Abstract A contaminated-water intake or suction fitting is mounted near the bottom of the aquarium tank adjacent one end thereof and connected by a pump intake pipe to the suction port of a water pump. The discharge port of the pump is connected by a pump discharge pipe to the top of a multi-media pressure filter containing superimposed layers of filtering materials which filter the contaminated water from the aquarium tank. From a chamber at the bottom of the filter, a filter-water discharge pipe returns the filter water to a water discharge nozzle located adjacent the opposite end of the aquarium tank at the bottom thereof in aligned spaced relationship to the suction fitting. The current of water thus forced along the bottom of the aquarium toward the suction fitting sweeps sediment and other impurities along with it to the suction fitting whence the pump delivers the thus-contaminated water back to the pressure filter. Meanwhile, the current of water flows upward from adjacent the suction fitting in an orbital path along the surface of the water in the tank, thence back toward the water discharge nozzle, thereby aerating the water.
An automatically self-cleaning self-aerating tropical fish aquarium, comprising an aquarium tank having a bottom wall and spaced opposite side walls, a power-driven water pump having a suction port and a discharge port, a contaminated water intake fitting installed in the aquarium tank near the bottom wall adjacent one side wall thereof and having an inlet opening hydraulically connected to said suction port, a multi-media back-washable water pressure filter having a pressure-tight vertically-disposed casing with a contaminatedwater inlet port near the top thereof, a filtered-water chamber at the bottom thereof, a filter bed of superimposed layers of filtering material in the bottom part of said casing above said chamber with a filtering material screen therebetween and a filtered-water outlet port connected to said chamber, means for discharging fresh water into said tank, means for transferring liquid-contaminated water from said tank to a liquid-contaminated-water disposal means free from communication with said tank, and a filtered-water discharge nozzle installed in the aquarium tank near the bottom wall adjacent the opposite side wall thereof from said inlet opening in spaced unobstructed relationship thereto and having an outlet opening facing said inlet opening and hydraulically connected to said filteredwater outlet port whereby the stream of filtered water emitted from said outlet opening sweeps solid contaminant across from the bottom of the aquarium tank into said inlet opening and also moves currents of water upward in an orbital path past the top surface of the water back to said outlet opening, thereby continually aerating the water throughout the tank.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
An automatically self-cleaning self-aerating tropical fish aquarium, comprising an aquarium tank having a bottom wall and spaced opposite side walls, a power-driven water pump having a suction port and a discharge port, a contaminated water intake fitting installed in the aquarium tank near the bottom wall adjacent one side wall thereof and having an inlet opening hydraulically connected to said suction port, a multi-media back-washable water pressure filter having a pressure-tight vertically-disposed casing with a contaminatedwater inlet port near the top thereof, a filtered-water chamber at the bottom thereof, a filter bed of superimposed layers of filtering material in the bottom part of said casing above said chamber with a filtering material screen therebetween and a filtered-water outlet port connected to said chamber, means for discharging fresh water into said tank, means for transferring liquid-contaminated water from said tank to a liquid-contaminated-water disposal means free from communication with said tank, and a filtered-water discharge nozzle installed in the aquarium tank near the bottom wall adjacent the opposite side wall thereof from said inlet opening in spaced unobstructed relationship thereto and having an outlet opening facing said inlet opening and hydraulically connected to said filteredwater outlet port whereby the stream of filtered water emitted from said outlet opening sweeps solid contaminant across from the bottom of the aquarium tank into said inlet opening and also moves currents of water upward in an orbital path past the top surface of the water back to said outlet opening, thereby continually aerating the water throughout the tank.