Chemical Filtration: Removing What Other Filters Can’t!

Chemical filtration is the creepy uncle of the aquarium world.

It may not be popular, but if your aquarium is facing an emergency, you will be glad you have it.

So, let’s take a closer look at chemical filtration and how it can be used to benefit your aquarium…

Contents

1. What is chemical filtration and why do you need it in your aquarium?
2. What is the best type of chemical filtration?
3. A warning before installing your first chemical filter

What is chemical filtration and why do you need it in your aquarium?

Chemical filtration is one of three different types of filters that can be used in your aquarium. The other two are biological and mechanical filtration.

As the name suggests, this is a filter that specifically removes chemicals from your aquarium.

Now, you may be thinking:

I don’t need that because I don’t have any chemicals in my aquarium!

Well as it turns out, you do…

When most people think of chemicals, they think of man-made ones such as laundry detergent, bug repellent or antifreeze. I’ll agree, none of these should be in your aquarium. ^[1]

But it turns out nature is just as good at creating chemicals!

If you think back to the nitrogen cycle, you will remember that waste such as fish poop and uneaten food leads to ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Guess what? All of those are chemicals!

And you can use a chemical filter to remove them from your aquarium.

But chemical filtration can do more than just remove chemicals.

Depending on the type, a chemical filter can also remove other pollutants – some of which are just an eyesore but others of which can quickly kill…

• Heavy metals, such as copper
• Compounds, like sodium chloride (salt)
• Medication used to treat sick fish
• Tannins from driftwood that discolor the water
• Bad smells

…and more!

If all that sounds confusing, then don’t worry. All you really need to know is that chemical filtration can be used to remove anything that mechanical and biological filtration can’t.

Speaking of the other two filtration methods…

While mechanical and biological filtration form the basics of a healthy aquarium, chemical filtration is considered optional – many aquarium owners skip them completely!

Now, I’m not saying chemical filters don’t have their place. They most certainly do… In an emergency, where your fish’s lives are at risk due to pollutants, a chemical filter can be your best friend.

But my biggest gripe with chemical filters is that many people use chemical filters to remove pollutants instead of dealing with the cause of the problem.

Let’s say that the ammonia levels in your aquarium have spiked, and the cause is an overstocked tank…

While a chemical filter can remove ammonia from the water, it does not solve the problem that is responsible for the high ammonia levels – too many fish in your aquarium!

So, repeat after me…

A chemical filter is not a magical solution to water quality problems!

I recommend using a chemical filter as a temporary solution while you play detective, chasing down the source of the pollutants.

What is the best type of chemical filtration?

It is worth mentioning that there is no best chemical filtration. The right chemical filter for your situation entirely depends on the pollutant you want to remove from your aquarium.

With that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at four of the more common chemical filter media.

1. Activated carbon

Check the price

Does that name ring a bell? You have likely heard it advertised in beauty products claiming to make you look 10 years younger. I can’t comment on its effectiveness in that situation, but it can certainly help pretty up the water in your aquarium.

Also known as activated charcoal, this is the most widely used chemical filter media. A big reason for activated carbon’s popularity is that it can deal with a wide variety of pollutants and is readily available and affordable.

So, how does it work?

Well, each piece of activated carbon has been processed to create hundreds of little pores, which are actually holes. These pores are so small that you cannot see them with the naked eye.

These tiny pores trap pollutants, removing them from the water column.

Activated carbon removes:

• Chlorine and chloramine
• Dissolved proteins
• Water discoloration
• Bad smells

2. Zeolite

Check the price

Zeolite is a natural volcanic rock that is mostly made up of silica and aluminum.^[2]

For chemical filtration, however, you are more likely to come across artificial (man-made) zeolite. This isn’t an issue, since it performs near identically to its natural counterpart.Zeolite also has hundreds of tiny pores, but it works is a little differently compared to activated carbon…

It doesn’t just filter out pollutants, but it instead makes an exchange. When zeolite takes in ammonia, it swaps it for sodium. This process is called ion exchange.

The exchange continues until the zeolite has no more sodium to swap.

Zeolite is most commonly used in freshwater aquariums, with many hobbyists loudly advocating that it will not work in saltwater. However, a study by the EPA suggests that zeolite still works at reducing ammonia levels in marine environments, just not as effectively as in freshwater.^[3]

Some brands combine both zeolite and activated carbon to form an all-in-one chemical filter blend that can remove almost any pollutant from your aquarium.

Zeolite removes:

• Ammonia

3. Oxide

Check the price

Believe it or not, rusted metal can actually be used as a chemical filter media.

Both aluminum oxide and iron oxide can lower phosphate levels in your aquarium, which can clear up algae problems.

However, evidence suggests that aluminum oxide, like Seachem Phosguard, leads to increased aluminum levels in a saltwater aquarium. Saltwater tank owners should use ferrous oxide instead. ^[4]

Oxide removes:

• Phosphates

4. Resin

Check the price

Resins are widely used in water softening and water purification, so it’s no surprise to see them make their way to the aquarium hobby.

Like zeolite, resin filters work by using ion exchange. However, they are capable of removing many more pollutants.

Man-made resins are manufactured to remove specific chemical wastes including phosphate, nitrates and heavy metals.

Because resin has hundreds of tiny little pieces, it will require a media bag – otherwise, it’s just going to float around your aquarium without effectively filtering your water.

Resin removes…

Depends on the resin filter

A warning before installing your first chemical filter

A chemical filter is not an unlimited resource.

There will come a time when your chemical filter will become full – no matter what type you use.

And when this happens, it will no longer absorb pollutants from your water. In fact, the opposite can happen…

Your chemical filter can start releasing pollutants back into your aquarium.

So, whether you like it or not, you will need to continuously swap out your chemical filter. Some last weeks, others months, but the time will come when your chemical filter can no longer perform its duty.

For this reason, I recommend trying your hardest to fix the cause of the pollutants – it will be well worth the effort…

After all, when there are no pollutants in your aquarium, you won’t need a chemical filter, right?

If you do find that you must use a chemical filter, read the manual for how often you should swap it out. By following the instructions, you won’t have to deal with the disaster caused when a chemical filter stops working.

Do you use a chemical filter in your aquarium? Have something to add to this discussion? Let me know in the comments below!

Ian Sterling

I've been keeping fish for over 30 years and currently have 4 different aquariums – it's an addiction. I'm here to teach you everything there is to know about fishkeeping.

I also use this site as an excuse to spend lots of money on testing and reviewing different aquarium products! You can find my reviews here.