Posted on Jan 25, 2008 | Comments 1
An unclean fish tank is not only an eyesore, but it will be a health hazard to your loving fish, to yourself, and also to your entire family.
Cleaning your fish tank is the most important aspect and you have to perform it regularly by keeping the water conditions perfect for your pet fish.
Aquarium filters come in various sizes and shapes. Their principles of filtering the media which is present inside the aquarium will be entirely different from one another.
Basically the aquarium filters are categorized into three types, namely mechanical filters, chemical filters and biological filters. The functions and the process of maintaining these filters vary from one other.
- Basically the mechanical aquarium filters include sponges or pads and can be maintained by rinsing the pads more often.
- The pads are washed depending on the stocking system of the aquarium and level of nitrate.
- Generally you have to rinse the sponge or pad on every other week.
- It will be beneficial if you rinse the sponge or pad with aquarium water so that the beneficial bacteria will not be lost.
- The most common aquarium filters consist of activated carbon.
- This activated carbon is beneficial to remove the aquarium coloration and odors and it absorbs dissolved organics and medications.
- You have to replace this activated carbon when the odor is becoming evident or when the water begins to diminish.
- This activated carbon will be usually effective from 1 to 2 months.
- Limited maintenance is needed for these biological aquarium filters and these filters are able to preserve the beneficial bacteria in it.
- These biological filters are used to check whether the mechanical and chemical filters are working properly or not.
- That’s why the biological filter will be placed after chemical and mechanical filters.
- This biological filter must be rinsed carefully with aquarium water.
Depending on the type of fishes present in your aquarium and size of the fish tank you need to select the right aquarium filter.