Mechanical Aquarium Filter Media

Without regular maintenance, aquarium filters will not function efficiently. This can lead to decline in water quality and cause problems to the fish and plants that live in it.

Almost all types of water filters are used to function as a mechanical filter and the mechanical filter media is usually made from synthetic fibers of various coarseness, meant to catch debris and particulate matter as water passes through your filter. Mechanical filter media commonly comes in sponge or floss form. Sponges have the added ability of biological filtration as bacteria will live on their surface.

Mechanical filter media is the first stage (called pre-filtering) in a filtration system; its larger pores will prevent debris from clogging your more delicate chemical and biological filter media further along. The more "tightly" filter media, such as filter wool, the more debris and particulate matter that can be filtered, including smooth-shaped dirt. But consequently, filter media quickly clogging (characterized by increasingly slow in the flow of water). Of course this means you'll have to clean it regularly, but the materials are very easy to rinse out.

When cleaning the filter media, avoid actions that "super clean" so that on the contrary killing of the bacteria of decomposition that have been formed. For example, do not wash the filter media with hot water or detergent.

Especially in the new aquarium installed, the biological filters does not need to cleaned for a period of two months. This is to give opportunity of bacteria (Nitrobacter) to grow, but do not forget to replace the water.

The picture above shows a healthy aquarium environment. Basically, the aquascape aquarium does not need to be drained forever. This can be achieved with a good filtration system and the aquarium filters always cleaned regularly.