1 / 38

Aquariums/Tanks

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 (plural aquariums or aquaria )

lydie
Download Presentation

Aquariums/Tanks

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Aquariums/Tanks Dr. Craig Kasper

  2. Many people have owned or will own a fish tank (it may even contain fish)

  3. As we will see, aquariums for fish take on many forms...some are simple.

  4. Some are a bit more complex...

  5. Aquariums: What are they? • An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) • Clear-sided container • Typically glass or high-strength plastic • Houses plants and animals, or both. • Private and public display

  6. 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.

  7. 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 H20 (REM:ornamental fish?) The Florida Aquarium

  8. 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.

  9. Aquarium Parts • Tank • Filter • Gravel/sustrate • Pump • Aerator • Reliable water supply

  10. Tanks • High quality glass -Plexiglass is expensive, but lighter Monteray Bay Aquarium

  11. Plexiglass offers unique design options! No one wants this much water on the carpet!! Courtesy: Perigrine Plastics

  12. Production Tanks • Production tanks can be made of fiberglass, wood, etc. • Volume necessary and strength, not aesthetics!

  13. St. Croix Waters Fishery

  14. Mote Marine Laboratory

  15. Mote Marine Laboratory

  16. 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

  17. Gravel/Substrate • Material for nesting • Aesthetics • Nitrification • “Live sand” • Filtration

  18. Gravel/Substrate

  19. Gravel/Substrate PVC shavings! Activated Carbon

  20. 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.)

  21. Mixed media filters

  22. 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.

  23. 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!

  24. 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.

  25. Fluidized-Bed Filter • Media maintained ~ 50-100% expansion volume of original.

  26. Over 20 feet tall!

  27. 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

  28. Aeration • Oxygen • Speeds up decomposition • Circulates water (air lift pump)

  29. DBC U-tube Aeration • Non-pressurized • Downflow bubble contactor (DBC) • Counter current diffusion column • U-tube diffusers

  30. Biofilters • Help to establish nitrogen cycle. • Break down toxic fish wastes.

  31. Liquid Oxygen • Facilitates higher densities • Cheaper than gas O2 • Increase O2 saturation • Can increase CO2 levels • False security? • -increased density • -increased solids • -may increase disease • Ozone • Increases flocculation • Reduces disease outbreak • -kills bateria, fungus, • viruses • Expensive!!

  32. Protein Skimmers/ Foam Fractionators • Removal of excessive organics • -decreases B.O.D. and C.O.D. • Increases flocculation • -decreases solids • -increases water clarity

  33. What really does the work?? Bacteria!!

  34. 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).

  35. 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. • -(NH4)SO4 3.3 ppm (mg/L) • -NH4Cl 3-6 ppm (mg/L) • b. Place several fish in the system and feed them. • Wait 4 weeks (if no starters present)…presto!

  36. Get ‘em yourself! (Sewage treatment inspectors get top pay!!)

More Related