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Saltwater Aquarium Filtration: Wet/Dry trickle filters

© Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld

In the last editorial I listed two of the more popular filtration devices which can be found in freshwater aquarium setups. Unlike freshwater, saltwater aquarium filtration devices tend to be more elaborate and expensive. In each of the next few editorials, I will try to focus on one or two saltwater aquarium filtration devices, and give a short explanation of how they work. Understanding filtration devices will allow an aquarists to understand how several systems can be used together in order to promote a healthy aquarium.

Among the most popular filtration systems is the "wet/dry" trickle filter. A good picture of a wet/dry filter can be seen here. As with box filters, these filters rely on an initial mechanical filtration provided by fiber-floss, which sits just above the trickle filter as shown in the above figure. Gravity causes the aquarium water to flow to the filter, through the fiber-floss prefilter, and then into the trickle filter portion of the wet/dry system. If you are wondering where the name "wet/dry" comes from, it is very simple. The trickle portion is considered to be the "dry" portion and the submerged chemical and biofiltering system which follows is the "wet" portion. The trickle partition consists of a trickle tray, which separates the incoming water into smaller streams which "trickle" over the bio balls placed below it. The water then collects in the filter reservoir where it goes through chemical and sometimes biological filtration, depending on the configuration. The water which collects in the reservoir is then returned to the aquarium by a power pump.

These types of filters have become the most popular in the past few years for saltwater aquariums. They provide easy, efficient filtration, with a simplistic setup. In addition to their efficiency, wet/dry trickle filters are also very easy to maintain. The fiber-floss prefilter in the drip plate is easy to replace, and the additional chemical filters which may be in the filter are easily replaced as well. Cost wise, expect to spend $200 to $350 for a nice wet/dry filter, depending on the size of your aquarium. As always, it is very important to get a filtering system which is large enough for your aquarium. They are usually rated by the gallons per hour that they process. You want to make sure that the aquarium water is completely filtered once, and maybe even twice an hour. What does this mean? Well if the store clerk cannot give you any help, just remember that if you have...say a 30 gal aquarium...you want the filter to filter 30 to 60 gallons of water per hour. This is only a suggestion, so pay attention to the particular manufacturer specifications for which size filter is correct for your aqarium.

The copyright of the article Saltwater Aquarium Filtration: Wet/Dry trickle filters in Aquariums is owned by Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld. Permission to republish Saltwater Aquarium Filtration: Wet/Dry trickle filters in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.