Salt Water Aquarium Filtration

Once you have your beautiful Reef Casa aquarium up and running you are going to want to start stocking it with fish,  invertebrates and coral since these are what make a tank interesting and beautiful.  However, like all living things, reef tank inhabitants produce waste and this needs to be removed from the tank before it can decompose and negatively impact water quality.  Uneaten fish food can also lead to similar issues.  Here at Reef Casa, we have designed our line of all in one aquariums with two back chambers (in addition to the return pump chamber) that can be dedicated to various filtration media and methods.  In this design the water will flow into the top of the first chamber and out the bottom into the second chamber before entering the return pump chamber and then back to the main display area of the tank through the return nozzle.

So what is the best way to filter the water running through your Reef Casa aquarium?  Reefers should use filter floss in the top of the first chamber where the water enters from the tank.  This mechanical filtration will remove suspended particles from the water including fish waste and uneaten fish food.  This is where waterflow also can aid with filtration because high levels of flow will help to keep debris suspended in the water column where it can be removed by the filter floss.  Every Reef Casa aquarium is shipped with a supply of precut filter floss and a month’s supply can be purchased from our website.

The first chamber is also a good location for some chemical filtration, such as the included activated carbon, which will help to remove impurities and toxins from the water.  Reef Casa also offers an available media basket upgrade that can be used to conveniently hold the filter floss and other media in the first chamber.

The larger, second chamber is ideally suited for a protein skimmer, which uses microbubbles to remove organic material from the water column before it can break down into harmful components.  Reef Casa aquariums are designed to accommodate a wide range of nano protein skimmers without the need for modifications.  For reefers who choose to not run a protein skimmer, additional chemical filtration can be used in the second chamber.  Some hobbyists also add additional biological filtration such as reef casa bacterial hotel.  This operates in a similar fashion as the tank’s rockwork and provides a home for beneficial bacteria to colonize, which will help to break down harmful ammonia, nitrites and even nitrates.

 

From this second chamber the water flows into the return pump chamber and back to the main display area and the cycle begins all over again.  The effective use of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration, combined with a consistent water change schedule can go a long way in helping your new Reef Casa aquarium look its absolute best and also help to avoid many types of nuisance algae.  Every Reef Casa tank is designed with easy and effective filtration in mind to help all reefers enjoy success with their new tank.  Happy Reefing!