04 Mechanical filtration
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Filters FAQ, by Bruce Hallman.
04 Mechanical filtration
Remember that ammonia comes directly from the gills of your fish, but
also from decaying fish poop and food scraps. If you can mechanically
filter out the poop and the waste food before it gets a chance to
decay, you can be a step ahead in the game. Not to mention that these
wastes are ugly and can detract from the beauty and enjoyment of your
aquarium.
Simply stated, mechanical filtration is the straining of solid
particles from the aquarium water. Mechanical filtration does not
directly remove dissolved ammonia. Most common mechanical filter media
do not remove microscopic bacteria and algae from the water. Neither
will mechanical filtration remove any solids trapped by gravel,
plants, or decorations.
You will need another method to remove the solid wastes from the nooks
and crannies of your aquarium. One of the easiest methods is to
``vacuum'' the gravel, etc., as part of your regular water change
routine and everybody should do this. (Note that those marine
aquariums which use ``live substrates'' are an exception.) Some people
install circulation pumps, known as wave makers, to improve the chance
of catching solid wastes in the mechanical filter.
The four most popular mechanical filtration media are sponges, paper
cartridges, loose and bonded floss media which are reusable to
different degrees. Clean paper cartridges have the smallest openings
and clean bonded floss has the largest openings. Clean sponges and
clean loose floss fall somewhere between.
A filter media with small openings catches finer particles, but clogs
faster. Also, as a rule, a physically large filter area will clog more
slowly than a small filter. As the filter media gets dirty it will
trap smaller and smaller particles. At some point the media is so
clogged that it will not pass water.
SUMMARY: A good mechanical filter is one that traps enough solids to
keep the water clear without plugging too often.
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