What Is a Flow Over System in an Eclipse Aquarium?

An "Eclipse" is an integrated aquarium system manufactured by Marineland with a unique two-part filter system. The second part is a rotating drum that serves as a biological filter; water flows over it instead of through it.

  1. Flow Path

    • Water is pumped into a filter chamber in the aquarium hood. It spills out of the chamber and flows over a rotating drum device called a BIO-Wheel, then returns to the aquarium.

    Filter Cartridge Chamber

    • The first part of the filter is the filter cartridge chamber. Water flows through a replaceable cartridge that provides mechanical and chemical filtration.

    BIO-Wheel

    • Next, the water spills into an adjacent chamber and flows over the BIO-Wheel, where biological filtration takes place. The force of the water causes the wheel to rotate.

    Advantages

    • The most notable advantage to a flow over system is increased water aeration, which allows more beneficial bacteria to grow and provides more oxygen for the fish. The system is easier to maintain than an under-gravel filter.

    Disadvantages

    • Debris and damage can cause the moving parts of the flow over system to stop working. The interruption in biological filtration can be disastrous for aquarium health.