When a layout is produced and water is added to an aquarium, a filter must be provided to clean the water. Although various types of filters are available for an aquarium, external filters are used mainly in Nature Aquarium. An under gravel filter and a filter that is integrated in a hood are not suitable since fertilizers are used in the substrate and CO2 is injected into the water. Considering the space requirement and filtration capacity, an external filter is most suitable since it produces adequate flow in an aquarium and its construction does not drive away CO2. A filter strains particles in the water, absorbs and removes dissolved impurities, and decomposes and detoxifies harmful substances in water. As a result, the water in an aquarium stays clear, and fish and aquatic plants grow well. On the other hand, if a filter is not functioning properly, the water may become cloudy, fish tend to get sick, and algae might grow on aquatic plants making them unsightly. If the condition of an aquarium declines, the condition of its filter should be checked first. A filter is essential equipment for maintaining the environment of the ecosystem in an aquarium.
Three filtration types
There are three major filtration methods: mechanical, chemical, and biological. Mechanical filtration removes the particles in the water physically. Filter media such as sponges are used commonly for this in an external filter. Although a mechanical filter removes fragments of aquatic plants, fish waste, and uneaten food, which are relatively large, tiny particles that cause cloudiness in water often pass through the filter. Such tiny particles can be flocculated and removed effectively by the filter with the use of ADA’s water conditioner, Clear Dash. Chemical filtration removes dissolved impurities in water by the adsorption ability of activated carbon. Activated carbon (such as NA Carbon) is often used initially as a part of filter media since it purifies water by adsorbing the causes of discoloration of water and ammonia (that is harmful to fish), which are often generated during the initial period after an aquarium is set up. Since activated carbon has a limited adsorption capacity, it should be replaced every two weeks as a general rule to maintain its effectiveness. Biological filtration, which is done mainly by bacteria and protozoa, decomposes organic materials, ammonia, and nitrite in water.
The importance of biological filtration
Among the three discussed above, biological filtration is the most important method for Nature Aquarium. Microorganisms in the filter ingest and decompose organic matter, algae (phytoplankton), and germs floating in water. Although the ammonia that is contained in fish waste is harmful to fish and shrimp at high concentrations, it is rendered harmless as it is converted to nitrite and then to nitrate with the help of nitrifying bacteria. It is then taken up as a nutrient by aquatic plants. The work of these microorganisms is seen in natural ecosystems as well. As long as the biological filter is functioning stably, the organic matter and the harmful ammonia that are generated from it are decomposed rapidly, and the Nature Aquarium environment can be maintained well for a long time. Mechanical and chemical filters can be considered supplementary until a biological filter becomes established. When a filter is set up with new media, it takes two to three weeks until the biological filtration functions adequately. In the meantime, the biological load in the aquarium can be lessened by the use of chemical filtration with activated carbon and frequent water changes.
The selection of an external filter
There are mainly two important considerations for selecting an external filter. One is the capacity of a canister that holds the filter media. If a flow rate is the same, the filtering capacity increases as the volume of media increases. However, in actuality, increasing the volume of media alone puts stress on a pump and reduces its flow rate. If a canister size is increased, it takes up more space. Therefore an adequate size canister should be selected depending on the aquarium size and the number of fish in it. Super Jet Filters are available in standard size, EX size that is 1.5 times larger than the standard, and EX2 size that is two times larger than the standard. A standard size Super Jet Filter provides an adequate filtering capacity in most cases since its capacity is larger than competitors’ external filters. Another important consideration is pump performance. A higher flow rate is not always better. A pump with adequate flow for the size of aquarium and adequate head to lift water ensures stable filtration performance over a long period of time without losing flow rate under load.
The characteristic of media
Although various types of filter media are presently available, the majority of media can be divided largely into biological filtration media and activated carbon for chemical filtration. In Nature Aquarium, Bio Rio and Bio Cubes are used as biological filter media. These provide large surface areas through a high number of pores and their mesh structure. A larger surface area generally means better filtering capacity since it provides more area for filter bacteria to colonize. Filter media must be highly water permeable since it would not do much good if its pores are not exposed to water. As stated earlier, the biological filtration will become the main filtration eventually. However, chemical filter media should also be used when an aquarium is initially set up since it takes a little bit of time until the biological filter is well established. Activated carbon such as NA Carbon and Bamboo Charcoal is used for this. Since activated carbon has a limited adsorption capacity, it needs to be replaced periodically to maintain its effectiveness. Since NA Carbon and Bamboo Charcoal are highly permeable and do not clog easily, they can be left in filters and utilized as biological filter media.
Water flow in Nature Aquarium
Although strong water flow is not desirable since it dislodges planted aquatic plants or causes them to sway, adequate water flow is essential for growing healthy aquatic plants. Water current prevents dirt from collecting on the surface of leaves and keeps aquatic plants healthy and beautiful. Aquatic plants absorb CO2 from the surface of their leaves as they photosynthesize and grow. Since CO2 does not diffuse well in water, it may run short locally around plant leaves if the water is stagnant even when it is injected in the water. The water current supplies CO2 rich water around the leaves and facilitates photosynthesis. The same thing is true for liquid fertilizers. Since Super Jet Filters are equipped with good pumps that have good head pressure, the water flow does not decrease easily when the filter media becomes clogged. However, their media should be cleaned periodically. Media cleaning is easy. Take a bucket of water and simply submerge the Bio Rio or other media. Most dirt is removed without scrubbing by lifting the media out of the water. You can really see that the water flow is restored to the original level after media cleaning.
A set of Lily Pipes that are installed on the inlet and outlet of an external filter create adequate water flow in an aquarium.
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