Biofiltration

Now that I have shared a bit about Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate - it is important to come up with the issue of eliminating all these elements (or atleast decrease the amount that will accumulate) in a closed system (that's your aquarium). Besides regular partial water changes which I doubt anyone truly relishes this part of fish keeping - one needs a system to effect a near optimal environ for your fishes. The system is filtration, more specifically that of biological filtration. I wish I could add biochemical filtration but this could come later as I want to deal first with the more immediate concerns of anyone 'plunging' into the hobby. Filtration as I use the term in this section should be thought of as a functional whole rather than individual parts (mechanical, biological, chemical, etc.).

Again let me start with a few general concepts here on filtration.

There are many kinds of filtration and 'best' is a rather relative word, wherein a hobbyist will always find someone with claims of having the 'best' system (including myself) - but believe me when I say, to each his own here - what works for one particular fish species may not work for another given the same conditions, the same is true in terms of the experiences of different hobbyists using the same system. SO I will not make any claims on which is best, but how a system of filtration (in this case biological filtration) would work in relation to its primary function - that of eliminating the unwanted Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate in an enclosed system.

It is noteworthy, too, to state that there is no such thing as over-filtration. One can never approximate what nature can provide. Over-filtration just means more than enough the estimated requirement of a volume of water vis-a-vis that of a filtering unit. In most cases, in more common usage is all about the number of units one places in each fish tank and should never be taken seriously.

In both - do consider these keywords - reliability, convenience and cost-benefit ratio should precede cost when selecting what fits your needs most (more of the fishes' really). A lot still do put cost at the forefront but this prioritization makes it costlier in the long run.

To be continued.....