Aquariums/Tanks Dr. Craig Kasper • Many people have owned or will own a fish tank (it may even contain fish)
Download ReportTranscript Aquariums/Tanks Dr. Craig Kasper • Many people have owned or will own a fish tank (it may even contain fish)
Aquariums/Tanks
Dr. Craig Kasper
• Many people have owned or will own a fish tank (it may even contain fish)
• As we will see, aquariums for fish take on many forms...some are simple.
• Some are a bit more complex...
Aquariums: What are they?
• An
aquarium
aquaria
) (plural
aquariums
or • Clear-sided container • Typically glass or high-strength plastic • Houses plants and animals, or both.
• Private and public display
• Aquarium keeping is a popular hobby (>60 million hobbist globally) • Recognized as early as the1850s, when the predecessor of the modern aquarium was first developed as a novel curiosity, • Public aquaria reproduce the home aquarist's hobby on a grand scale — the Osaka Aquarium (seen here), boasts a tank of 1.4 million gallons and nearly 580 spp.
• Currently, huge variety exists!
• A simple bowl housing a single fish to complex simulated ecosystems with carefully engineered support systems.
• Fresh or salt water, tropical or cold water.
• Wild collecting still an issue, esp. salt H 2 0 (REM:ornamental fish?) The Florida Aquarium
• Must maintain a tank ecology that mimics natural habitat.
• Controlling water quality ! managing the inflow and outflow of nutrients, management of waste (nitrogenous) beneficial bacteria populations.
Aquarium Parts
• Tank • Filter • Gravel/sustrate • Pump • Aerator • Reliable water supply
Tanks
• High quality glass -Plexiglass is expensive, but lighter Monteray Bay Aquarium
Plexiglass offers unique design options!
No one wants this much water on the carpet!!
Courtesy: Perigrine Plastics
Production Tanks
• Production tanks can be made of fiberglass, wood, etc.
• Volume necessary and strength, not aesthetics!
St. Croix Waters Fishery
Mote Marine Laboratory
Mote Marine Laboratory
Filters
• Primary method of cleaning tank • Removes solids small solids called “suspended solids” larger ones called “flocs” • Provides substrate for nitrifiers • Many types depending on needs
Gravel/Substrate
• Material for nesting • Aesthetics • Nitrification • “Live sand” • Filtration
Gravel/Substrate
PVC shavings!
Gravel/Substrate
Activated Carbon
Media Filters
• Bead/Sand/Media filters all use water pressure to force water through some type of media. • Excellent filtering capacity, esp. for larger systems • More maintenance (media changing backwashing, etc.)
Mixed media filters
Gravity Filtration
• Trickle filters/Settling Chamber/Swirl Separators • Most use gravity to accomplish filtering.
• Better for nitrification and oxygenation.
• Prone to clogging if primary filtration inefficient.
Screen Filters (RDF)
• Screen/Microscreen filters • A.k.a.—rotating drum filters • Utilize large particle size “flocculation” to remove solids. • Excessive flow can reduce efficiency!
Best of Both Worlds??
• “Fluidized” bed?? • Actually more simple than it sounds.
• Running a sandfilter backwards would give same effect.
• Huge potential for nitrification.
• Bed expansion by optimizing flow.
Fluidized-Bed Filter • Media maintained ~ 50-100% expansion volume of original.
Over 20 feet tall!
Bead Filters
• Another form of “fluidized” filter system (upwelling). • Media is usually plastic beads. • Good nitrification.
• Performs poorly during heavy loading.
-excessive stocking density -ad libitum feeding
Aeration
• Oxygen • Speeds up decomposition • Circulates water (air lift pump)
Aeration
Non-pressurized Downflow bubble contactor (DBC) Counter current diffusion column U-tube diffusers
DBC U-tube
Biofilters
•Help to establish nitrogen cycle.
•Break down toxic fish wastes.
Liquid Oxygen • Facilitates higher densities • Cheaper than gas O 2 • Increase O 2 saturation • Can increase CO 2 levels • False security?
-increased density -increased solids -may increase disease Ozone • Increases flocculation • Reduces disease outbreak -kills bateria, fungus, viruses • Expensive!!
Protein Skimmers/ Foam Fractionators • Removal of excessive organics -decreases B.O.D. and C.O.D.
• Increases flocculation -decreases solids -increases water clarity
• What really does the work??
Bacteria!!
How Do I Condition a Biofilter?
• Since nitrifying bacteria are ubiquitous (everywhere) and can be found easily in the water column, soil and sediments you can just add some pond water or a little dirt to the system. (Could introduce pathogens or other toxins though.) • A better way… a. Use existing media from another filter as a starter colony (just like passing around grandma’s sour dough starters).
Recipe for Nitrification Success!
• Once you’ve achieved proper ph, hardness, and alkalinity for your target species; it’s time to add the bacteria before you stock out.
• System start-up formulae: a. Spike the system with ammonia.
-(NH 4 )SO 4 -NH 4 Cl 3.3 ppm (mg/L) 3-6 ppm (mg/L) b. Place several fish in the system and feed them.
Wait 4 weeks (if no starters present)…presto!
Get ‘em yourself!
(Sewage treatment inspectors get top pay!!)