Ok, ive been fairly new to fish keeping, but as always i hit the learning curve hard and fast but the one thing that has always amazed me is the lack of simple information guides on tank equipment.
For example:
You can get basic info on internal and external filters. you can break them up into air driven and power driven. But what about Sumps? they are mentioned everywhere but without getting into detailed information, not simplistic. External and internal heaters, substrate heaters. Substrate: gravel, sand, plant fertiliser, bare bottom. lighting: flourescent, metal-halide, T5, T8, bulb, none.
As a beginner, im interested in the different types of equipment, but dont want to become an expert in them untill I choose to use them, but I would still be interested in what they are in their simplicity in order to make a better choice in the equipment I do decide in.
Im still not sure what a bloody sump is/how it works.
So Im going to start a simple guide to tank equipment (never going to in-depth to any particular one, but a brief explanation of what they are, how they work and if possible, a snazzy little diagram.) But this will take some time to cover everything, so how about anyone here contributing something about a piece of equipment you use/know about (as long as its not bee posted) then it can be collected and presented together. If a few people submit articles about their items, we can cover a large amount of equipment very quickly. Also, try to keep any additions as impartial as possible. Below is one I shall start it with:
Equipment: Filter
Internal
Power Driven
Description: The internal power filter sits inside the tank itself, and a motor sucks water in, on end (usually lower) drawing it through the filter media and expelling the water out, normally through an outlet near the top. The filter media itself is usually made up of a sponge (or layers of) and often contain suitable chambers for small amounts of other media, such as activated carbon.
Advantages: These are simple to maintain units and very quiet. In the event of a pump failure, the filter media will remain wet until resumed, minimising damage to your beneficial bacteria.
Disadvantages: As these units are inside the tank, they remove some of that already precious space you get inside your aquarium. The also have a limited capacity and dont cater to the best needs for customer filter media choices due to the limited space they offer for this.
Diagram:
Image to follow (am in work, will get this done later tonight when at home).
For example:
You can get basic info on internal and external filters. you can break them up into air driven and power driven. But what about Sumps? they are mentioned everywhere but without getting into detailed information, not simplistic. External and internal heaters, substrate heaters. Substrate: gravel, sand, plant fertiliser, bare bottom. lighting: flourescent, metal-halide, T5, T8, bulb, none.
As a beginner, im interested in the different types of equipment, but dont want to become an expert in them untill I choose to use them, but I would still be interested in what they are in their simplicity in order to make a better choice in the equipment I do decide in.
Im still not sure what a bloody sump is/how it works.
So Im going to start a simple guide to tank equipment (never going to in-depth to any particular one, but a brief explanation of what they are, how they work and if possible, a snazzy little diagram.) But this will take some time to cover everything, so how about anyone here contributing something about a piece of equipment you use/know about (as long as its not bee posted) then it can be collected and presented together. If a few people submit articles about their items, we can cover a large amount of equipment very quickly. Also, try to keep any additions as impartial as possible. Below is one I shall start it with:
Equipment: Filter
Internal
Power Driven
Description: The internal power filter sits inside the tank itself, and a motor sucks water in, on end (usually lower) drawing it through the filter media and expelling the water out, normally through an outlet near the top. The filter media itself is usually made up of a sponge (or layers of) and often contain suitable chambers for small amounts of other media, such as activated carbon.
Advantages: These are simple to maintain units and very quiet. In the event of a pump failure, the filter media will remain wet until resumed, minimising damage to your beneficial bacteria.
Disadvantages: As these units are inside the tank, they remove some of that already precious space you get inside your aquarium. The also have a limited capacity and dont cater to the best needs for customer filter media choices due to the limited space they offer for this.
Diagram:
Image to follow (am in work, will get this done later tonight when at home).
