Mute Aquarium Filter

Filtration is fundamental to maintaining a healthy aquarium environment and, unfortunately, it is an aspect of the hobby that is, at best, poorly understood and, at worse, fraught with unmitigated nonsense. Filtration is the removal, or separation, of one or more substances from one or more other substances There are three basic types of filtration that apply to the aquarium: mechanical, biological, and chemical.Aquarium with a filter without filter media can break down at least the same amount of ammoniacal nitrogen as an aquarium with a handful of high-quality filter media (Seachem Matrix alias pumice) in 24 hours.The use of filter media in the filter is most likely unnecessary (at least in terms of nitrification) in a planted aquarium with a reasonable fish stock.The importance of filtration (or filter media) appears to be overestimated (at least in terms of nitrification). It is also quite possible that many filters may increase ammonium concentration in the aquarium rather than reduce it effectively. Some filters may function as "traps" and producers rather than "degraders" of organic waste.To break down such an extreme concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen as 30 ppm NH3/NH4+ virtually zero filter media is needed. This means that even the minimal amount of nitrifying bacteria that can be produced on ordinary surfaces inside an aquarium, in hoses or in an empty filter, is enough to break down virtually any amount of ammoniacal nitrogen that could occur in a normal planted aquarium.