Using The Vortex Diatom Filter in Your Fish Tank

In this article I’ll tell you about Using The Vortex Diatom Filter in Your Fish Tank. Every fish tank enthusiast will encounter a dirty fish tank at some stage of their hobby, most times through no fault of their own. We have to understand that fish are animals that feed and mess, and they can be really messy.

The aquarium water needs to be constantly maintained and cleaned if you want the perfect fish tank but this is humanly impossible without the help of our best friend, fish tank filters. That is the one equipment that could make or break an aquarium environment, providing mechanical, biological and chemical filtration. But none does not it better than the Vortex Diatom Filter which uses diatomaceous earth as its filter medium.

The diatomaceous earth used in a Vortex Diatom Filter are microscopic grains that comes from soil. These grains were originally microscopic organisms that lived in the soil. When these organisms die, they leave behind tiny fossils as their remains in the soil which fills the soil with microscopic cavities that is excellent for filtering out waste particles from the water. Because of the size of these cavities, they are able to capture waste particles that are too tiny for other conventional fish tank filters to trap. These days, this form of filter media is being used in water purification plants as well as in swimming pools.

The Vortex Diatom Filter is a highly effective mechanical filter that does an awesome job without harming the delicate colonies of bacteria in the aquarium. Modern medicine has made us believe that bacteria is bad but there are actually a lot of bacteria which actually benefits us and our environment. In an aquarium, these beneficial bacteria provides biological filtration by breaking down nitrates into less harmful components that are released into the atmosphere. If these colonies of beneficial bacteria is destroyed or harmed in any way, they will gravely affect the delicate ecosystem of your fish tank.

Because of the efficiency of the Vortex Diatom Filter, its filtration is known as polishing. The Vortex Diatom Filter is capable of polishing aquarium water at a rate of 300 gallons in an hour. This is one filter that can be comfortably used in both freshwater as well as salt water fish tanks without any problems.

This type of filter is not one that you would run twenty four hours a day like conventional filters. To use it, you would first fill the Vortex Diatom Filter jar with diatomaceous earth that can be bought from your local fish shop separately. You would then run the filter for a maximum of three hours and not more or the filter motor would burn out. But within that three hours, your aquarium water would be polish to such a pristine state that no other fish tank filter is capable of.

Is The Vortex Diatom Filter Right For You?

There are a few things you would need to consider before you run out and buy a Vortex Diatom Filter. Firstly, the diatomaceous earth needs to be handled with extreme care. Because it is microscopic, breathing in the dust can be detrimental to your health and you should use a surgical mask when handling the filter media. This would mean that it is not the right filter if you plan to let your children have a hand in taking care of the aquarium.

Secondly, is the cost. While it is not as expensive as canister fish tank filters, it does cost a little more than other conventional filters.