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Understanding Filtration

Home Fishkeeping Articles Freshwater My First Freshwater Aquarium Understanding Filtration
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UNDERSTANDING FILTRATION

In most aquariums, overcrowding with the number of fish is often observed, in relation to the water volume. Thus it is very important to remove biological waste produced by the inhabitants before metabolized and become toxic. Aquarium filters come in various configurations and should provide Mechanical filtration, Biological filtration and Chemical filtration.

Mechanical Filtration

Mechanical Filtration is an essential form of filtration as it removes particulate waste from the water and most media filter the water mechanically to a certain level. Mechanical filter media such as the sponge or wool are very fine and play a big part in trapping the waste.

It is highly recommended to wash the media regularly, and encouraged by using the existing aquarium tank water to wash the media. This will prevent the accumulated waste on the media to decompose and convert into toxic ammonia which is harmful to the fish.

Biological Filtration

Biological filtration is also known as biological purification, where various beneficial bacterial are being cultivated to improve on water perimeter by converting the toxic ammonia into less toxic nitrate. Any uneaten food, fish waste, organic wastes (leaves shed from plants) will decompose and convert into ammonia. The colonized beneficial bacterial will promote the break down process and convert ammonia into nitrite (NO2−) then to nitrate (NO3-). This conversion is known as the nitrogen cycle.

Equipping your filter with efficient biological media, such as OF 3DM FILTER MEDIUM is able to provide the perfect environment for cultivating the beneficial bacterial. With the highly porous and large surface area, OF 3DM FILTER MEDIUM provides ultimate beneficial bacteria growth and is essential for any biological filtration setup.

Chemical Filtration

There are various products available in the market to control and remove the chemical or toxin composition that is present in the water. Commonly used chemical media are activated carbon that helps to remove the harmful toxin substance, fishy odor and coloration that are present in the water. However, it is highly recommended to change the activated carbon on a monthly basis replace with a new packet and also do take note to remove the activated carbon when you are administering medical treatment to sick fish so that the medication properties will not be removed by the activated carbon.