While the pleasures of owning an aquarium are many, cleaning the aquarium and changing the water are not among them. Cleaning is important to maintain the health of the fish living in the aquarium and to maintain the filter system in proper working order. Cleaning may involve siphoning or “vacuuming” the gravel and undergravel filter from the top of the tank, changing filters, and replacing the water with fresh water. These tasks can be messy, harmful to the fish living in the tank, and potentially harmful to the person performing the task.
Various systems have been proposed to make the cleaning process less onerous. These systems generally utilize a bottom drain to remove the waste and the water without siphoning and with minimal stiffing of the sediment that collects in the bottom of the tank. However, the drainage systems do not simplify the task of replenishing the water in the tank or provide control over the temperature or water quality of the replenishment water.