Glosario del volumen del acuario

Definiciones de los términos principales sobre volumen de acuario y dimensiones de bacos. Los términos técnicos se mantienen en inglés porque se utilizan en la comunidad acuariófila internacional.

A

Actual Water Volume

The true volume of water in a filled and stocked aquarium after accounting for displacement from substrate, hardscape, equipment, and the gap between the water surface and the tank rim. Typically 85-90% of calculated capacity.

B

Bioload

The total biological waste produced by all living organisms in an aquarium, including fish, invertebrates, and plants. Higher bioload requires more water volume and filtration to maintain safe water quality parameters.

Bow Front

An aquarium design featuring a curved front glass panel that bows outward, adding volume and creating a panoramic viewing angle. Bow front tanks hold more water than a flat-front rectangular tank with the same back panel dimensions.

C

Cubic Centimeter

A metric unit of volume equal to the space inside a cube measuring one centimeter on each side. Also written as cc or cm3. To convert to liters, divide by 1,000. One cubic centimeter equals one milliliter.

Cubic Inch

A unit of volume equal to the space inside a cube measuring one inch on each side. To convert cubic inches to US gallons, divide by 231. Cubic inches are the intermediate unit when calculating aquarium volume from inch measurements.

D

Displacement

The volume of water pushed aside by objects placed inside the aquarium, such as substrate, rocks, driftwood, and equipment. Displacement reduces the actual water volume below the calculated tank capacity, typically by 10-15%.

E

Evaporation Rate

The volume of water that evaporates from an aquarium over time, influenced by surface area, room temperature, humidity, and the presence of a lid. Evaporation removes only water, leaving dissolved salts behind, which concentrates salinity in saltwater tanks.

F

Fill Height

The actual height of water inside the tank, which is usually 1-2 inches below the top rim to prevent overflow and allow for surface agitation. Fill height directly affects actual water volume compared to the calculated maximum.

Flow Rate (GPH)

The volume of water a pump or filter moves per hour, measured in gallons per hour. Flow rate is often specified as a multiple of tank volume; most freshwater tanks need 4-6 times their volume in turnover per hour.

Footprint

The floor area occupied by the base of an aquarium, measured in square inches or square centimeters. The footprint determines stand and furniture requirements and influences the amount of horizontal swimming space available to fish.

L

Liter

A metric unit of volume equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters or approximately 0.2642 US gallons. Liters are the standard aquarium capacity unit outside the United States and are used in most scientific and medical dosing instructions.

N

Nominal Capacity

The advertised or label capacity of an aquarium, such as '55 gallon.' Nominal capacity is an approximation; actual water volume varies based on glass thickness, fill height, and internal displacement from equipment and decor.

O

Overflow

A built-in weir or drain system that allows water to flow from the display aquarium into a sump below. Overflow systems set the maximum water level in the display tank and affect the usable volume above the overflow teeth.

R

Reef-Ready

An aquarium that comes pre-drilled with overflow plumbing for connection to a sump. Reef-ready tanks have a slightly reduced display volume due to the internal overflow box but gain total system volume from the sump below.

S

Salinity

The concentration of dissolved salts in water, measured in parts per thousand (ppt). Typical reef aquariums maintain 34-36 ppt. Higher salinity increases water density and weight per gallon compared to freshwater.

Specific Gravity

The ratio of the density of a liquid to the density of pure water. Freshwater has a specific gravity of 1.000, while typical reef aquarium saltwater ranges from 1.023 to 1.026. Specific gravity affects water weight calculations.

Stocking Level

The number and size of fish relative to the aquarium volume. The traditional rule of one inch of fish per gallon is a rough guideline; actual stocking depends on species, filtration, and maintenance frequency.

Substrate

The material covering the aquarium floor, such as gravel, sand, soil, or crushed coral. Substrate displaces water and reduces actual volume. One inch of gravel in a 10-gallon tank displaces roughly 0.5-0.7 gallons of water.

Sump

A secondary tank or reservoir located below the display aquarium that houses filtration equipment and adds to the total system water volume. Sump volume must be added to display tank volume to calculate total system capacity for dosing and stocking.

Surface Area

The area of the water surface exposed to air, measured in square inches or square centimeters. Greater surface area improves gas exchange (oxygen in, CO2 out) and is more important than volume for determining fish stocking limits.

T

Turnover Rate

The number of times the entire aquarium volume passes through the filtration system per hour. Calculated by dividing the filter flow rate (GPH) by the tank volume in gallons. Freshwater tanks target 4-6x, reef tanks 10-20x.

U

US Gallon

A unit of liquid volume equal to 231 cubic inches or approximately 3.785 liters. The US gallon is the standard unit for aquarium capacity in the United States. It differs from the imperial (UK) gallon, which equals 277.42 cubic inches.

V

Volume

The three-dimensional space occupied by water inside an aquarium, measured in cubic inches, cubic centimeters, gallons, or liters. Volume determines stocking capacity, filtration needs, and chemical dosing amounts.

W

Water Change Volume

The amount of water removed and replaced during routine maintenance, typically expressed as a percentage of total volume. A 25% weekly water change on a 50-gallon tank means replacing 12.5 gallons each week.

Water Column

The vertical body of water from the substrate surface to the water line. Water column height affects volume calculations when the tank is not filled to the brim and is important for determining water pressure at the bottom of the tank.