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- actinic
lights
- Actinics are a type of fluorescent
light that is very blue. This is the color of light that is most useful
to the chlorophyll in marine life, and is the color of the sea below
10 meters.
- activated
carbon
- This is carbon, looking
like crumbled charcoal. It can absorb many compounds out of the water,
and is especially good at removing yellowing compounds to keep the water
clear. Carbon must be changed regularly, as after it has been used for
a while, it may leach impurities back into the water.
- Africans
- Refers to freshwater cichlids
from Africa. These fish come from the very hard, slightly salty water
of the rift lakes.
- air pump
- A pump which supplies air
for lift tubes, skimmers, bubblers, etc.
The most common type are diaphragm pumps, though
cylinder pumps are available for large installations.
- algae
- Plant-like organisms which
grow in water. While many algae grow as a fuzz or slime without much
visible structure, some is leafy. Other algae is hard and calcareous.
- alkalinity
- This is the measure of a
solution's resistance to changes in pH. It is commonly
measured as carbonate alkalinity or total alkalinity, and is expressed
in meq, dKH, or ppm of C03 ions. The alkalinity can be raised by adding
a buffer.
- ammonia
- NH3, this is one of the
steps in the nitrogen cycle. It is toxic to most creatures, and should be
at un-measurable levels after a tank has cycled.
- anaerobic
- Literally without air, refers
to an area where there is no dissolved oxygen in the water. While necessary
for some things such as bacterial reduction of nitrate
to nitrogen, these areas can also produce hydrogen sulfide and other
undesirable substances.
- aragonite
- The substance that makes
up coral skeletons and coral sand. It's a form of CaCO3.
- artemia
- See brine
shrimp.
- ballast
- The electrical supply for
some lights, such as fluorescents and metal halide
bulbs. These are available in several varieties, such as tar, transformer,
and electronic. They must be properly matched to the type of bulb you
are using.
- biological
filtration
- These filters make use of
bacteria to break down wastes in the water into substances which are
less toxic to the inhabitants, in a process known as the nitrogen cycle. Examples are under gravel filters, sponge filters, and
trickle filters.
- brackish
- Water that part-way between
freshwater and marine. A number of species prefer partly-salty water.
- brine
shrimp
- Sometimes sold as sea monkeys,
these shrimp grow to about 1/4 inch and are used as a live food for
fish. They are easily hatched and their eggs may be stored dry for years.
- bubble filters
- These internal filters use
a lift tube to draw water through a foam block, as in a sponge
filter.
- buffer
- A substance which is dissolved
in the water to boost the alkalinity and/or
adjust the pH. Buffers may be formulated to adjust
the pH to a particular value, or to raise the alkalinity without changing
the pH.
- calcium
chloride
- CaCl2. This is a form of
calcium that may be added to reef tanks to maintain the calcium level.
However, kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide) is preferred, as adding
kalkwasser does not upset the alkalinity or ionic balance the way calcium
chloride can.
- calcium hydroxide
- Ca(OH)2. See kalkwasser.
- canister
filter
- This filter consists of
a canister external to the aquarium which is filled with various media,
mechanical or chemical. Hoses run to and from the canister, and an attached
pump forces water through the canister. These can be very efficient
filters, though they must be taken apart and cleaned regularly.
- carbon
- See activated
carbon
- carbon dioxide
- The gas CO2 is a necessary
nutrient for plants, and can be used to lower the pH.
- chemical
filtration
- These filters use chemical
processes to clean the water. Examples are protein skimmers and any filter containing chemical media
such as activated carbon, molecular
adsorption pads, or resins.
- chiller
- A device which makes aquarium
water cooler. They generally cost at least several hundred dollars,
and home brew solutions involving small refrigerators are seldom successful.
- chloramine
- This substance is sometimes
used as a bactericide in municipal water supplies. It it poisonous
to fish, but can be removed with special dechlorinating compounds. Unlike
chlorine, it will not evaporate from water by itself.
- chlorine
- This substance is commonly
used to keep bacteria out of municipal water supplies. It is poisonous
to fish, but can be removed with special dechlorinating compounds, or
by letting a bucket of water sit open for 24 hours.
- cichlids
- A family of freshwater fish
found naturally in South America and Africa. Most of them are very aggressive
fish.
- controller
- A device which measures
some parameter of an aquarium, and then switches on and off another
device to affect the aquarium. Typical controllers include redox, and pH.
- cylinder
pump
- A type of air pump which can produce great volumes of air, though they
are noisier than the more common diaphragm pumps.
- deionization
- A process for filtering
tap water before it is added to the aquarium. It comes with either separate
or mixed-bed resins. The mixed-bed resins are disposable when they are
exhausted, whereas separate resins can be recharged, though that requires
working with caustic chemicals.
- diaphragm
pump
- The most common type of
air pump. A great variety of brands and styles are available
which produce different amounts of air, with differing amounts of noise.
- diatom filter
- This purely mechanical
filter uses diatomaceous earth to remove very fine particles from
the water. They clog quickly and are only used occasionally as water
polishers rather than continuously.
- diatoms
- Single-celled creatures with
hard, silica-based shells. They look like a golden powder coating the
tank to the naked eye.
- discus
- These cichlids
come from South America. They are somewhat delicate, large round flat
fish, often with blue or red marbled coloring.
- DLS
- DLS (double-layered spiral)
is a material made by rolling up a polyester pad and plastic wire mesh.
It is used in both biological and mechanical filters.
- dosing
pump
- A pump which can supply
a very slow drip which is used to add trace elements or make up water
for evaporation. The most common type is a peristaltic pump.
- external
filter
- Any filter not kept inside
the aquarium, but connected with hoses. Canister
filters are an example of these.
- filter
- Filters are devices which
clean the water. They come in three broad categories: mechanical, chemical,
and biological. There are many different types
of filters, such as...
- foam fractionation
- See protein
skimming.
- halogen
- Halogen lights have a very
yellow light not appropriate for aquarium use. Do not confuse these
with metal halide lights.
- heater
- A device to warm the aquarium
water. They are available as submersible heaters, over-the-side heaters,
and under tank coils.
- internal
filters
- Any filter operated inside
the fish tank. under gravel filters and sponge filters
are two examples of these.
- invertebrates
- These are animals without
backbones. In freshwater aquaria only snails and crayfish/shrimp are
generally available. For marine aquaria, many kinds of animals are available.
- iodine
- A trace element necessary
to life in very small quantities, but deadly at higher concentrations.
Because it is removed by protein skimming, it must be added regularly
on skimmed tanks. It is especially needed by crustaceans to successfully
molt and soft corals for growth.
- kalkwasser
- Literally chalk-water, this
is water with calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 dissolved in it. Adding kalkwasser
is the preferred way to maintain calcium levels in a marine tank with
growing corals, clams, and calcareous algae. About 1 teaspoon of Ca(OH)2
powder will dissolve in a gallon of pure water.
- killiefish
- This family of small freshwater
fish are seldom found in pet stores. They live only one year, laying
eggs that can survive harsh conditions.
- lift
tube
- A source of water movement
used with under gravel filters and some other filters,
such as sponge filters. Large bubbles are released
in a tube about 1 inch wide. As they rush upwards, they pull the water
in the tube up as well.
- live bearers
- Fish which produce live
young rather than laying eggs. These freshwater fish include guppies,
mollies, platies, and swordtails.
- live rock
- These are rocks removed
from the vicinity of a tropical coral reef with all of the life intact
on them. They commonly have algae, sponges, worms, feather dusters,
small crustaceans, polyps and urchins on them. Live rocks are an important
way to build up a complete and stable ecosystem for a coral reef.
- mechanical
filtration
- These filters mechanically
remove particles from the water. Examples are under gravel filters, canister filters,
and wet/dry prefilters.
- metal halide
- Metal halide lights are
a type of light bulb which burns very white and very bright. They require
a special fixture and ballast. They are the closest
thing we have to artificial sunlight, and are typically used on reefs
and planted tanks. They are very efficient in terms of lumens/watt.
Do not confuse these with halogen bulbs, which have a very yellow light
not appropriate for aquarium use.
- molecular
adsorption pads
- These are polyester pads
which have been chemically treated to absorb certain substances from
the water. This form of chemical filtration
is placed in a canister or power filter. Note that they sometimes will
remove good trace elements as well as pollutants.
- nitrification
- The process by which ammonia
is changed to nitrite, then nitrate, and finally nitrogen gas. See nitrogen cycle.
- nitrate
- NO3, this is a product in
the nitrogen cycle. It is not toxic, though at high levels can
cause some distress. In a reef tank it should be kept as low as possible,
under 10ppm. Fish only tanks can generally stand 30-40ppm.
- nitrite
- NO2, this is one of the
steps in the nitrogen cycle. It is toxic to most creatures, and should be
at un-measurable levels after a tank has cycled.
- nitrogen
cycle
- The nitrogen cycle describes
how organic wastes break down in the aquarium. Fish wastes naturally
decompose into ammonia, which is highly toxic. Nitrosomonas
bacteria process the ammonia into nitrite, which is also toxic. Nitrobacter bacteria then break
down the nitrite into nitrate, which is much less
harmful. This is as far as the cycle goes in most tanks, though under
the right conditions, the nitrate is further broken down to free nitrogen
gas.
- ozone
- A gas, O3, which is very
reactive. It is used as a sterilizing agent to kill bacteria and small
organisms in the water. It is used in an ozone reactor
or protein skimmer. It is important not to use
too much ozone, and to filter ozonated water through carbon before returning it to the tank, as excess ozone can
harm fish and other creatures.
- peat
- This form of dried moss
can be used as a filter material to soften water and make it more acidic.
- peristaltic
pump
- A dosing pump which works by using rollers to squeeze flexible
tubing.
- pH
- A measure of the "power
of Hydrogen", or how acidic or alkaline a solution is. Some fish are
particular and want some specific pH, others will live at any of a range
of values. Most are sensitive to changes, which should only be made
gradually.
- power filter
- A filter which hangs on
the side of a tank or is submerged in it, containing an internal pump
to draw water through. They provide mechanical
filtration, and optionally chemical or
biological filtration.
- powerhead
- A small submersible pump.
They have only one moving part, called the impeller. They are useful
to create current within a tank or to drive filters such as under gravel filters, canisters and protein skimmers.
- prefilter
- This is a small mechanical filter attached to the input to another filter,
usually biological. It is there to make sure
that the biofilter does not get clogged with gunk, decreasing its effectiveness.
- redox
- Redox, or reduction-oxidation
potential, is a measure of how easy it is for organic reactions to take
place. This is an indicator of water quality, measured in millivolts
with a special probe. Higher values are better. Redox controllers use an ozone reactor
to raise the redox potential.
- reverse osmosis
- A process for filtering
tap water before it is used in an aquarium. This process generates water
slowly and wastes a couple of gallons of water for each gallon of filtered
water produced. However it is one of the easiest home methods.
- reverse under gravel filter
- This variant of an under gravel filter runs in the opposite direction, pushing water
up through the gravel. It requires water pumps of some sort to run,
but needs cleaning less often.
- R/O
- See reverse
osmosis.
- protein
skimmer
- This chemical filter, also
called a foam fractionator, sends many small bubbles through a column
of water to separate dissolved organic compounds from the water. They
come in three varieties, venturi, counter-current,
and co-current. They are only effective in salt water. They may be placed
in the tank, hung on the side, or placed in a sump.
- reactor
- A device used to add a substance
to the aquarium water in a controlled manner. Ozone, kalkwasser, and carbon dioxide
are the most common reactors. They are typically a chamber water is
pumped through with an injector for the additive.
- sponge
filter
- This filter provides both
mechanical and biological filtration. It consists of a large foam rubber
(sponge) block connected to a lift tube or small
power head. Water is drawn through the sponge, which removes small particles
and grows bacteria.
- strontium
- This trace element is necessary
for corals, clams, and other creatures with calcareous skeletons to grow.
It is most commonly added as strontium chloride SrCl2.
- sump
- An additional water reservoir,
typically under a tank, to keep equipment out of sight or increase the
amount of water in a system.
- trace elements
- These are chemicals that
are needed in small amounts by the aquarium creatures to survive, like
vitamins. They must be replenished with food, water changes, or specific
additives.
- trickle
filter
- This form of a wet/dry filter
provides primarily filtration. Water is dripped over some media which
is also exposed to the air. This promotes very efficient nitrification.
The water may drip from a spray bar or drip plate. The medium may be
small pieces of plastic, DLS, or anything else which
will support bacteria and not easily clog.
- UGF
- See under gravel
filter.
- ultraviolet sterilizer
- A device which uses UV light
to kill bacteria and other tiny organisms.
- under gravel
filter
- This filter provides both
mechanical and biological filtration. It consists of a perforated plate
placed on the bottom of the aquarium and then covered in gravel. Water
is pulled through the gravel, under the plate, and up through lift tubes.
- venturi
- A type of valve which produces
bubbles by drawing air into quickly flowing water. It is sometimes used
on protein skimmers.
- wave maker
- A device which switches
powerheads on and off at timed or random intervals, to simulate
wave action in an aquarium.
- wet/dry
filter
- This is a form of biological filtration which has media exposed to the air
to aid in nitrification. Common forms are trickle filters and rotating "paddle wheel" filters.
- zeolite
- A naturally occurring ore
which will absorb ammonia and soften water. It is only effective in
fresh water.
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