THE AQUARIUM BUILDING
2Q
vanized pipe is definitely toxic to aquatic organisms,
but after a period of time the insides of these pipes
become coated with an inactive deposit and the "raw
metal" is no longer exposed to the water. It is conceivable, however, that water of some areas would not
produce a protective coating, and, further, the period
required to make the pipe safe under various conditions is not known. It would thus appear that plastic is
the best choice even though it may be necessary to use
brass valves.
DRAINS AND OVERFLOWS: The type of tank,
still-water or running-water, determines the nature of
its water supply and drain. Still-water tanks that are
drained or partly drained and refilled only occasionally may not require individual supply and drains
whereas running-water tanks do require individual
service.
A hose as a supply source and a suction type drain
service are satisfactory for small, still-water tanks. The
suction type drain is especially desirable since it may
be used to draw off insoluble materials which accumulate on the bottom of tanks. The system consists of a
steel drum equipped with a two-inch, gravity drain;
a garden hose connection on one top opening and a
vacuum cleaner suction hose on the other (Figure 4).
In operation the vacuum cleaner creates a vacuum in
the drum. The free end of the garden hose is then
used to clean the bottom of the tanks and to remove as
much water as desired. When the drum fills, it is
emptied by the gravity drain. A pump would also do
this job and for some situations might be preferred.
2Q
vanized pipe is definitely toxic to aquatic organisms,
but after a period of time the insides of these pipes
become coated with an inactive deposit and the "raw
metal" is no longer exposed to the water. It is conceivable, however, that water of some areas would not
produce a protective coating, and, further, the period
required to make the pipe safe under various conditions is not known. It would thus appear that plastic is
the best choice even though it may be necessary to use
brass valves.
DRAINS AND OVERFLOWS: The type of tank,
still-water or running-water, determines the nature of
its water supply and drain. Still-water tanks that are
drained or partly drained and refilled only occasionally may not require individual supply and drains
whereas running-water tanks do require individual
service.
A hose as a supply source and a suction type drain
service are satisfactory for small, still-water tanks. The
suction type drain is especially desirable since it may
be used to draw off insoluble materials which accumulate on the bottom of tanks. The system consists of a
steel drum equipped with a two-inch, gravity drain;
a garden hose connection on one top opening and a
vacuum cleaner suction hose on the other (Figure 4).
In operation the vacuum cleaner creates a vacuum in
the drum. The free end of the garden hose is then
used to clean the bottom of the tanks and to remove as
much water as desired. When the drum fills, it is
emptied by the gravity drain. A pump would also do
this job and for some situations might be preferred.