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Marine Aquarium Filtration

Marine aquarium filtration refers to the purification of the water in a marine aquarium. Like the filters we use at home in our drinking system, a filtration system aids in having a clean environment.

It is important in an aquarium because it helps keep the water safe and clean for the animals in the tank. The filters in the aquarium trap the solid waste in the tank and convert the liquid waste in a form that can be returned to the tank in a harmless manner.

The efficiency of the filtration system along with the proper use and care of the aquarium are essential to the health and welfare of the animals inside the tank.

Choosing the right fish tank filter system for your aquarium is a very necessary task. There are several aquarium filters available in the market today to ensure that you have a clean marine aquarium.

Here are the most common marine aquarium filtration systems you can choose from.

Different Types Of Marine Aquarium Filtration

• Undergravel Filters

Best suited for an aquarium with a light fish load, under-gravel filters are perfect for smaller aquariums. They are placed at the bottom of the tank, underneath the sand or gravel.

They are not as costly as the other kinds of filters so if you want to have a small and affordable aquarium, an undergravel filter would suit your needs perfectly.

• Wet/Dry Filters

These are also called trickle filters and are considered to be best for marine aquariums. A trickle plate pumps water from the aquarium and the water is then trickled down through a source in the wet or dry chamber.

• Power filters

Designed to work on any type of aquarium set-ups, power filters are known to keep aquarium conditions healthy.

These filters can be set up quickly and are easy to use. Also, they are manageable as maintenance is basic and simple.

• Canister Filters

These filters are larger than the power filters and are known to manage different filter types in an aquarium. Canister filters are of good quality thus, they can be used as a stand-alone filter too.

Also, canister filters serve many purposes. These can be biological, mechanical and chemical filters all at the same time, allowing room for plenty of fish to live safely and healthily in a marine aquarium.

(This canister filter is the one that I have for my own 50 litre aquarium).

With the many types of marine aquarium filtration systems, get one that would suit your needs best. Consider the size of the tank that you have or would wish to have and the number of fish that you would want in your marine aquarium.

Choose a filtration system that could handle the amount of waste that the fish in the tank produces.

If you are setting up an aquarium for the first time, and you are not sure of how to go about the process and getting the right equipment, you may ask help from your local pet store or specialist aquarium centre.

Heed the advice that they can give you in terms of maintaining the cleanliness of the aquarium with the use of the right kind of filtration system.

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