Aquarium Filter

Choosing the Right Aquarium Filter
By Penelope Darcy

There are so many types of aquarium filters today, it’s no wonder people are overwhelmed when setting up their fish tank for the very first time. In this article I’ll share some tips on what to consider when choosing your very own aquarium tank filter.

But first, let’s introduce some basic information on aquarium filters. Below are the three categories of aquarium filters with a brief description of each:

Mechanical
The most basic of all. These are usually in the form of sponges, pads or foams, or any material that is used to trap debris from the fish tank water.

Chemical
Although complex sounding, chemical filter mediums are easy once you get the hang of it. These are used in treating a variety of different problems associated with aquarium water. Chemical media filter is usually placed right after the mechanical medium and the most common type is activated carbon. Activated carbon has the special ability to adsorb dissolved organics and chemicals in the water, it also reduces odor and water coloration.

Biological
Once installed and running this biological aquarium filter is a breeding ground for different types of bacteria. But don’t worry these aren’t bacteria that are meant to harm your fish, on the contrary these bacteria break down the poisonous waste products (ammonia) your fish produce into less harmful nitrites, and gets broken down even further into even less harmful nitrates.

1. The size of your fish tank

2. How much time you have for maintenance

3. and of course your fishes

You don’t want to get the most expensive and most powerful top of the line filtration system for a teeny-weeny aquarium you have back at home. And you definitely don’t want to get a cheap underpowered aquarium filter system, go home, install it, and after a few days have all your beloved fish die from water pollution as well. Fortunately, this is the easy part. Almost all aquarium filter systems have specifications telling you the appropriate tank size it is to be used on. The second, how much time you have for maintenance is worth mentioning because different aquarium filter systems have different maintenance requirements. Some are very high maintenance while some aquarium filter are very low maintenance. Understanding how to maintain and when to maintain your aquarium filters is crucial not only to the lifespan of the filter itself but also of course your fish population.

The aim of this article is simply to inform and educate first time owners (or wanna-be owners or even existing fish tank, that it is essential to learn the ins and outs of your aquarium filter system.

Please also check out my other guide on: biorb