Questions about open bottom/upside down tank

[tootsmcgee]

I am new to this forum and all forums in general so hi everyone. Hopefully I dont do something wrong.

I have been wanting to upgrade my tank and I saw this video online (posted down below) about an open bottom aquarium design. I was wondering if anybody sees any problems with designing a reef aquarium this style? or if anyone has one already setup that knows about?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5InNVJ_Ythc&feature=player_embedded

 

[brandon429]

--

Ha! welcome. I have been watching that thread since like 2007 and I can't figure it out even with all the posts about how to do it.

I get lifting a full glass out of water upside down in a bathtub and not lifting it high enough to break the water seal...the cup will hold water...its the pumping of air into the cup and it still holding water I will never understand no matter how clever the following explanations are about to be

 

[Cwazy Clown]

he used an aqualifter pump that sucks air at the top of the bowl to prevent too much air buildup at the top that could potentially force the bowl to lose its pressure. Of course you cant have the volume of the air inputted be greater than that of the output of an aqualifter.

 

[brandon429]

--

okay that helps. so if one pump fails at the top but does not fail at the bottom the tank will drain out? I can see where using a Y output off one pump is ideal, if that pump is both the input and the pressure output it stays in equilibrium?>almost there maybe.

 

[Cwazy Clown]

Green box is the air pump|Green line is air tube, black box is an aqua lifter|Red lines are the directions of flow for the aqualifter.

Aqualifter sucks water/air (whichever one is available at the top of the bowl) from the top of the bowl, and dumps it back into the lower tank.

Air gets pumped into the bowl from the outside.

If air pump fails, and the aqualifter doesn't, it sucks purely water from the inside bowl and puts it into tank. EQUILIBRIUM IS MAINTAINED. Nothing will change, there will be no air at the top of the bowl.

If aqualifter fails, but air pump does not then you're f*#ked. The air will eventually push all the water into the lower tank and flood it (if there isnt enough empty volume in the lower tank.)

 

[brandon429]

HA! lol something looked unstable gracias

still a cool idea had you seen it before this vid>

 

[Cwazy Clown]

Nope, I've never seen it used in an aquarium application. I do remember back in 2nd grade, I would take a one gallon plastic jug and putting it under water so it filled and then stick a piece of cardboard as the lid and inverting it while taking it out of the water. So I've known about the physics behind it for a while. Definitely an interesting application. I wouldn't want to try this. Just think of the rockscaping nightmare. You'd have to fill the bowl with water in your bathtub while inserting your glued together LR and then somehow inverting it so that it keeps its internal pressure long enough for you to transport it to the main tank.... like wtf. haha

 

[khaosinc]

I've looked at it and I think it would be a huge PITA to maintain. Decent lighting over a tank like that would build up huge amounts of algea on the top I think. Would look cool if maintained all the time though.

 

[tootsmcgee]

Cleanup is my main worry like you said khaosinc. I found this video that made the setup look more straightforward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7tq4LRurMs&feature=related

I was thinking of making the upside down part shorter so I could just reach around and clean it. The base would be a 24 x 24 with a height of 18 and the upside down part would be 24 x 16 with a height of 10. that would leave an opening of 24 x 8. hopefully that makes sense. im pretty sure I could reach to any point of the tank still. Live rock is the next worry. I wish they could make the tank around the pieces i want to put in there.

and just a side note....this guys upside down tank set up is amazing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g7nlQXkZy4&feature=related

 

[khaosinc]

I did play with one as a proof of concept deal although I never did the air bubbler part. I used an old water tub and a 10 gallon aquarium. I was in to freshwater tanks as well at the time. Keep in mind the other problem with this sort of set up is you loose alot of your surface agitation to get O2 in to the tank and micro bubbles will add up over time.

Anyway I took said tub and filled it then put the aquarium on a little internal 'stand' then I rigged a hose on to a shopvac and sucked the air out of the tank. It does work, but also keep in mind the flow issues and the nitrogen cycle of the bacteria that will build up in the top of the tank as well.

 

[tootsmcgee]

do you think that drilling holes at the top of the enclosed area and putting pump heads there would be enough to add flow to the tank?