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The WaterZoo

439 Lincoln Road

Millfield

Peterborough

PE1 2PE

U.K.

Tel. (01733) 312142

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There are three processes that can take place inside any filter with the appropriate media to improve water quality & clarity.

Mechanical filtration removes suspended matter from the water and traps it against the filter media, improving water clarity.

Biological, this is probably the most important filtration process. It breaks down poisonous ammonia excreted by all fish into less toxic nitrite and finally into relatively harmless nitrate. This end product of the filtration process is easily removed by partial water changes. Several types of naturally occurring bacteria are responsible for the breakdown of the poisonous ammonia & nitrite. However from the time a new filter / aquarium is set up, to the time sufficient numbers of bacteria become present to breakdown the waste will take approximately four to six weeks. This can be speeded up by using one of the many bacterial culture products available.

Chemical, this type of filtration adsorbs chemicals from the water. A common example is carbon. This is excellent for removing dyes from the water. Most chemical media’s can also adsorb ammonia & nitrite on a short term basis.

There are three basic types of filtration system for a fresh water aquarium. (For basic information about marines click here.)

These are the ideal ‘Plug in and go’ filter, as there is no pipe work to connect. These circulate the water volume very quickly, around 4-6 times per hour. They have quite a small amount of filtering media in comparison with other types of filter. Therefore the media that is normally foam needs cleaning every fortnight or so, depending on stocking level. Due to the small filtering area they are best suited to aquarium containing small, rather than large messy fish.

These must be housed under the aquarium as the water is siphoned out and returned to the aquarium via the pump mounted on top of the canister.

They are a very good all round filter even though they turnover the water quite slowly, filtering the entire volume around 2-3 times every hour. Due to the large filtering area they only require cleaning every 4-6 weeks depending upon stocking level. The media is generally housed in several baskets. This media is often a combination of biological, chemical & mechanical media. This gives you the flexibility to change the ratio of differing types of media to most suit your needs. This makes external filters suitable for most fresh water installations as a stand alone system.

An undergravel filter draws water down through the substrate using either a powerhead or an airpump. These have the advantage of a very large surface area for biological & mechanical. But frequent cleaning with a gravel cleaner is essential to keep them working at peak efficiency. Many plants are difficult to grow when using undergravel filters. This is due to the water circulating around their roots.

Remember, it does not matter how big or powerful your filtration system is. It is the presence of naturally occurring bacteria that break down poisonous waste from your fish. It will take several months for any filter to reach its peak efficiency.

So……..Patience is essential, & stock your aquarium slowly.

We stock undergravel filters by Hagen, & Algarde. Internal filters by AquaEl & Fluval & external power filters by Eheim,