Where are the tidepool tanks?

davidcalgary29 · 11/24/2020, 12:19 PM

Is anyone doing these builds? In about a year I'll be ready to start working on what will either be a tidepool tank or some type of marine paludarium. I'm interested in creating a windward tidepool on a Bahamian island where I lived, and that essentially means alga, inverts, and royal grammas in a turbulent environment. I love grammas in the wild -- they are just gorgeous -- but heard that they're awful in a tank. These Bahamian tidepools are also full of tiny Sargeant Majors but I certainly wouldn't try to put one in a tank.

In order to create a true tidepool, I thought one of those weird-looking drop-off aquariums would be ideal: the tidepool would be at the top, with a powerhead providing deep flow around semi-submerged rock/oolite, and strong lighting, with the deeper part providing what, is really, just another viewing area. These tidepools aren't heavily populated with corals -- I typically only see one or two heads -- and the odd anemone.

Related issue:tides. Does anyone use a sump as a means of mimicking "tides" by varying water height in their tanks?

Thoughts?

MarAquatic · 11/24/2020, 01:59 PM

I dont think a sump would work to create the low and high tide effect. I dont see how you would control the return down to the sump. Perhaps an empty false wall? Where a pump sucks in water at a certain time to lower the main display water level and returns the water later in the day? I think you would need heavy turbulent flow inside the tank for a tide tank

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11/24/2020, 12:19 PM	#1
davidcalgary29 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 119	Where are the tidepool tanks? Is anyone doing these builds? In about a year I'll be ready to start working on what will either be a tidepool tank or some type of marine paludarium. I'm interested in creating a windward tidepool on a Bahamian island where I lived, and that essentially means alga, inverts, and royal grammas in a turbulent environment. I love grammas in the wild -- they are just gorgeous -- but heard that they're awful in a tank. These Bahamian tidepools are also full of tiny Sargeant Majors but I certainly wouldn't try to put one in a tank. In order to create a true tidepool, I thought one of those weird-looking drop-off aquariums would be ideal: the tidepool would be at the top, with a powerhead providing deep flow around semi-submerged rock/oolite, and strong lighting, with the deeper part providing what, is really, just another viewing area. These tidepools aren't heavily populated with corals -- I typically only see one or two heads -- and the odd anemone. Related issue:tides. Does anyone use a sump as a means of mimicking "tides" by varying water height in their tanks? Thoughts? Last edited by davidcalgary29; 11/24/2020 at 12:31 PM.

11/24/2020, 01:59 PM	#2
MarAquatic Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 665	I dont think a sump would work to create the low and high tide effect. I dont see how you would control the return down to the sump. Perhaps an empty false wall? Where a pump sucks in water at a certain time to lower the main display water level and returns the water later in the day? I think you would need heavy turbulent flow inside the tank for a tide tank Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk