AFS Advantage
The Aquarius Fish System subscribes to the KISS principle – keep it simple!
The two biggest influences on the design of the Aquarius Fish Systems are simplicity and value. The AFS system is elegantly intuitive. It’s ease of operation and maintenance make it a breeze to house a healthy colony. This, in turn, makes it less time consuming so your efforts go towards your research and not to working on the system. As part of the design aspect, the systems pre-filtration and biological filtration are visible without the need to open a lid or door. The Rinse&Reuse™ filters are immediately visible and cost nothing to service. Simply rinse the dirty filter and put it back into service. No more buying disposable filter materials! No more waste associated with routine maintenance. The Aquarius system is the most economical system to operate on the market.
Our Tanks!
Our tanks incorporate an improved self-cleaning design which reduces time needed for changing and washing tanks. There’s no need to bottle-brush spouts on our system either. With a consistent tank depth and height, our tanks are designed such that any size (2L, 4L, or 8L) can fit anywhere on our racks. Our 8L tank is not too heavy and still manageable with regards to moving it on or off the shelfs.
Our Baffles!
Our standard corner baffles have improved hydrodynamics which increases flow velocity. This enhanced flow prevents stagnation, low flow clogging, and detrital accumulation. The rounded design prevents clogging and eliminates tank over-flows.
We now offer the same corner baffle design in a baby baffle. These baffles fit in the same manner as our adult corner baffles but have (4) different screen mesh sizes available so you can use any tank size as a nursery. These baffles pop in and out of the tanks easily for cleaning or swapping out.
Our Lids!
Our lids are designed to make feeding a cinch. Simply dispense food into the flow stream and the food is whisked into the tank. Or you can use the raised dry-feed holes to cleanly dispense food directly into the tanks. With the self-cleaning design, they stay clean for extended periods. All the lids have these features and with a deep recess into the tanks, they stay in place.
Our Dividers!
We offer a divider which fits both the 4L and 8L tank sizes. It easily slips into the tanks to effectively divide the tank and separate fish as needed. Our 2L tank can have up to 3 dividers to individually house up to 4 fish in one tank.
Our Breeding Tanks!
Our breeding tanks are designed to be the most flexible tank on the market. Not only can it serve as a traditional off flow breeder, but the sloped insert, which simulates a shoreline to stimulate mating behavior, can be placed in our 4L tank and put on flow so that a breeding pair of fish can be kept together until the next time you want to set them up. Or with our “booster seat” (coming soon), the 1.3L outer tank can be put on flow as individual holding tanks or use the optional screen baffles to use them as a nursery tank.
Our Racks!
Our racks are manufactured in both our shop locations. This, in turn, can save thousands of dollars in shipping costs. The racks are built to our design criteria – fully welded using T-6061 structural aluminum. All incorporate stainless steel levelers with a poly foot for corrosion resistance. The racks are powder coated for total corrosion elimination. Our racks will never rust! With various heights and lengths available, we can accommodate any room size and shape. Additionally, the racks are just wide enough to have the tanks fit within the footprint of the rack. Each shelf is raked to increase the effectiveness of the self-cleaning feature of the tanks. The tanks can be pulled forward so fish can be netted while tanks remain on the rack.
Our Life Support Systems!
The LSS on the Aquarius Fish Systems can be fully automated, using our proprietary rotating drum filters. The RDF units come in 2 sizes, one for stand-alone racks up to 4-rack systems and one for larger applications. The large unit can run up to 12 racks and can be linked to operate any number of racks. To date, our largest is currently running a 60-rack system.
We use high-quality, high-output ultraviolet sterilizers with dedicated control panels. The panels have lamp indicators that give instant feedback if a lamp is burned out. The hour meter keeps track of longevity and helps in knowing when you are due for replacement lamps.
Our pumps are the highest quality, DC drive, energy-efficient water circulation pumps available. These pumps use a fraction of the cost of old-school centrifugal pumps and are fully programmable to supply only the required flow needed for your system. With low-voltage motors, there are no concerns about electricity bleeding into the water and causing lateral line disease or other related conditions. This enhances operator safety too. These pumps come with an OEM factory warranty of 10 years!
A de-centralized biological filter system virtually eliminates bio-filter crashes and they are engineered to prevent accidental desiccation. Bio-filter crashes are a thing of the past with the AFS advantage.
The Bits!
There are many small parts on our systems that make the whole work so effectively. For example, our V-shape gutters prevent detrital accumulation in the gutter. The dark opaque color reduces algal growth. And the high strength will last for many years and never gets brittle.
We use only the highest quality true-union ball valves. There are no “tubes” on our systems, which easily clog and make it difficult to know if water is actually flowing. Each manifold is equipped with a clog resistant nozzle and clean-out plugs for easy annual service.
The nozzle delivery makes it simple to recognize and adjust flow to any tank.