Tide pool tanks

[Thalast]

Hi Everyone,

I am playing around with the idea of creating a tide pool tank in the future. Does anyone know of anyone that has one here on RC? Or possibly a link to a build thread for one? I am thinking something around a 3' cube with the rock work extending out above the top of the tank. Maybe a modified wave box plumbed above it somehow to release a wave of water that cascades over the rocks every 15 seconds or so.
At this point I am still just playing around with ideas, but I would love to see if anyone else has something like this, and what sort of complications they ran into.

Thal

 

[rustybucket145]

Sounds pretty cool. The main think I'd worry about would be the smell. Don't want your living room to smell like "tide pool" do you?

Other than that, it sounds really cool. Could put some really diverse creatures in there!

 

[Thalast]

If it is maintained property it should smell more like 'saltwater' than tide pool. At least I think anyway! Like I said, I would really like to see if anyone has a tank like this out there.

 

[zach0660]

If you go to this thread that belongs to tom obrecht

scroll down to the bottom of the 1st page and you will see a couple pictures of a SPS-dominated tank that has a surge/tide effect installed. If this helps any?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=989408

 

[xtm]

At one point, I had my rocks arranged like that. I will try to post pics when I get home tonight. I liked the style and might do it again in the future.. I've always felt that something was wrong with that aquascape so I took it out.

Tidepool + Wavebox + macroalgae + damsels = California coast biotope!

 

[zach0660]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10910034#post10910034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xtm
At one point, I had my rocks arranged like that. I will try to post pics when I get home tonight. I liked the style and might do it again in the future.. I've always felt that something was wrong with that aquascape so I took it out.

Tidepool + Wavebox + macroalgae + damsels = California coast biotope!

Do you have the pics yet?

 

[dogstar74]

One problem would definately be the smell. Second would be the salt spray. I have seen fresh water tanks with 1/2 the stonework out of the water, and the rest under water, but with salt water, I bet your salt creep would be terrible.
Also, the warm side of the rocks, i.e. the side toward the lights would promote wicking of the water, again, leading to salt creep that you could probably time with an egg timer. What this would do to your water parameters is anyone's guess.

But I always like to hear about cool Ideas, so give er a rip and teach us all a thing or two!

 

[Thalast]

I think if I could come up with a way that the 'waves' would hit all of the exposed rock on either each wave, or rotating. It would cut down on the salt creep. The smell I will have to work something out. It will be a while before the funds are together to start something like this but for now its fun to plan.

 

[stringcheese]

If you have a low overflow and put a high spot in the hose about the height of the water surface the tanks water level will rise and fall in cycles every few minutes just like a tide pool. Careful you dont over flow while setting up. A smaller sump hose might help you create a larger fluctuation. With the high sump hose the tank will have to build pressure to push water over the hump. this will make the tank swell a bit.
I had this effect in my first attempt at a sump. The water would go up and down, up and down.
good luck