- Joined
- Dec 6, 2019
- Messages
- 218
- Reaction score
- 244
I'm acquiring two 100 gallon oval shaped stock tanks to use in moving my display. I've decided to turn them into my own little tide pool.
It will be stocked with numerous inverts, mollusks, anenomes, starfish, urchins, and other animals often found in tide pools, I will try my best to closely mimic the high and low tides, temperatures, and light / heat found in natural tide pools so this should be an interesting build! Mostly starting this thread now so I can document my thoughts and progress as I think through some of these problems, and try and get some help figuring out if my thoughts make sense.
So far, I've decided I will stack the two tanks ontop of eachother, with the top acting as my "display", and the bottom of the sump. I plan to run two return pumps, and two overflows, with each of the overflows at a different height, this way I can shut off, or ramp down, one of the pumps, lowering the water level to the second overflow, and simulating "low tide". In theroy, I think I can have the two pumps running at different speeds, so when one shuts off there isn't enough flow to fill to the top overflow.
The sump will house heaters, output for my chiller, the return pumps, etc. I plan to use a rubbermaid tote with holes drilled in it, and lots of filter floss for my mechanical filtration.
Sandy substrate bottom, lots of rock stacked on the sides (probably all to one side, leaving the other open). Photos are of the tanks, and of the temp patterns I might try and follow. I'll have a couple large Eheim heaters, and a chiller to help me manage everything. Will likely use Inkbird controllers to manage temps.
I do live in Nebraska, so collecting some of the more uncommon species found in tide pools might be difficult, but I will do my best!
Here's a few issues I need to try and sort through while I'm planning this build..
While having two overflows, and two return pumps give me the high and low tide effects I'm going for?
How can I simulate "waves"? The tank is round, so mounting a couple MP40's to the side and running a mode won't be an option. Can I rig up a couples gyres to work on a rounded surface? If so, how?
How can I simulate the intense light and algae growth found in tidal pools? A lot of the species are herbivores, so it will be important to grow as much natural algae as possible. I'm thinking a large T8 setup and a long light setup, just to blast the hell out of everything.
What types of creatures should go in? Figure out a stocking list.
What type of lid? I need something to keep my tank inhabitants from escaping.
How can I screen my overflows so I'm not sucking livestock down into the sump? The tank has 2" bulkheads already, so I may stick with those for at least one of the drain and feed lines, potentially 1" for the other?
What other issues can I potentially run into here? What am I missing?
It will be stocked with numerous inverts, mollusks, anenomes, starfish, urchins, and other animals often found in tide pools, I will try my best to closely mimic the high and low tides, temperatures, and light / heat found in natural tide pools so this should be an interesting build! Mostly starting this thread now so I can document my thoughts and progress as I think through some of these problems, and try and get some help figuring out if my thoughts make sense.
So far, I've decided I will stack the two tanks ontop of eachother, with the top acting as my "display", and the bottom of the sump. I plan to run two return pumps, and two overflows, with each of the overflows at a different height, this way I can shut off, or ramp down, one of the pumps, lowering the water level to the second overflow, and simulating "low tide". In theroy, I think I can have the two pumps running at different speeds, so when one shuts off there isn't enough flow to fill to the top overflow.
The sump will house heaters, output for my chiller, the return pumps, etc. I plan to use a rubbermaid tote with holes drilled in it, and lots of filter floss for my mechanical filtration.
Sandy substrate bottom, lots of rock stacked on the sides (probably all to one side, leaving the other open). Photos are of the tanks, and of the temp patterns I might try and follow. I'll have a couple large Eheim heaters, and a chiller to help me manage everything. Will likely use Inkbird controllers to manage temps.
I do live in Nebraska, so collecting some of the more uncommon species found in tide pools might be difficult, but I will do my best!
Here's a few issues I need to try and sort through while I'm planning this build..
While having two overflows, and two return pumps give me the high and low tide effects I'm going for?
How can I simulate "waves"? The tank is round, so mounting a couple MP40's to the side and running a mode won't be an option. Can I rig up a couples gyres to work on a rounded surface? If so, how?
How can I simulate the intense light and algae growth found in tidal pools? A lot of the species are herbivores, so it will be important to grow as much natural algae as possible. I'm thinking a large T8 setup and a long light setup, just to blast the hell out of everything.
What types of creatures should go in? Figure out a stocking list.
What type of lid? I need something to keep my tank inhabitants from escaping.
How can I screen my overflows so I'm not sucking livestock down into the sump? The tank has 2" bulkheads already, so I may stick with those for at least one of the drain and feed lines, potentially 1" for the other?
What other issues can I potentially run into here? What am I missing?