There are two types of filtering to be accomplished – mechanical and biological. All media performs one or the other or both. They are both required for your Koi pond so what do they do? Well the mechanical filtration media removes large particulate waste material. Biological filtration fosters the growth of beneficial bacteria that breaks down pollutants in the water.

Japanese matting has become one of the most well loved and widely used for biological filtering. It is made from thousands of fiber strands formed into a sheet or mat. Do not use this medium for mechanical filtration since it will easily clog and require repeated cleanings that will eventually lead to disintegration.

Another well loved type of biological filtering medium is bacballs. They are simple to use and clean. But again, don’t use them in the early stages of filtration or they will clog as well. You can also use Bioflow and flocor for biological filtering. They are pieces of plastic that are light weight and simple to clean.

If you don’t have a vortex chamber as your first stage of filtration, you will want to use brushes in the first stage to trap the large solid waste material. Brushes are simple to work with and clean. You can be sure they will need frequent cleaning depending on the waste load of your Koi pond.

So what kind of setup is a excellent one? Well the answer might be different depending on who you question but here are ways to start. If you have a pump-fed multi-chamber system without a vortex chamber you want to have brushes in the first stage. Follow this with flocor or bioflow in stage two. Have Japanese matting in stage three. And if you have more chambers add matting, foam or Aquarock.

Regardless of what your exact setup is, there are many options available. Do a small homework and see what is available. Alternatively the setup I have described will serve you well.

The largest difference between fresh and salt water tanks is the salt. This isn’t like table salt, it’s actual marine salt.Warm salt water evaporates quickly and a large tank can lose up to 25 litres a week. Marine fish don’t like huge changes in salt levels so an automatic top-up device is a excellent thought to regulate the levels.

A device like this is a floating switch that’s in the main tank but connected to a pump in the top-up water tank. When the level drops down the switch alerts the pump to top up the level.

To point how much salt is the water in your tank you’ll need a vital piece of equipment called a hydrometer. These are cheap and simple to use, and should always be used when making up water for a water change, and occasionally to check the levels in the main tank. Some even come with a built-in thermometer.

Another all vital bit of kit that you should have is a protein skimmer, as this will help you keep the water clean. A protein skimmer should be used in conjunction with a biological or a natural filter system in your tank.

Some other equipment that you should have to keep a successful marine tank includes a cooler, or a chiller. This is essentially a refrigeration unit that is connected to the main tank and as water gets pumped through it, it is chilled and then goes back into the tank. Chillers are necessary because of all the electrical equipment that gets used in fish tanks nowadays, as it all uses power that produces heat and marine do not require that amount of heat.

You might need some other pieces of equipment too for a marine tank but the ones mentioned are the basic requisites. Be sure to do some enquiry about the kind of fish you’d like to keep and get some advice from an expert before you buy any fish. Remember that keeping a marine tank can be expensive so make sure you look at all the costs before you start.

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