Top mounted biological filtration system for an aquarium

An apparatus for cleaning water that is contained in an aquarium, the aquarium constructed and arranged to provide an upper surface of the water, the apparatus comprising;

• (a) a main chamber with a top end and a bottom end and defined as the volume enclosed by generally vertically aligned side-walls disposed above the surface of the water of the aquarium,
• (b) a dry section disposed within the main chamber defined by a bottom dry section plate aligned in a generally horizontal alignment with dry medium containment walls extending from the dry section plate constructed and arranged to contain a dry medium, the dry section plate having a means constructed and arranged for the passage of sufficient water through the plate such that water trickles through the dry medium with at least a major portion of the dry medium being not submerged in water during operation of the apparatus,
• (c) a wet section disposed within the main chamber with a wet section bottom plate and wet section sidewalls extending upward from the wet section bottom plate defining a containment for water, at least one side wall having an overflow weir for maintaining a predefined water level in the containment, and a wet medium with the major portion of the wet medium disposed to be submerged below the water level in the wet section.
• (d) an inlet conduit including a pump means for directing water from the aquarium to a water inlet of the main chamber, and
• (e) a channel within the main chamber to provide a path for water flow from the inlet to the wet section and the dry section, the channel including a wet section inlet weir and a dry section inlet weir with the wet section disposed relative to the wet section inlet weir such that water flowing from the channel over the wet section inlet weir flows into the wet section, and with the dry section disposed relative to the dry section inlet weir such that water flowing from the channel over the dry section inlet weir flows into the dry section.