126 AQUARIUM APPLIANCES 



less expensive in case of repair and makes cleaning of each section easy. 

 (The tubes require an annual cleaning.) Air is injected under pressure 

 at C, which should be five inches above lowest point of pipes. This starts 

 the flow, which is discharged into D, a small filter suspended in the corner 

 of the aquarium, and just above water level. It may be made of glass, 

 aluminum, porcelain or earthenware, and should approximate in size five 

 inches in diameter by two deep, the bottom having a few perforations. 

 The best filtering medium in this work is absorbent cotton, which should 

 be laid on a few pebbles, glass bars or bits of charcoal for good drainage. 

 The force of air and the distance between C and the surface of water 

 determines the speed at which the water travels. The lower the point 

 at which air is injected, the greater the speed. To start the system, dis- 

 connect at B, suck with the lips to start siphon, re-connect while water is 

 running. After water in rise-tube has reached aquarium level, turn on 

 air-cock at C. This cock should always be closed when air is not wanted 

 and pump not working, in order to prevent water backing up into air 

 supply pipe. All rubber joints should be tightly secured by wrapping with 

 thread or narrow strips of adhesive tape. Rubber cement spread on 

 connecting surfaces helps make a good job. 



This arrangement both filters and aerates the water. If filtering 

 is not needed, the filter can be removed and aeration will go on. 



Water can be raised by this method from fifteen to twenty-five 

 inches above level. To secure the greater height, use ^-inch inside 

 diameter tube, take plenty of drop and allow eight inches from lowest 

 point to C. By this means and a little ingenuity a return fountain can 

 be made. To secure a uniform flow it would require a small tank to 

 receive the discharge from the pipe, and from this an overflow to aquarium 

 in case the water supply comes too rapidly for discharge rate of fountain. 



It is not necessary to carry pipes over edge of aquarium as shown in 

 diagram ; they may be carried through the bottom, carrying dirty water 

 directly down. The rise tube should be brought up through inside, over 

 edge of filter. Short pieces of tubing long enough to reach above the 

 sand and to extend an inch below the aquarium base should be used for 

 passing through the slate. A very effective means of securing these in 

 permanent positions in the base is to melt by alcohol blow-torch some 

 chips of gum shellac which have been piled up around the tube. This 

 melting is done in the aquarium directly around the tube and is continued 

 until a small mound is formed. A piece of wet cardboard will protect 

 nearby glass from the heat. Gum shellac has perfect resistance to water. 

 It will adhere to almost anything and is of special value in connecting 

 glass to metal. When cool it is quite hard. 



