Filtration in Aquarium
Filtration is essential in aquarium because it is a closed environment , the whole quality of your water and balance your aquarium depends . The filtration systems are not lacking on the market, you will always find a system suitable for your tank , whether internal, external, under the tank , mechanical, chemical , natural, plant , etc ... All are more or less effective. For certain specific conditions, for reasons other configuration , choose there depending on what you raise in your tank .
The external filter :
Its high quality is that it takes no space in the tray, by cons , the sealing must not fail you . Disassembly is quick and easy to clean and large enough capacity filtration. Choose it still good sized . Its flow rate should be between 2 and 3 times the volume of the tank per hour.
The foam filter :
This filter, less used, is however very convenient for breeding tanks , hospital , quarantine, or for small volume tanks . Its main advantage is its price.
The internal filter electric motor :
This type of filter is usually reserved for small tanks , the filtration capacity is not very high and cleaning is not very effective. It goes for small tanks from 40 to 150 liters in need of a lot of current .
The undergravel filter :
This is a plate placed under the sand , pierced along its entire surface, the water sucked by the air exhauster or by a water pump to the output is forced to pass through the gravel , the filtration is done this level , then the height of gravel must be higher than in the other filters . It is possible to replace the recovered system ( here the air pump and a bubbler ) by a water pump (for flow) , along with reverse direction of movement . Do not change the direction of flow once the balanced aquarium. The problem with this type of filter is the risk of clogging , which may lead to the stoppage of filtration, this type of filter is only suitable for temporary aquariums, less than 2 years.
The filter funnel :
This filter is widely used because it has a very good performance , easy cleaning and requires very little investment. It also allows you to receive the heater , it is possible to make without much knowledge. It also has the advantage of always having a little space available if you want to temporarily add a mass filter (like charcoal ) . The filter must have a sedimentation volume of 15 to 20% of the tank volume to be effective.
The filter gutter :
The gutter filter is actually the old version of semi- moist filter (see below) . There is practically no longer used since its inception . Its effectiveness is good but it is a filtration system quite noisy , access to filtration materials is very easy , or to his advantage. Good oxygenation of the water .
The semi- moist filter ( percolation )
( Also known as trickle filter or even more precisely filtration percolation ) This is the most efficient filter that is , with a capacity of filtration away from others. Here, the filter media are not submerged , they are above the water which gives denitrifying bacteria such as oxygen oxidation of organic waste is in very good conditions. The implementation is still quite complex , because it requires a second tank in the aquarium , accessibility for maintenance is very good. You have several options in the choice of filter materials , below left , foam filter , and right , bio balls ( balls in black or blue plastic , with multiple slots with a great mounting surface to denitrifying bacteria) . It is important to calculate the ratio of the volume of the settling volume after adding the height of the overflow in case of failure of the water pump.
