Aquarium and waterfall system

An aquarium system, comprising:

• a first tank constructed and arranged to provide an aquatic environment suitable for marine life, a trough having an imperforate and essentially flat bottom and sides bounding the bottom and which has an upper end joining with the interior of the tank and inclines downwardly from said upper end to a lower end spaced outwardly from the side of the tank, said trough providing a spillway over which water leaves the upper end of the tank with such water flowing as a continuous flat stream of undispersed water which cascades over the lower end of the trough;
• retaining means mounted in proximity to the upper end of said trough and constructed to strain all water flowing out of said first tank through said trough for retaining aquatic life within the first tank as water flows out over the trough;
• a second tank constructed and arranged to provide an aquatic environment suitable for marine life, the second tank having an upper end positioned lower than the lower end of the trough and being positioned for receiving the stream of water cascading over the lower end of the trough;
• dispersing means for dispersing the stream of water received into the second tank, the dispersing means comprising a screen mounted within the second tank in a position spaced horizontally below the lower end of the trough in proximity to the upper level of the water in the second tank and substantially covering the second tank;
• and
• means for circulating water from the second tank to the first tank.