For a while now i've wanted to make a temperate saltwater aquarium from animals collected from a nearby beach. I then decided to make it into my science fair project by testing whether tides in a tide pool aquarium affected the fish in any way. But, you see, I am not only a newbie of temperate aquariums, but i've never had a saltwater aquarium before. I have been researching of course, and I kind of understand the basics of it but I would like a few tips. To attempt to simulate tides in the home aquaria, I will buy two 20 gallon aquariums, each with a power head on either side of the tank, along with live sand from a local beach and some tide pool invertibrates and fish. One of the tanks will have a pump that will drain the water to about half-way for six hours and fill it back up for six hours. So, my questions are these. Is a protein skimmer necessary? As it would be difficult for it to get down to the water while the "tide is out". What other filtration options do i have? Also, has anyone else tried to simulate the tides in an aquarium before? If you have any opinions on the project I would also love to hear them. Thanks!
Temperate Tide Pool Aquarium! With real tides!
- Thread starter zippybomb
- Start date
since you are doing a project.. and want to do a tide affect..
Add in live rock. Do weekly water changes..
I say a protein skimmer is a must. But since you are doing a project, and if you keep the tank stocked low, you should be ok.
Since you are using a 20 gallon tank. And want t osee the affects on the fish with high and low tide, just buy damsel fish. They are cheap and since its a project, will be not much of a loss if you have trouble.
Try it wil out the skimmer. As long as you have live rock and do weekly water changes, low stock of fish, you shuld be fine.
You could also get a small bio-cube skimmer. These skimmers are small, sit inside the tank and are cheaper. Being you are doing a small tank, and will have little stock in the tank, if you want to be on the safe side, this skimmer will at least help with any bio load your live rock can not filter out..
link for some on ebay are below.. My opinion the link to the first one would work better for what you are doing.
with this type of skimmer, all you need is the skimmer, airline tubing and a air pump.. These work on a wooden airstone.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marine-Cora...688?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a60eff4d8
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquarium-Ve...428?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a009181fc
Add in live rock. Do weekly water changes..
I say a protein skimmer is a must. But since you are doing a project, and if you keep the tank stocked low, you should be ok.
Since you are using a 20 gallon tank. And want t osee the affects on the fish with high and low tide, just buy damsel fish. They are cheap and since its a project, will be not much of a loss if you have trouble.
Try it wil out the skimmer. As long as you have live rock and do weekly water changes, low stock of fish, you shuld be fine.
You could also get a small bio-cube skimmer. These skimmers are small, sit inside the tank and are cheaper. Being you are doing a small tank, and will have little stock in the tank, if you want to be on the safe side, this skimmer will at least help with any bio load your live rock can not filter out..
link for some on ebay are below.. My opinion the link to the first one would work better for what you are doing.
with this type of skimmer, all you need is the skimmer, airline tubing and a air pump.. These work on a wooden airstone.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marine-Cora...688?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a60eff4d8
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquarium-Ve...428?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a009181fc
dont waste your money on a skimmer... if you're using native fish they aren't gonna die that easily unless its by moving stress - its just a project dont dump money into something thats completely unnecessary for something you'll probably only run for a few weeks
sorry, didnt finish my sentence before...
In my opinion, a protein skimmer is a much in a saltwater tank, but since you are doing a project, I would think you would be ok WITHOUT ONE...
If you feel you need one, the two links I gave you above will provide you with two that will work for what you are doing as well as not spend alot of money on them..
In my opinion, a protein skimmer is a much in a saltwater tank, but since you are doing a project, I would think you would be ok WITHOUT ONE...
If you feel you need one, the two links I gave you above will provide you with two that will work for what you are doing as well as not spend alot of money on them..
I was actually planning on keeping one of them as an actual aquarium. Also, for a temperate aquarium, would a chiller be necessary? Live rock and corals wouldn't work in a temperate tank other than anenomes. Thanks for all the info!
Been thinking how you could get the tide effect and still get filteration and I think I've sussed it 
Basically you have the tide pool tank lower down than the sump/filteration tank.
have a return pump in the tidepool tank and have this pump into a height setting chamber in the sump where you can house a heater, skimmer and filteration media.
The next chamber of the the sump then is where you can vary the level of water. Have a few different heights of return and each opens at various times allowing the water height to change between there and the tide pool.
Maybe some sort or geared motor running perminantly that rotates fully over 12 hours raising and lowering a dam type thing exposing higher and lower drains.
Basically you have the tide pool tank lower down than the sump/filteration tank.
have a return pump in the tidepool tank and have this pump into a height setting chamber in the sump where you can house a heater, skimmer and filteration media.
The next chamber of the the sump then is where you can vary the level of water. Have a few different heights of return and each opens at various times allowing the water height to change between there and the tide pool.
Maybe some sort or geared motor running perminantly that rotates fully over 12 hours raising and lowering a dam type thing exposing higher and lower drains.