Fish Keeping Made Easy Or Aquariums For Lazy People Part 4, Biologic Filters

In a natural environment bacteria and fungi break down waste and recycle nutrients so they are useful to plants. These bacteria live on all surfaces under the water. How could I increase the surface area of the filter to cultivate more bacteria?
I tried fiber-fill, the cotton like nylon stuff you pack into pillows. My tank was shiny clean, incredible water, no more diseases, water changes perhaps 25% once a year, no more chemicals except to remove chlorine when I couldn't let water sit outside for long periods.
Then one day the entire tank was filled with detritus, fish and plant waste. The filter material was simply saturated and then collapsed. I did this several times over three years and each filter worked for six to eight months then collapsed again.
Eventually, I went to the hardware store and bought several types and textures of nylon cleaning pads. I cut them to fit into the canister filter then finally through a sponge filter, now I don't even do the sponge. I do keep the heavy textured nylon close to the water inflows to catch bulk detritus, the finer nylon materials toward the outflow side for finer filtration.
Replace all filter material in a canister with scratch pad nylon, fill in all gaps so water cannot flow around the material, detritus is filtered, fungi and bacteria break that down to recycle the elements and provide CO2, other organic compounds, and minerals for your tank. Don't let water intake or outflows disturb the surface, extent the inflows down into the tank.
Place the intake and outflows on opposite ends of the tank to create better circulation.
Let nature take its course. Be sure to have snails in the tank.
When the water looks cloudy, remove the filter, take it out in the garden and just spray off the built up material, replace the water and reassemble the filter.
You have just created an incredibly efficient biological filter. When it slows down, take it apart and wash off some of the detritus, which is the only maintenance needed.
You can oversize the canister for the tank size and yes, this increases filtration. But not needed.
In fact, if you have enough plant material, you don't even need the filter. The twenty gallon tank behind me as I write does not have a filter because I also raise Cherry Shrimp and the shrimplets were being sucked into the filter. It is too much work to get them out several times each year, so I simply shut it off.
The aquarium looks great.
Before you go, there is more to come. We need to show you have to handle algae, use detritivores, and discuss the substrate in the next article. If you are in a hurry, go to the swimming pool supply and buy washed swimming pool filter sand and use several inches as a substrate. Plants will love you. This is your major natural aquarium set up. Just add water and light.
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