WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT MECHANICAL FILTRATION OPTIONS?
Mechanical filtration is used to stop solids from entering the grow beds, especially used in deep flow / raft systems and NFT systems. When solids are allowed to enter grow beds, over time build up occurs and can cause anaerobic areas within the grow beds to develop, which in turn causes toxic substances to develop. The most basic form of mechanical filtration is to use a foam block underneath the irrigation pipe entering the grow beds. This is cleaned on a regular basis, and stops large amounts of sludge and uneaten food, it is a cheap and very easy way of creating mechanical filtration. More professional methods of mechanical filtration involve using swirl separators / clarifiers, which take either all or part of the fish tank water, passing it through and collecting the solids. These solids are removed manually, and are a great fertiliser for soil based plants around the house.
