Jump to content


Photo

New aquarium design


  • Please log in to reply
11 replies to this topic

#1 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 12 November 2017 - 10:43 AM

Here is my new aquarium design, is meant to simulate a tidal stream, The water is moved using wave makers in a clockwise direction for 6 hours and then a counterclockwise direction for 6 hours. The round and or deep zones are meant to be similar to how zoos create areas to stimulate the animals instead of just keep them in a square cage or box. The 24" rectangles could be lengthened to 48 inches in the smaller incarnations. But the rectangles connecting each cylinder should be the same length as the diameter of the cylinders in large versions. 

 

This is the smallest really practical size.

 

 

-PAXP-deijE.gif

-PAXP-deijE.gif

[Attached File  aquarium design002.jpg   163.17KB   5 downloadsAttached File  aquarium design004.jpg   320.63KB   3 downloadsAttached File  aquarium design008.jpg   374.85KB   2 downloadsAttached File  aquarium design011.jpg   293.83KB   2 downloads]

 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life

#2 MtFallsTodd

MtFallsTodd
  • NANFA Member
  • Mountain Falls, Virginia

Posted 12 November 2017 - 01:04 PM

Way cool, what do you plan on keeping in it?
Deep in the hills of Great North Mountain

#3 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 12 November 2017 - 01:41 PM

Way cool, what do you plan on keeping in it?

 

 

It's unlikely I'll ever be able to build it but depending how big it was everything from inland silversides to paddlefish. And of course my great love... shovelnose sturgeon! It's shape is meant to accommodate any fish but especially fish that like to swim continuously into a current. The deeper portions would equate to still pools in a stream. 

 

The biggest version I have considered, two 8' cylinders and one 12' cylinder could keep pelagic marine fish comfortably if they were introduced as young fish IMHO... 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life

#4 WThorne

WThorne
  • NANFA Guest
  • Richmond, VA

Posted 12 November 2017 - 05:58 PM

Very cool indeed.  I take it the fish would essentially treat it as one long aquarium. The round areas to make for easier turns for the fish and current.  Do you think given the relatively small area of the deepest part the fish would use it?



#5 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 12 November 2017 - 06:15 PM

Very cool indeed.  I take it the fish would essentially treat it as one long aquarium. The round areas to make for easier turns for the fish and current.  Do you think given the relatively small area of the deepest part the fish would use it?

 

The one illustrated would be for small fish, this design would be able to support bigger "pelagic" size as the size went up. A tank four times that size could support much larger fish. Twice that size would still be a reasonable size and pretty good sized fish could utilize the cylinders. 

 

The one in the drawing would be for small fish like silversides, chubs, and shiners. 

 

The cylinders should form gyers that reverse direction every 6 hours. 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life

#6 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 14 November 2017 - 12:21 AM

Very cool indeed.  I take it the fish would essentially treat it as one long aquarium. The round areas to make for easier turns for the fish and current.  Do you think given the relatively small area of the deepest part the fish would use it?

 

It should be noted that the diameter of the two smallest cylinders is 24" while a 55 gallon drum is 22.5 inches and a 55 gallon drum is 33.5 inches tall but the tallest cylinder is 36" tall.... 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life

#7 olaf

olaf
  • NANFA Member

Posted 14 November 2017 - 03:53 PM

Why would you reverse the flow direction so often, or at all? 


Redhorse ID downloads and more: http://moxostoma.com

#8 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 14 November 2017 - 11:00 PM

Why would you reverse the flow direction so often, or at all? 

 

 

Well for one reason this is meant to reproduce a tidal stream where the current switches every 6 hours. Another reason would be promote plant growth by not letting layers of vegetation smother the ones underneath.  

 

Also the tank is designed to enrich the habitat of the fishes by imitating a larger stream system. It has two deep areas where there would be little current near the bottom and a larger shallow area where there would be a larger surface area and gyres to stimulate a more natural habitat like oxbow sections of a river where the current runs at different speeds at different places. 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life

#9 lilyea

lilyea
  • NANFA Member
  • Peace River Watershed, Central Florida, USA

Posted 15 November 2017 - 10:28 PM

This is an interesting project - thanks for sharing your ideas!  I like the creativity!  A few of questions - what type of additional filtration are part of the plan and where would the water ingress and egress from the filter be in the layout?  Secondly, do you think that the reversing gyres would keep waste and other sediment from collecting in the deeper areas (e.g., cylinders y & z) or will those areas take extra maintenance?  Finally, since you seem to be mimicking an estuarine environment have you thought about changing water levels or even salinity levels using an automated system?



#10 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 16 November 2017 - 09:43 AM

This is an interesting project - thanks for sharing your ideas!  I like the creativity!  A few of questions - what type of additional filtration are part of the plan and where would the water ingress and egress from the filter be in the layout?  Secondly, do you think that the reversing gyres would keep waste and other sediment from collecting in the deeper areas (e.g., cylinders y & z) or will those areas take extra maintenance?  Finally, since you seem to be mimicking an estuarine environment have you thought about changing water levels or even salinity levels using an automated system?

 

The current would be made by wave makers like those used on reef aquariums, I am sure that debris will settle in the low ares but it would be easier to remove from a small place that it would if the sediment is spread all around the aquarium. Filter is consist of two or more long sponge filters two to three feet long in the deepest cylinder served by one pump. The filters could be have clean counterpoints ready to just swap out at cleaning time. 

 

many tidal rivers are freshwater, the salt doesn't make it very far up stream si see no reason adjust salinity unless you are keeping dedicated brackish or marine fish... 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life

#11 olaf

olaf
  • NANFA Member

Posted 17 November 2017 - 06:22 PM

I hadn't thought of the tidal aspect of the direction switching. That's a cool idea. I was thinking of a normal stream that would never change direction (short of a geologic event of epic proportions) and wondering how stream-evolved species would cope with not being able to establish a stable relationship with the current and anything that breaks it (rocks, logs, plants). 


Redhorse ID downloads and more: http://moxostoma.com

#12 Moontanman

Moontanman
  • NANFA Member

Posted 17 November 2017 - 08:17 PM

I hadn't thought of the tidal aspect of the direction switching. That's a cool idea. I was thinking of a normal stream that would never change direction (short of a geologic event of epic proportions) and wondering how stream-evolved species would cope with not being able to establish a stable relationship with the current and anything that breaks it (rocks, logs, plants). 

 

 

Tidal streams are very interesting in the way vegetation handles the switching. Supposed to be the richest streams in terms of flora and fauna. Amazing the number of trees that usually grow on dry land that take advantage of tides to oxygenate their roots. Quite a few normally dry land trees grow on the bark of swamp trees and even some woody plants that grow no place else. I was thinking of the middle triangle being moist ground slightly above the water level in the aquarium part. 


Michael

Life is the poetry of the universe
Love is the poetry of life




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users