Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!decwrl!ucbvax!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwind.TRW.COM!nrcvax!nrc-ut!andre From: andre@nrc-ut.UUCP Newsgroups: alt.aquaria Subject: Re: Fishtank Moved Message-ID: <354@nrc-ut.UUCP> Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 20:06:30 EST Article-I.D.: nrc-ut.354 Posted: Tue Dec 1 20:06:30 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 13-Dec-87 16:53:25 EST References: <1753@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> <4370@sol.ARPA> <1755@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> <15631@watmath.waterloo.edu> Reply-To: andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut) Organization: Network Research Corp. Salt Lake City, UT Lines: 38 Keywords: Filtration In article <15631@watmath.waterloo.edu> rmpinchback@watmath.waterloo.edu (Reid M. Pinchback) writes: >If you want to improve the performance of the filtration, don't put your >hopes on carbon. Carbon looses most of its effectiveness within a >day or so. There are two different types of filtration being talked about here, mechanical and chemical. Carbon is great for removing dissolved gases, heavy metals etc, but is not meant to be a mechanical filtering media, and certainly works for more than few days. Filter floss, cotton, pleated filters etc.., are mechanical filters. They remove particles of stuff from the water, and should be left alone until the flow decreases too much. In addition, there are two types of biological filtration, one popular one, and another borrowed from salt-water setups that is also gaining recognition in the fresh-water world. The first is of course, the under- gravel filter. It's main job is to break the ammonia ions down into nitrites and then into nitrates. It is not meant to do anything else, though most of them suck water down through them, and return the filtered water at the surface (some passing through a small carbon filter on the way up). The other is the ultra-violet sterilizer. The UV filter works by passing water over a special germicidal bulb which kills almost anything alive in the water. This is great for controlling bacteria and some parasites. If you are interested, just ask any aquarium store which handles salt-water fish. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- sdcsvax-\ ihnp4-\ \ \ Andre' Hut sdcrdcf!psivax!nrcvax!nrc-ut!andre / / / hplabs--/ ucbvax!calma-/ / utah-gr!uplherc/ Network Research Corporation 923 Executive Park Dr. Suite C Salt Lake City, Utah 84117 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------