An aquarium which includes a tank having a pump and an under gravel filter
disposed in the tank below the pump. The under gravel filter includes a
hollow bubble dispersing base plate having a perforated top surface and
an overlying substrate. An air conduit is provided for introducing air
into the pump. The pump is connected to the plate such as to pump blended
oxygenated water and air into the interior of the plate to thereby cause
oxygenated water and bubbles to exit upwardly through the perforated top
surface of the plate and into and through the substrate. The pump
includes a free floating magnetic impeller. A rotational torque
generating unit is provided to rotate the impeller. The rotational torque
generating unit includes a magnetic drive disk and a motor for rotating
the magnetic drive disk. The pump and rotational torque generating unit
are aligned with each other such that a magnetic field is established
between the magnetic drive disk and the magnetic impeller, the magnetic
field rotating upon rotation of the magnetic drive disk to thereby rotate
the impeller.