Aquarium Filtration

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Aquarium Filtration

• Your Aquariums Life Support

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A Filter

• is an aquariums life support system.
• Protists are unicellular, carry on life processes
  via diffusion require no filtration.
• Plants are autotrophic, produce O2 as a waste
  product. Hence, they require no filtration.
• Animals are heterotrophic, produce CO2, ammonia,
  and feces as waste products. These become toxic
  in large amounts when dissolved in water. Hence
  animals require a FILTER.

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Types of Filtration

• Biological a culture of beneficial bacteria
  consumes the solid waste and much of the ammonia.
• Chemical a bed of carbon or sand removes toxins
  such as ammonia from the water.
• Mechanical water is agitated to promote
  interface between the water and the air. This
  pumps more oxygen into the water, which benefits
  animals.

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The Balanced Aquarium
Can work in nature, but difficult to accomplish
in a tank! Requires too many plants!
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Types of Filters

• Undergravel Filter
• B bacteria contained under the filter.
• M Bubbles as water comes back through the
  output tubes.
• C Charcoal cartridge is optional.

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Undergravel Filter Pros Cons

• Pros
• Cheap
• Requires little maintenance in a large tank.
• No need for floss or carbon.
• Cons
• cleaning requires entire breakdown of tank!
• requires lots of gravel and ONLY gravel!

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Box Filter

• B Bacteria inhabit the floss
• M bubbling action
• C Charcoal in the box

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Box Filter Pros Cons

• Pros
• Cheap
• Extremely versatile
• You can place any kind of substrate in the box!
• great for health and reproduction tanks
• Cons
• requires outside pump
• increased noise
• Regular maintenance required

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Power Filter

• B Bacteria inhabit the floss pad
• M water flow
• C Charcoal pad

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Power Filter Pros Cons

• Pros
• Extremely versatile
• You can place any kind of substrate in the box!
• Cons
• motor prone to breakdown
• can be noisy.

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Powerhead

• Attaches to an undergravel system OR can be stand
  alone.
• Pros
• Extremely versatile
• Revs up tank by increasing oxygen flow
• Cons
• motor prone to breakdown
• can be noisy.
• Not suitable for smaller tanks.

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What filter for you?

• What kind of aquarium are you constructing?
• What kind of water will they demand?
• Soft water peat
• Hard water crushed coral
• Medicine mechanical function ONLY
• Reproduction Biological Chemical ONLY

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Build it yourself!

• http//www.sydneycichlid.com/simple-filter.htm
• Construct a filter either featured on this page
  or along the sidebar.
• Bring in materials by Friday.
• Set up in tank and explain how it affects the
  water, and for what it may be used for.