anyone ever make a tidepool type tank?

[cj_basser]

ive been thinking about this for a while now, but im not sure it owuld owrk. its a tide pool tank, similar to what you would find at a zoo, only smaller. i would have the tank be shallow, like a frag tank and long and wide. it would be aquascaped like an actual tidepool would be.

for water flow, i was thinking a few SEIO's would work at one side of the tank simultamiously, sendign a wave to the other end of the tank where and overflow would be. the overflow would only catch the water sent by the SEIO's. the water would then go over the overflow and into a hooldign tank. when the tank is full, a pump woudl then return the water by means of a float switch. this would simulate high and lowtides.

the tnak would be dominated with zooanthids and some other shallow water corals. there would be some damsels in it as well, and some varieties of gobys. deffanantly there would be plenty of sand sifter star fish.

the lighting would be halides either on a track system, or a few pendents on timers to simulate the sun.

im not sure what the gallonage would be becaus eit would be such a shallow tank. the deminsions would probobly be like 2 feet wide by 5 foot long, by 10in high.

anyways, i was just thinking up this idea on my free time. let me know what you think

CJ

[ghostbear29]

I heard mix reviews on the seio, plus a tide pool is alot of square feet to push. Ya know, actually I saw a wave machine that actually makes waves. For tide pools. I wonder if it costs an arm and a leg.. I'd be lovin to see some pics. A good reference would be the scripps aquarium in San Diego. Killer set up. Good luck.

[sfsuphysics]

Man I'd hate to see the salt creep on the constant surging of that.. *shivers*

I personally love seios although they won't push much over a 5 feet length, they will keep a nice gentle current throughout the tank sure, but doubt they'd be wave worthy.

The main issue I'd be concerned about is lighting though, lighting obviously is going to be above, but you're also looking down from above aren't you? (or would you have a see-through pane?) Wouldn't the lights get in the way? Of course if you had a kick *** skylight, you might get away with no lighting at all except that.

[cj_basser]

well, i was just toying around with this idea. i was actually hoping to find someone who had made a tank like this.

as i said, i was just toying around and hadent really thought it out alot, so im not sure aobut the water movement.

the lighting, however, would be at a height that you could hang over the tank and take a look. it would be a good 1.5-2 feet off the water. besides, IF i actually build a tank like this, it would be predominantly zoos or other tide pool corals.

the Columbus Zoo in ohio has a tidepool tank. its not shallow at all, and im pretty sure off what they do is pump wate rinto a container from the tank. and when the bucket gets so full, then it just domps into the tank. that would give off a lot of evaporation and salt spray, though.

really, the main reason to start this thread was to get someideas flowing, in hopes that this might get someone to start a tank like this. being only 15, i cannot afford a tank of this stature, but im sure some ofo you can!

[ProdigalPoster]

I'm only a College student but I may look at something like this for my grow out tank this summer.

Maybe about 6 feet long, 2 wide, 1 deep. 2 400w Mhs on a track, with like a 50g surge tank...

[Bill Wann]

Hello
I have on that is about 8 feet long and six feet wide and 20 inches deep , made from retaing wall brick and pond liner .
It is plummed into my main system. I made a surge tank out of a 50 gallon tank with a 4 inch pneumatic gate walve , the surge is so intese it blows rock over on the other side of theh tank .
I mainly keep my stingrays in there and a few othe fish and coral s

Bill

[SPStoner]

Sounds cool, Bill. Do you have any pictures?

[Highlander]

You mind find this interesting :

http://www.splashoflife.com/surge%26tidezone.htm

[sfsuphysics]

Wow that's quite cool highlander, is that yours?

Very very neat. Makes me want to do something like that, luckily it's financially out of reach.. well ok that's not true.. but it wouldn't be financially prudant at this time

[Highlander]

Originally posted by sfsuphysics
Wow that's quite cool highlander, is that yours?

Very very neat. Makes me want to do something like that, luckily it's financially out of reach.. well ok that's not true.. but it wouldn't be financially prudant at this time

Not mine, I wish it were, it is in "Splash of Life", one of our area reef stores.

[deansreef]

thats crazy tide action ay...

[Herbert T. Kornfeld]

I had my 20g rigged up with 2x1000 gph pumps for a while. The acros loved it!

[wazel]

Well Well Well..........

Being only 15 years old how in the world can you afford your 10,000 gallon tank. I was right, nothing more than a teenage kid. The truth finally comes out.

Ha Ha Ha

[cj_basser]

wazel, i have no idea what oyu are talking about. what are oyu smoking........i might have to get me some....

[wazel]

I would expect you to remember the people you insult.
Selective memory no doubt.

[Mr.Lloyd]

I put my 325 gallon sump (agricultural tank) online to my 300 display this week and had too much water in the sump tank which made a large pool on my dinning room floor.Sometimes it came out of my filtration sump under the tank and sometimes it just flowed out the top.Does that count?Thank goodness we have many towels nearby.

[cj_basser]

ummmmmm, it only counts if there was a starfish in that puddle!