Freshwater Aquarium Filters to Keep Your Aquatic Neighborhood Clean
Aquariums, just like any other part of the environment, need to be kept considerably clean, for aquatic life to keep thriving in them. Many people dislike the idea of having to manually clean the inside of a freshwater aquarium every now and then, so manufacturers have provided them with freshwater aquarium filters that can be installed to do the initial cleaning of the fish tank for them.
How is the water in a fish tank filtered?
An aquarium produces waste materials for a number of reasons. One reason is the biological reactions that take place in the water; these could simply take form of uneaten food that was left to spoil, or by waste materials of the fish themselves. But whatever these waste sources are, there are usually three general ways to remove and clean off these waste materials out of your fish tank.
When we speak of the natural processes involved in filtering the water inside a fish tank, we talk about biological filtration. Beneficial bacteria is the most common and effective agent of this filtering process, being able to break down dangerous toxic materials into less toxic substances.
Synthetic materials that are used to combine with waste materials are the work of a chemical filtration process. These waste materials react with the synthetic material, dissolving it and transforming it into a form that can be collected and thrown afterwards. One good material used for chemical filtration is activated carbon.
Manually trapping solid waste materials in a filter media is a form of mechanical filtration. Although this method does not involve dissolving substances or breaking down materials, it is an effective means of filtering out solid waste out of the fish tank. One thing though... collected material from the filter must be periodically removed by hand, so that it can continue to clean the water continuously.
What are the filters available out there then?
Fresh water aquarium filters are commonly purchased at your local hobby stores, and there are quite a number of these filters that can provide you with one or more of the filtering processes explained above. Take a look at some of the filters used in aquariums.
Power filters are the most common filters used in fish tanks, mostly because they're affordable, are readily available, and quite efficient. They're quite easy to install and use, and maintenance is relatively simple too. This is one of the filters that can actually use all three filtration methods, depending on how you customize the power filter's settings.
Canister filters are among the most powerful filters that you can use. This is because they force the water through the filter media, not just letting it flow through, making the filtration process far more effective in terms of filtration amount per time interval. One disadvantage, though, is that power filters are somewhat difficult to maintain.
Corner filters were the forerunners of the modern filters that are used today. Their basic function is to pass the water through it, and with a proper filter media installed inside, filter the water appropriately. They are very cheap, and are commonly used for hospital tanks. The advent of more effective ways of filtering made the corner filter a lot less popular than what it was before.
Sponge filters, as the name suggests, make use of a sponge for beneficial bacteria to colonize into, setting the filter for biological filtration. They can also, however, filter larger solid particles using the very same sponge. Other versions of the sponge filter include the use of two sponges at the same time, for convenience purposes.
Sandra Gaffney is a freshwater aquarium expert. For more great tips on
freshwater aquarium filter, visit
http://www.myfreshwateraquariumsecrets.com/
Freshwater Aquarium Filters – Road to a Heathy Fish Tank
Freshwater aquariums, like any other kind of aquarium, need to be cleaned and freed from all unnecessary particles that have the potential to ruin the aquarium or to harm your aquatic inhabitants inside. Although there is the common manual way of cleaning fish tanks, doing this can often get very tedious, which is why we seek the aid of filters, or more specifically, freshwater aquarium filters.
Filtration method
The filtration process for all aquariums is usually broken down into three major processes: the biological, chemical and mechanical filtration, each with their own way and own realm of dirt and waste materials to be cleaned.
Biological filtration is the filtration process involving the use of beneficial bacteria to transform several substances in the water. These bacteria literally break down toxic substances commonly found in fish tanks, such as ammonia and nitrites, and transform them into less toxic substances such as nitrates.
Chemical filtration uses the aid of synthetic substances to work out some of the waste material found in water. The reaction of the waste material with the synthetic material allows it to be dissolved, and to be collected easily through the filter. Activated carbon is one of the common materials used for chemical filtration.
Mechanical filtration is a filtration process that involves the use of a filter media to trap solid waste particles in the water. The filter media can be of any material, as long as it can make the waste material stick to it. Regular maintenance of the filter media is required, and it should be replaced periodically.
Aquarium Filter types
These filters usually involve one or more of the kinds of filtration processes, and it’s entirely up to the hobbyists fish tank specifications whether a certain filter would best suit his or her aquarium or not. Alternatively, you can check out your local hobby stores for freshwater aquarium filters and ask certain experts for advice, but here’s a starting list of filters:
Power filters are the most common in terms of popularity, mainly because they are cheap, usually available at most hobby stores, and relatively efficient. In addition, these kinds of filters are easy to install and use, and you don’t need to suffer much from their maintenance.
Canister filters offer that filtration power that you probably can’t find in other filters. They use a mechanism that forces water in the filter media, achieving greater filtering action than most. You have to be wary though, this type of filters is quite hard to maintain, and at most times quite expensive.
Corner filters were the first kind of filters to be used. It works by the simple action of letting the water flow through the filter and into the filter media, and finally filter the water as the filter media begins forming its own beneficial bacteria colony.
Sponge filters make use of a sponge (believe it or not) inside a tube to hoard beneficial bacteria into them, initiating the biological filtration process. Alternatively, the sponge can also be used as a mechanical filter, as it can also trap certain solid particles into it. Some hobbyists install extra sponges for interchanging purposes.
Fluidized bed filters are a relatively new type of filter that uses the concept of using sand for biological filtration. These sands are installed into tubes and are used as the main filter media, letting beneficial bacteria colonize the sand, and then pumping the water upward, which produces the filtering action.
Sandra Gaffney is a freshwater aquarium expert. For more great tips on
freshwater aquariumfilter, visit
ttp://www.myfreshwateraquariumsecrets.com/