Filters

From WikiAquarium

Aquarium Filters

Aquarium filters can help maintain excellent water in aquariums, which is essential for maintaining healthy fish. Filters do not eliminate the need to regularly clean and maintain your aquarium through frequent, partial water changes.

Filtration

There are three steps to filtering water, and these three steps are usually called mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration.

(1) The primary treatment mechanically filters the water by removing chunks of waste and debris with screen, sponge, or floss types of material.

(2) Secondary treatment chemically removes molecules such ammonia with materials such as carbon and zeolite.

(3) Tertiary treatment biologically filters the water, and it is by far the most important type of filtration for maintaining excellent water quality in an aquarium. Tertiary water treatment is done by the "good" or beneficial bacteria that digest waste.

Types

The Various Kinds of Filters Here are brief explanations of how various aquarium filters work.

Box or Corner Filters are small plastic containers that hold filter floss and carbon and are connected to an air pump.

Under Gravel Filters (UGF) fit in the bottom of the aquarium under an inch or two of gravel and connect to an air pump or power head. Caution: never just turn off an UGF.

Canister Filters such as the "Magnum" hang on the aquarium and have their own internal pump with a sealed container to trap waste materials from the water.

Fluidized Bed Filters also hang on the aquarium and pump water up through a layer of fluidized material.