Page 12 - TBAS-October-2020

-12- TBAS October 2020 ....................
Sometimes it seems like every other month a new type ofbox filter comes
out. My suggestion is to try them all in your store before recommending them to
your customers. Then you can accurately determine which filter exactly fits each
customer’s needs.
Sponge Filters
There are many types. The only complication is that there are so
many to choose from!
When using or selling a sponge filter, pay attention to the sponge material.
Reticulation is a manufacturing process in which the. “windows” are
pressurized and blown out. This gives the sponge a porosity of as much as 90 to
100 percent.
Be on the lookout for “windows” on the sponge, which appear as shiny
spots within the sponge. If a sponge has windows, it is typically referred to as a
non-reticulated sponge.
Most sponges that are available in the hobby today are non-reticulated.
A non-reticulated sponge has the windows still inside, greatly reducing
porosity to possibly around 35 percent, but dramatically increasing the channeling
of water flow.
Contact the manufacturer, and find out whether or not their various sponges
are reticulated. My recommendation is to go for the reticulated.

Central Systems
More emphasis has been placed on central filtration systems in recent
years than on any other type of filtration, with the possible exception of foam
fractionation.
Central filtration systems allow any number of aquariums to use the same
water. The aquariums are connected by a series of piping to a main filter source.
This source can be either a series of canisters (discussed above), or a
trickle filtration system (also called, incorrectly, wet/ dry filtration).
Many retailers point to trickle filters as the “new technology” that made
central filtration a popular practice.
But really, the trickle filter is not new to the hobby. This process has been
used for decades in municipal water treatment plants.
As a vital technology in fishkeeping, the trickle filter deserves a close
examinatton.
Advantages. In the trickle filter, gas exchange is completed in the,
area above the media where the water (from a spray bar or drip tray) first makes
contact. This process allows the water to become saturated with oxygen.
Nitrifying bacteria require oxygen for the oxidation of ammonia and nitrite.
Since the trickle bed filter actually operates in the air, there is never a shortage of

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