| Filtration systems within a fish tank are needed to | | | | growth of bacteria colonies that convert ammonia |
| keep the water condition at a quality that sustains | | | | into nitrates. Sponge, sintered glass and ceramic |
| the life of aquatic plants and animals. A fish tank is | | | | material are good for bacterial growth. |
| a closed environment and without the filtration | | | | Chemical Filtration |
| systems the tanks inhabitants would become sick | | | | Chemical Filtration is concerned with altering the |
| and ultimately die. Filtration performs 3 cleaning | | | | properties of the water. This primarily means the |
| functions. It removes visible waste and debris | | | | hardness or softness of the water but can also |
| from decaying plants to chips of driftwood. It | | | | mean changing the amount of chlorine or other |
| circulates and aerates the water. It removes any | | | | chemicals in the water. Fish prefer soft or hard |
| toxic substances or chemicals. This article will | | | | water based on their indigenous environments. |
| briefly discuss the other two types of filtration | | | | East African lakes generally have hard water so |
| that go on in a fish tank and then concentrate on | | | | fish from these regions prefer alkaline water. |
| chemical filtration of which aquarium peat filtration | | | | Popular fish like the Discus,Angel fish and surface |
| is a variety. | | | | dwelling catfish prefer softer water. |
| Mechanical Filtration | | | | So you often change the properties of the water |
| Mechanical filtration of a fish tank is mainly to | | | | based on the type of fish you are keeping. |
| make the tank look clean to the viewer of the | | | | Peat contains tannic acid which acts as an ion |
| fish tank. Fish don't mind if debris is floating round, | | | | exchanger to soften water. Calcium and |
| and some quite like it. But the owner of the fish | | | | Magnesium are the principle chemicals present in |
| tank wants the tank to look spotless so he/she | | | | hard water. Through ion exchange these |
| can show it off to his/her friends. Mechanical | | | | chemicals are exchanged for Hydrogen and |
| filtration is simply a device much like a sieve that | | | | Sodium. |
| strains the water of the tank so as to remove | | | | Thus peat filtration systems will soften the water. |
| any debris. | | | | They will also color the water and will lose their |
| Biological Filtration | | | | effectiveness over time. |
| Biological filtration removes any waste products, | | | | Aquarium peat filtration is used to change the |
| like fish food or excrement, that could make the | | | | water quality from hard to soft water. This is |
| tank uninhabitable by breaking them down into | | | | useful if you want to keep fish that are more |
| less toxic substances. Biological filtration is the | | | | accustomed to this type of water, notably South |
| nitrogen cycle in action. To create biological | | | | American cichlids. |
| filtration you need to add media that promote the | | | | |