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Absorption: The process by which filter media
attracts unwanted molecules to its surface via a
chemical charge.
Acidic: Water with a pH of less than 7.
Acrylic: A plastic material used to construct fish
tanks, filters and accessories.
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: A commonly used chemical filter
media.
Adventitious root: A root which develops from the
node of a stem or similar organ, such as a Rhizome,
Stolan or runner.
Aerobic: A term used to describe an organism that
needs oxygen to survive.
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.
Airstone: A device that attaches to the air pump to
create various bubble effects.
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.
Alimentary canal: The tube of the digestive system
through which food passes, where digestion takes
place.
Alkaline or Alkalinity: Also known as Basic. Water
with a pH between 7 and 14. It is commonly measured
as carbonate alkalinity or total alkalinity, and is
expressed in meq, dKH, or ppm of C03 ions. This is
the measure of a solution's resistance to changes in
pH. The alkalinity can be raised by adding a buffer.
Ammonia (NH3): A dissolved gas that even in low
concentrations is toxic to fish. It is produced by
the breakdown of organic waste products. NH3, this
is one of the steps in the nitrogen cycle.
Anaerobic: A term used to describe an organism that
lives in an environment with little or no oxygen.
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 CaC03.
Artemia: Known as brine shrimp.
Auxiliary actinic or blue fluorescent lighting:
lighting that will provide the necessary blue
spectrum light needed in photosynthesis of corals
and their resident, zooxanthellae.
Ballast: A transformer which changes the voltage
from your house outlet to the voltage needed to
power different types of lighting 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.
Basses: Compounds that make water Alkaline. If water
contains more acids than basses it's acidic. If it
has more basses than acids it's alkaline.
Bio-balls: A filter media used for the colonization
of bacteria.
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.
Biotope: Natural environment of a organism.
Black Water: Water that has a dark cola-like color
caused by Humic acids, it has a very low pH and is
very soft, common in the Amazon river basin.
Brackish: Water that part-way between freshwater and
marine. A number of species prefer partly-salty
water.
Breeding tank: An aquarium set up for the breeding
of fish.
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. Also called
Artemia.
Bubble Filters: These internal filters use a lift
tube to draw water through a foam block, as in a
sponge filter.
Bubble nest: A term used for a nest which is
constructed of tiny air bubbles, produced by the
male fish. It is used to protect the the eggs and
fry. Members of the family Anabantidae are the most
widely known users of such nests.
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: A necessary element used by salt water
corals and other organisms for their calcium
carbonate skeleton or shell.
Calcium Carbonate: CaCO3, white chemical compound
that is the most common nonsiliceous mineral. It
occurs in two crystal forms: calcite, which is
hexagonal, and aragonite, which is rhombohedral.
Calcium carbonate is largely insoluble in water but
is quite soluble in water containing dissolved
carbon dioxide, combining with it to form the
bicarbonate Ca(HCO3)2.
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 generator: This device maintains the
essential level of calcium (@420 ppm) in a coral
reef tank through delivering a Calcium solution to
the water: calcium hydroxide, calcium chloride, or
calcium oxide.
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(C02): Important plant nutrient. The
higher the dCH the lower the (C02). For most
aquarium plants a level of 4-6 dCH is ideal.
Carbon or Resin filter chamber: Section of the sump
chamber that directs the flow of water through the
chemical filtering media.
Carbonate Hardness: The part of the total hardness
that is formed by the ions of carbonates(C03) and
hydrogen carbonate(HC03). It is symbolized by dCH.
It is important to know the dCH of your water, as it
affects both the pH and Carbon Dioxide amounts in
your water. It is also commonly called "buffering
capability" a dCH of 4 to 8 is fine for most fish.
Chelators: Synthetic organic acids that enable Iron
and other trace elements to be absorbed easily by
the plants.
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.
Chlorophyll: Is the molecule that absorbs sunlight
and uses its energy to synthesis carbohydrates from
CO2 and water. This process is known as
photosynthesis and is the basis for sustaining the
life processes of all plants. Since animals and
humans obtain their food supply by eating plants,
photosynthesis can be said to be the source of our
life also.
Chlorophyll Absorption: Process of Photo-synthesis -
occurs between 420-550 nm. and at 670 nm. Values for
different type bulbs: Actinic= 420nm., Vitalite=420-670
nm., Ultralume=550-670 nm.
C03 and HC03: The ions that form Carbonate Hardness.
Coagulant: A chemical compound used in water
clarifiers. It causes fine particles to stick
together to be more easily removed by the filter.
Communities: Different species of fish kept in the
same aquarium.
Contraction: The shedding of the leaves at the onset
of the dormant period.
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.
Convexity: Having the property of curving outward,
like the outside of a ball.
CRI: color rendering index: A number used for rating
light bulbs on a scale up to 100, where 100 is equal
to sunlight.
Crushed coral: A Calcareous substrate material with
pH buffering abilities, for marine aquaria.
Cuttings: Detached parts of stem plants: they take
root after planting and become new plants.
Cylinder pump: A type of air pump which can produce
great volumes of air, though they are noisier than
the more common diaphragm pumps.
dCH: Abbreviation for Carbonate Hardness
Dechlorinating Compounds: A substance used to remove
Chlorine and neutralize Chloramines from tap water
for use in an aquarium.
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.
Denitrification: The breakdown of nitrates by
anaerobic bacteria, necessary to convert nitrate
into nitrogen.
Denitrification filter: Filter that provides nitrate
(NO3) removal using anaerobic bacterias that
separate nitrogen from oxygen. With much attention,
the hobbyist may maintain a near zero nitrate level
with this living filter.
Detritus: Organic waste matter that collects on the
bottom of fish tanks.
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.
Diatomaceous earth: A filter media made up of
skeletons of Diatoms, used in Diatom filters, able
to filter particles down to microns in size.
dKH: Abbreviation for Degrees of Carbonate Hardness.
DLS (double-layered spiral): A material made by
rolling up a polyester pad and plastic wire mesh. It
is used in both biological and mechanical filters.
Dolomite: A limestone gravel with a small pH
buffering ability.
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.
Electrical ground probe: Stainless steel or titanium
probe that is housed within the tank and connected
with a wire to the ground in an electrical outlet or
the household plumbing pipes. Used to ensure that
the hobbyist and the fish are protected against the
threat of shock.
Endcap: A water resistant socket for fluorescent
lamps.
Etiolation: The formation of weak, spindly foliage
deficient in Chlorophyll, usually occurs in light of
too low intensity.
External Filter: Any filter not kept inside the
aquarium, but connected with hoses. Canister filters
are an example of these.
Filter (or Filtration): Method of cleaning aquarium
water, there are 3 basic types. "Mechanical" removes
particulate material. "Chemical" removal of
dissolved substances by passing through a type of
media, like carbon. "Biological" which is the
process of changing from a harmful substance to a
less harmful one, by bacteria.
Filter feeder: A small animal that feeds off tiny
food suspended in the water.
Foam fractionation- See protein skimming.
5500K: Spectrum temperature of daylight.
General or Total hardness: The sum of carbonate
hardness and non-carbonate hardness. Usually
expressed in degrees of dKH.
Halogen: Halogen lights have a very yellow light not
appropriate for aquarium use. Do not confuse these
with metal halide lights.
Hard water: Water with a high concentration of
dissolved salts.
Heater: A device to warm the aquarium water. They
are available as submersible heaters, over-the-side
heaters, and under tank coils.
Hydrogen Sulfide: Hydrogen sulfide gas is also known
as “sewer gas” because it is often produced by the
decay of waste material. Hydrogen sulfide gas has a
strong odor at low levels. At higher levels, your
nose can become overwhelmed by the gas and you
cannot smell it. At these higher levels, hydrogen
sulfide gas can make you sick and even kill
you.
Hydrometer - A device used to measure salinity
of water.
I.D.: Abbreviation for inside diameter, used when
measuring tubing dimensions.
Internal filters: Any filter operated inside the
aquarium. Under gravel filters and sponge filters
are two examples of these.
Invertebrate: An animal with no backbone. 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.
Kelvin: A temperature reading used to rate the color
of lite bulbs. 5500 degrees K is equal to sunlight.
Laterite: Substance used in fresh water plant tanks
to supply nutrients, either a powder placed under
the gravel or chunks mixed in the gravel bed.
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 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.
Lumens: A measurement of light intensity. (1
lumen=10.76 lux).
Lux: The standard for measuring light.
Mechanical filtration: These filters mechanically
remove particles from the water. Examples are under
gravel filters, canister filters, and wet/dry
prefilters.
Media: A form of filtration material.
Metal halide lighting: 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 which provides good surface level
intensity, color temperature, and CRI of about 90.
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 waste breaks down in the aquarium. Fish
waste 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.
Opposing powerhead sumps and surge generators:
Device used to change or revolve the flow of water
in the aquarium. A varying direction of flow is
beneficial in stimulating the growth of anemones,
corals, and sponges.
Overflow prefilter: This device removes particles of
algae, detritus, and other small particles before
the water enters the trickle filter. The floss in
the prefilter should be replaced weekly.
Oxygen or Ozone generator/reactor: A closed filter
unit that supersaturates the water with oxygen
and/or ozone through slight pressurization.
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.
Ozone carbon filter: Filter comprised of carbon
removes the ozone from the water. It is important
that the carbon filter be placed in the return line
of the ozone reactor.
Ozone generator: Device using an electrical spark
and air to create the unstable oxygen atom Ozone
(O3).
Ozone reactor: Device used to deliver the ozone from
the generator into the water in the filter system.
Ozone is effective in breaking down most of the
complex organic compounds in the system.
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 a large range of values. Most are sensitive
to changes, which should only be made gradually.
pH controller: Device used to control the pH of the
aquarium through the addition of carbon dioxide to
the system (CO2).
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.
Protein skimmer: An important part of reef
filtration which is essential in the removal of
dissolved organic compounds and microscopic
particles. 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.
Pump prefilter: A device used to catch stray
contaminants from entering the intake of the pump.
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.
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.
Salinity: A measurement of the dissolved salts in
the water, measured in parts per thousand (ppt).
Sensing probes: Devices that measure pH,
temperature, and redox potential and send this
measurement to the respective controllers that may
activate the various other devices to maintain the
water qualities.
Specific Gravity: Often denoted as "S.G." specific
gravity represents a ratio of the weight of a
substance to the weight of an equal volume of pure
distilled water. The S.G. of pure water is 1.0.
Usually, the higher the salinity, the higher the S.G.
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 Tank: 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.
UG or UGF: Abreviation for 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 power heads 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. |
