Fishtank-powered electricity???

[angeltc]

All right, so we all know that fishkeeping is an expensive hobby. One of the most expensive parts about it is the electric bill. So what are you gonna do about it? No one will probably do this, but I have an idea.
You know how they hydroelectric dams where the water current turns turbines that produce elctricity? What if you used the water in your tanks to power your house? If not your house, then what about powering at least the tanks with their own water?
Now this would be very expensive and probably not very safe, but is it possible?

 

[peef2]

if you have falling or moving water, then you would need some energy to bring it back up.

 

[Nic]

it would cost you alot more to actually be able to spin a generator than its worth.... best bet would be to add some solar pannels to your house...

 

[angeltc]

That's what I thought. It would be pretty awesome though...

 

[gt1009]

High flow overflows spin a generator? Anyone care to elaborate on this idea?

 

[Nic]

be better off with a wind turbine or a solar pannel(s).... think of the size of the over flow and the size pump to get the water back to keep the flow going...

 

[frnchjeep]

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=72584&videoChannel=4

 

[spring007]

it would cost you alot more to actually be able to spin a generator than its worth.... best bet would be to add some solar pannels to your house...

That is exactly what I'm doing this summer...I have installed solar panels before to light up one room of my house before...this summer I'm going to do it for my aquariums...

 

[Mystus Redtail]

Wind/Solar Hybrid. Everyone should be off the grid.

 

[Satan's Goldfish]

The amount of energy required to pump the water up high enough to create any useful amount of power in a hydro-electric generator in a tank set up would be higher than the amount of energy produced so you'd still need an external power souce to run it, and the higher you flow your water down from the higher the external energy required to pump the water up would be. It just wouldn't work, you can't creat energy from nothing. Solar/wind power is the best bet, i have plans along those lines in the future.