Flowing River Tank?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
F

Fishman0

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 3, 2009
342
0
0
New York
Has anyone ever created a River-Like current in a tank?

I was thinking about using a long tank and creating a constant current lengthwise. this way you can view them from the side. sort of like trout in a stream

turnover rate mst be pretty high i would think, as i cannot find any ideas on flow rates of actual rivers (varies too much over time).

i was thinking on using a larger pool/pond pump and making a return manifold on one end, and a large suction device on the opposite end.

just an idea for now, but would like to make it a reality.
 
if you search around on the web there are some setups with a current going through some loaches and other fish do well in these high currents i have not done it myself but i know one thing to keep in mind from others is you dont want the current going through the whole tank keep areas were the fish can rest and keep the current in one area such as along the front glass
 
i was considering the long tank with large rock structure or driftwood so the fish could "take a break" behind the current flow.

i would have to come up with a way to create an even current, not just the surface. I would addopt the idea of the "fan" device in an endless pool with a damper to control the flow, or a wall of jets on a manifold.

i think i would be able to hide the manifold with a rock structure, either homemade faux wall or stacked natural stone.
 
i would think if you get a high gph pump and strategically place a spray bar with smaller holes to increase pressure, you could create a decent current flowing like a river. this is kinda like the idea of a spray nozzle on a hose that may not have very high pressure to begin with. you don't increase the gph but you increase the effectiveness of the gph that you have available to create more force to move the water
 
You're going to get some turbulence, eddying, and countercurrents with any design, even the "loach tank" design. The longer the tank is the less of this you will get. You can use a "racetrack" design where the tank has a central divider and powerheads keep the water moving in a loop. You could also have the water exit one end of the tank through a high-capacity overflow and return it at the other end; this might cut down on countercurrents.

I wouldn't worry about achieving a "realistic" flow rate- the kind of current found in most rivers would slosh the water out of your tank.
 
I've thought about the monster version of this with Pangasius, Bagarius catfish, Tor barbs and similar fish. I'd drill on end with a 1.5" or 2" drain and overflow box. Have a sump underneath and the return at the far end.
 
it would be hard to get an even return and suction setup in order to create a realistic flow without having a large suction on one end... sort of like a bottom drain on a pool.

since water is much more dense than air i am not sure if this would work...

in windtunnel testing, in order to get an even flow a suction flow is more consistant. in other words the fans are placed behind the object to be examined. this creates a vacuum, or negative pressure in the chamber. the flow over the object is atmospheric air which fills the chamber.

if they were to use large fans to "push" the air over the object, then the air is more turbulant creating undesired results.

(BTW not all wind tunnels are desined this way)

so my idea would be to focus not on the gph on the intake side, but on the suction side. if i were to somehow plumb a large bulkhead, or 2, on the suction end and allow gravity, or possibly another pump, to draw the water from the tank it would create a current. but i would have to match the incoming flow with the exiting flow.

and pressure is not how i want to do it... volume is what matters. the key is to achieve an exchange rate large enough to produce this effect, but it may be difficult.
 
Just go it like a closed-loop reef system, saltwater guy do it all the time. You just need to put the intakes ad returns on opposite ends on the tank.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom