About Fish Tank Filters

Fish Tank Filters are critical apparatus for both marine and freshwater aquariums. Fish Tank Filters are necessary to support life as aquariums are small, closed volumes of water compared to the natural environment of most fish.

When fish are kept in tanks they produce waste from respiration and excrement. Another source of waste that is present in the tank is uneaten foods or plants and dead bodies of the fishes.

These waste products get collected in the tank and contaminate the water. When the rate of contamination increases then the removal of the contamination becomes critical. The most common method used to maintain a healthy aquarium is filtration.

Selecting the appropriate filter for your aquarium is very important as not just any aquarium filter will do.

There are at least 150 different fish tank filters present in the market and all these filters are offered by the most trusted and top selling brands. However when considering all these filters one has to check out the fish tank filter that most suits your tank.

Purpose of Fish Tank Filters:

The main purpose of fish tank filters is to remove dangerous chemicals, excess food, decaying organic matter, and the waste products of fish from the fish tank. Fish constantly excrete waste while swimming around. If the waste is not removed at proper intervals, then the toxins from the fish will build up to high concentrations which may poison the fish. Therefore, it becomes necessary to regularly clean the fish tank of these waste materials.

Fish tank filters clean the fish tank by using chemical / biological / mechanical means. Chemical filters are in the form of crystals, balls, or sheets. The function of these filters is to get rid of heavy traces of metal from the water. The purpose of mechanical filters is to remove floating waste from the water. Biological filters are used as a breeding ground by bacteria. The first kind of bacteria helps break down very harmful ammonia produced by the fish into less poisonous nitrates. The second type of bacteria then breaks these nitrates into harmless materials.

The major purposes of fish tank filters can be summed up as follows:  

• Aerates water in the aquarium by using air-stone. This draws the aquarium water up with the help of riser or by disturbing the surface as in power-heads.
• Regulates the temperature in the fish tank. Temperature regulation is very necessary, especially in the cold season when water gets extremely cold and fish present in the aquarium find it hard to breathe. This is done by drawing colder water from beneath and pushing it to the top of the aquarium tank. Whereas the heater which has been placed in the riser pipe, heats the cold water on its way up leading to a more even temperature.
• Managing the nitrogen cycle is very important for fish to survive for a longer period. Usually in an aquarium, fish are more densely stocked than those in a natural environment (ocean, rivers, etc). Therefore, fish in an aquarium are exposed to a higher risk of nitrates and ammonia. Moreover, in a natural environment these harmful nitrates are absorbed by plants which use them as fertilizers. This does also happen in an aquarium with real plants to some extent. However if the concentration of ammonia increases then it may ultimately lead to poisoning of the fish. With the use of biological filters this ammonia is controlled by converting them into a less harmful material.
• Filters are also used to remove solid waste from the fish tank which may be suspended in the water. If the solid waste is not removed from the water then it may be consumed by fish which might again poison them. Removing uneaten food from the fish tank is also necessary as this might lead to decomposition of food materials.
• Today, fish tank filters are provided along with most aquariums. One must take care that the filters are maintained on a regular basis. If proper care is not taken then the filters might become ineffective and the purpose of installing a filter will be defeated. Depending on the situation different types of filters need to be used. It is highly recommended to use a proper mixture of the three types of filters for effective working of the fish tank and to provide your fish with longer lives.