen because this will lead to serious and life threatening health problems.
Chemical Filter
Chemical filter mediums are in fact very similar to its mechanical filter counterpart. If mechanical filters trap large and mostly visible impurities, chemical filter mediums trap small, microscopic and not visible to the naked eye particles. These can be dissolved organics or chemical traces in the water like medicines or minerals. The most common chemical filter medium is activated carbon. Aside from adsorbing the above, it also has the ability to reduce odor and water coloration making the aquarium water crystal clear. Unlike mechanical filters like sponges or pads however, these are usually disposable and are used for a limited time then thrown away and replaced with a new one.
Biological Filter
The last type of filter medium is the biological aquarium filter. If you’ve never been good in biology, don’t sweat it. In the simplest of definitions, biological aquarium filters are breeding grounds for different types of bacteria. Not bad bacteria, but good bacteria. Bacteria that break down poisonous waste products like ammonia into less harmful nitrites and then into harmless nitrates. The great thing with this type of filter medium is that there’s practically no need to replace or even clean these. Biological filters are usually pegged plastic balls called bio balls. As aquarium water is passed through these balls continuously, bacteria begins to grow on them. The bacteria then eats away at any harmful particle that is caught in these balls. There is no need to clean this medium, since you’ll risk killing the good bacteria that has grown on them.
And there you have it, the three basic types of any fish tank filter.
You’ve probably guessed by now that each type brings something different to the table. If you want good water quality you’ll need all three working side by side. Starting with the mechanical then the chemical then the biological.
If you want to understand the intricate details on it, check the following link:
How Stuff Works: Aquarium Filtration Overview
or you can also check out my other related posts.
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