Fish N Flush Faqs
Fish N Flush Aquarium Setup Instructions PDF Print E-mail
Fish N Flush Aquarium ManualThis is our fish n flush aquarium manual. We made it simple because we are not experts. It is small and not comprehensive because the maintenance of any aquarium depends on the environment and use.  For example if your bathroom has a lot of light from a window, it will require different maintenance then it is always dark.  If your bathroom remains less than 68 degrees than certain fish will do better than if your tank is temperature controlled or has a 10 –15 degree temperature fluctuation.

The best thing to do is to go on the internet and search "small aquarium "maintenance" for general information and then go to your local fish store or pet shop for specific fish and/or plants for your conditions. Read several sites because the are some disagreements on "best methods" from professionals, so choose the ones that work best for you.  The system was designed by a marine biologist (soon to be a Phd.) so we feel confident about its capabilities. Our one recommendation is to use distilled water for the fish tank.  Even with the addition of chemicals to set the water for new aquariums, city water does not seen to agree with the fish and we at AquaOne increased our success rate from 25% to about 99% on starter tanks when we made the switch. That’s just our experience, but we thought we would share it.

Fish N Flush Distilled WaterRinse the aquarium tank, before you set it up, with soapy water. No need to scrub it. Just add a little dish soap to the inside of the tank and rinse it out in the bathtub or outside with a regular garden hose. The purpose is to remove any of the packing material that might harm your fish or animals. Dry off the outside with a paper towel to remove any hard water deposits. (No need to wash the flush tank.) To clean the outside the tank under normal use, simply use light soapy water on the outside.

You may see some light scratches on the inside of the tank. This is because of the molding process used create these optically clear and high impact resistant tanks. This will not affect the look of the tank. Once the tank is filled with water the scratches disappear.

The inside requires three types of maintenance cleaning. Vacuuming the gravel, algae removal and water change. All are done as needed and depend on the environment in which your Fish ‘ n Flush exists and the type of environment you created in your tank. The addition of an algae eater and a bottom feeder in the tank makes life easy.

Fish N FLush Mag-FloatFirst, remove the algae from the inside walls of the aquarium. For easy cleaning of the inside of the tank, we use a magnetic “scrubber” for acrylic tanks purchased, for $5.95 at PetSmart. Make sure it is for acrylic or plastic tanks.  It has one piece that we let stay in the tank and another piece that stays outside the tank.  It is magnetic so that when the two pieces are opposite each other they connect to each other and create a small cleaning surface on the inside of the tank.  Simply move the outside piece up/down/back/forth and it removes the algae. We also keep a small algae eater in all our tanks.

Second is vacuuming the gravel. The blue siphon pump is used for this and can be slightly compressed so it will fit down into the bottom of the tank to remove debris from the gravel.  Just pump the water directly from the fish tank into the toilet bowl moving the siphon end back and forth across the gravel surface. It help to remove the plants first. There is a complete explanation that we copied from the internet on the under-gravel filtration system elsewhere on our website.

Last, one third (1/3) of the water should be changed each month. More if you have LOTS of fish. Replace the water with distilled water or follow the instructions of the experts in preparing proper fish-safe water. What ever method you use, place the new water in the same area as the toilet for several hours so that new water you add is the same temperature as the water in the tank.Fish N Flush Algae Eater

Here at AquaOne, we are all a bunch of engineers and computer geeks and do not have a regular maintenance schedule.  That being said, our tanks have been tremendously successful whether in our sunshine filled showroom or in our dark employee bathroom.  We have tanks ranging from 10 fish to 4 fish and even one with a crayfish that has molted numerous times. Our fish ranged in cost from 12 for $1 to $49.99 each and all are doing well.

Enjoy, and most of all, have fun with, your new Fish ‘n Flush Toilet Tank Aquarium,

PS. We love to get pictures :-)
 
Aquarium Under-Gravel Filters PDF Print E-mail

Filtering Your Aquarium Water


Under gravel filters are any filters where the water is drawn through the gravel as the primary filter media. The portion of the filter you will purchase is a plastic grate that keeps the gravel off of the bottom of the tank, lift tubes to deliver water, and power heads or an air pump to move the water.

How Do Under-Gravel Aquarium Filters Work?

Under Gravel FilterUnder gravel filters consist of a plastic grate or "filter plate" which lies under the gravel of the tank. This plate allows water to flow freely under the gravel. Water is drawn through the gravel (which acts as a mechanical and biological filter). To move the water, you can use either power heads or air pumps. A power head will pump water out of the top of the lift tube and into the tank, and air pump will blow bubbles at the bottom of the lift tubes and the bubbles will lift  water up the lift tube and into the tank. As water is moved out of the lift tube, it is replaced with water from under the filter plate, which in turn pulls water through the gravel where it is cleaned. The gravel it self provides mechanical filtration by catching large free-floating particles. The gravel, as well as the filter plate, tank bottom, and lift tubes, provide a bed for the bacteria of a biological filter. Under gravel filters primarily provide biological filtration.

What Maintenance Do Under-Gravel Aquarium Filters Require?

With an under gravel filter you neither have to nor want to change your filter media. However, you will need to clean the gravel regularly. The easiest way to do this is by using a gravel vacuum and cleaning 1/4-1/3 of the gravel each time you do your monthly of semi monthly water change. This is necessary to prevent the gravel from "channeling," where the debris collecting in the gravel blocks some passages and forces the water through channels, resulting in decreased water flow and reduced exposure to the bacteria that clean the water. Under gravel filters are generally the lowest maintenance filters and are the least expensive aquarium filters to operate.

What Should I Be Aware Of?

If you do decide to use carbon cartridges with your under gravel filter, you should replace them at least every other month. Remember to remove any carbon from the tank or filter before you medicate (if the carbon is working, it should remove the medication from the tank in under an hour, in which case your fish won't get treated).

Also remember that water will follow the path of least resistance. If there is an area of the filter plate that is exposed, or if you have a power head on one side and an air stone on the other, you may not have any filtration from your under gravel filter.

Under gravel filters, when properly maintained, provide efficient biological filtration and adequate mechanical filtration. I would strongly recommend an under gravel filter for the first filter in a basic tank. You don't have to tear up your tank to clean your filter with an under gravel filter, because to clean it, all you have to do is siphon off the accumulated debris in the gravel when you do your regular water change.