Bead filters are closed (pressure) vessels, filled with thousands of plastic beads. These beads are very close together and form a layer through which the water is pressed under pressure of a pump. The dirt particles remain stuck in the beads. If the filters are used for a longer period of time, the biofilm (the sticky layer) around the beads becomes thicker, which causes increasingly fine dirt to be trapped.
Besides mechanical filtration, biological filtration also takes place in a bead filter. Useful bacteria attach themselves to the beads and break down harmful substances such as ammonium, nitrite and nitrate. A bead filter is easy to operate manually via the six-way valve. With this six-way valve various functions can be set, such as cleaning the filter. AquaForte has various bead filters in its range, such as the UltraBead and the EconoBead.
