really strange diy project - outdoor tanks on wheels

[CiXeL]

basically id like a system that would attach to my main aquarium and allow me to attach small satellite refugium like tanks. it would require a pump that would transport and take away an equal amount of water. i imagine this is possible since water is a noncompressible liquid. basically you could use a system like this to run a line out to your backyard and have a acrylic box with roller wheels that you could set in the sun and grow coral out there but it would be easily movable as the sun changes with the seasons. basically id like to see the system made to be as easy as attaching tanks to a box like you would power electrical devices except each plug taps into the input/output flow of water.

i wrote out a really crappy page i sketched out and scanned in to pdf format
http://www.cixel.com/wiki/images/powers ... eftank.pdf

yes i am insane. but what do you think?

 

[tangir1]

Depends on the construction of the TOW (tank on wheel), it may not stand the stress of moving around. Consider the weight of the tank with water, and let us know about what type of wheel you going to use, and the type of construction of the tank.

 

[CiXeL]

im not actually going to build it right now, im merely in the planning stages till i rent a house. id like to know if its feasible. the tank would be made out of acrylic because its alot sturdier than glass and id use lockable metal wheels like they use on storage racks.

the tank would be a big acrylic tube with a removable top so i could get inside and clean it asitwould accumulate alot of algae being in direct sunlight. i imagine being able to move this around a flat cement patio.

 

[tangir1]

Two suggestions:
1,heavy gauge steel frames with powder coating
2, metal wheels that can hold a ton each.

What size do you have in mind?

 

[Acrylics]

Unless you want to spend several thousand $$, I'd shy away from the tube thought. To give an idea, a 4' long chunk of 36"Dia acrylic tube will run close to $1k/lin ft. The rest is quite feasibly and has been done often in public aquaria for mobile demonstration & "touch" tanks where supervision is necessary but not always available so the can stow the tanks away.

James

 

[CiXeL]

im sorry. i didnt mean acrylic tube i meant to write acrylic CUBE. basically a 60 or 70 gallon tank in cube form.

 

[Acrylics]

Ah, ok, major price difference there
More than likely, you'll want to overbuild the cube though just so it doesn't crack or flex too much during transport. Other than that - should be relatively easy.

James

 

[Baianotang]

Why?

 

[Acrylics]

Why what?

 

[CiXeL]

so you can grow acropora outside like a bush.

 

[Anonymous]

Why would it have to be anything resembling an aquarium? Couldn't you also just go with what a lot of P.A.s do and use tubs, etc.? Rubbermaid tubs would be a huge time and cost saver, for instance.

Then, beyond that, I know that Rubbermaid also makes a commercial cart that we used to use for shipping runs. I could easily stand on them, heck, two of us could stand on them (for getting to the top tanks), and I'd often have to stack trays of fish on them. The trays weren't more than about ten gallons each, but you get two or three on the top and bottom shelves and you've got a bit of weight on there. I love those carts. I miss those carts!

 

[Mihai]

The idea with the double pump is cool. Unfortunately I believe that it's not feasible: the smallest asymmetry would spell T R O U B L E (read, empty or overflowed refugium).

To see the point better, consider an extreme case where the refugium would be directly up from the main tank (say one floor up). Your pump will get out a lot more water than it puts in and empty the refugium.

Even with the slightest unequiblibrium (say 1cm difference in the lengths of the cables, or heights of water in main tank or refugium) over time (hours?) the refugium will overflow or be empty.

But nice idea anyway!

There is also the problem of overheating: in summer those refugiums will get HOT and you'll need a chiller on the main tank.


M.

 

[tangir1]

It is much easier to use an overflow, and forget about the issue about equal flow pump.

<trying to erase the image of two seamaids on rubbermaid cart...>

 

[rsman]

FWIW

I have a 55gal rubbermaid thingie on wheels for my brine shrimp, it moves nicely, nice and strong, do get the best wheels you can, I went thru a couple getting there, too small and a grain of sand will halt your tank in an instant, to big and turning is effected. it was easy to find 4(the number of legs) 500lb wheels, also join the bottoms of the legs for support.

 

[sawyerc]

I went through this before when I was planning a main tank that was going to be in a room where there will be construction every few months. I wanted to put the tank on wheels so I could move it into another room. Everyone I talked to (wetwebmedia folks, all-glass manufactureres, acrylic manufactures, LFS) told me that you cannot, "under any cercumstances" put a tank on wheels. BS, but I would not use an acrylic tank if you can help it. Like other people said: rubber maid tubs will probably save you some money and trouble.

If you decide to build your own cart, you can get casters (wheels that swivel) from www.castercity.com that will hold thousands of pounds each. They'll be able to suggest the best material for the caster for your application. Typical prices will be about $10-$200 per wheel depending on size, capacity, and material. These casters also have locks.

You might want some kind of blue filter like a blue tarp on top. As you know, light that's not towards the blue end of the spectrum RAPIDLY diminishes with depth. Your corals might like you a bit more if you filter out some of the yellows and reds to make your setup more natural.

You might be able to keep them cool with evaporative cooling. Even some wet towels around the outside will provide a significant amount of temperature drop.

Sounds like a cool project. Best of luck.

 

[CiXeL]

theres two guys out in my area. one has an outdoor grow tank with blue plastic altering the spectrum and the other guy has his corals directly exposed to the sun. the colors on the guy who has his corals directly exposed to the sun has incredible wild colors whereas the guy with the blue plastic has bizarre pastel colors and its almost like they're freaking out. you have to ask him what each coral actually is because they do not appear to like the artificial blue plastic spectrum at all.

if i did an outdoor grow tank i would certainly put it under direct sun after seeing the comparison. natural is best imo.

 

[Anonymous]

Obviously not all blue filter is the same. Careless selection of filter can do more harm than good, and that is what your observation shows. It does not mean that all blue filter is bad for coral.

 

[CiXeL]

the guy spent hundreds of dollars on the blue filter trying to get the spectrum accurate i think thats why he has difficulty parting with it. i admit, it was a good idea but id didnt work "outside the lab" so to speak. its a shame because with his massive setup he could kick the other guy's a$$ as far as farming corals.

 

[sawyerc]

good to know in case I ever do the same thing.... or course the weather's not really idea here for outdoor coral farming

 

[Anonymous]

How about finding a used pallet-jack for the wheels, or simply designing the stand with the use of a pallet-jack in mind? that should prety much solve the weight on wheels problem