Mechanical Filter Media

Mechanical filter help and advice

Physically strain filter your water

Mechanical filtration is the process of physically trapping and removing debris from an aquarium, instead of using biological or chemical methods. Mechanical filter media comes in a variety of types including filter floss, filter foam and ceramic media.

What is a mechanical filter?

Mechanical filters allow water to pass through them while straining out solids, similar to a sieve or colander. Mechanical filtration is always the first stage of the filtration process as it ensures that the water reaching a biological or chemical media is unlikely to carry solids that could cause damage. Importantly, most mechanical filter media also promotes the colonisation of beneficial bacteria, allowing for biological filtration.

Why should I buy a mechanical filter?

Mechanical filters protect your other filter media and your filter pump. They are generally quite cheap and really easy to set up as they are normally just inserted at the front of your filter, like any other media would be.

What are the main types of mechanical filters?

We sell a wide range of mechanical filters with lots of different purposes, generally, the deepest divide in the range is between different densities of mechanical filters. Often aquarists will place a low-density filter into their pump followed by a high-density filter. Low-density filters will remove the largest solids from the water and protect high-density filters from damage. High-density filters will remove small pieces of grit and waste, ensuring the water is crystal clear.

What should I look for?

Once you have chosen the densities you require the only other thing you need to know is whether your filter media will be compatible with your filter pump. Most filter pumps have some specific filter media requirements including density and size.