Penthouse apartment for fish

[Lil_Stinker]

I am going to make this Penthouse style apartment above a 55g..

I have the cube for the top (although it is only like 8 inches)... I will be using 4" PVC for the elevator.. there will be holes cut in the pipe so fish can get in...

This is going on my African tank, the fish are 2-4 inches (except one) so they will fit...

I am trying to think of a way to get fresh water into the top, so its not a dead spot...

Thought one ... put a fitting on the top with a tube down to a pump in the tank...

Thought two ... Ask my friends here for other ideas.. :duh:

Thanks in advance ...

.

[Lil_Stinker]

Here is a sketch

[Mgamer20o0]

um..... overflow with a pump to bring the water up to the top? no idea if this will work....

[Twill]

Do you know how much it will weigh? If you post the dimensions of the cube, we could figure out the weight of the whole "high rise" system. Then you can plan how to adequately support it.

I saw another thread about something similar. A guy had used an inverted jug suspended over a 10g.

Cool idea!

[Lil_Stinker]

Do you know how much it will weigh? If you post the dimensions of the cube, we could figure out the weight of the whole "high rise" system. Then you can plan how to adequately support it.

I saw another thread about something similar. A guy had used an inverted jug suspended over a 10g.

Cool idea!

Let's call it 8x8x8 about 2.25 gals 16~18 pounds ... the PVC will go to the bottom of the tank, so support isn't an issue..

Might be 6x6x6 about 1 gal 8-9 pounds ...

[clayt101]

I think I have your solution...
http://www.tomaquarium.com/webfiles/productspages/aqualifter.html

If you can drill a small hole into the top of the "penthouse" for airline tubing to fit in...stick an airline tube in and seal it with silicone. Put the tubing into this pump, and the output tubing back into your aquarium. I have one of these pumps and it works great. I use it to keep my overflow box from filling with air (it sucks air and water).

[red devil]

Similar to clayt101's idea, why don't you have 2 pvc pipes going into it? Then, down in the aquarium, you can have a pump pumping water into the "entrance" to your penthouse and the water will automatically come out the "exit", i.e. pipe number 2. I would be careful about putting any holes in your penthouse or the pvc going to it...one smallest leak and you will have several gallons of water on the floor. What really makes this a cool looking tank is if you can use clear acrylic for the tubes going in and out so you can actually see the fish swimming up and down...unless you want the "invisible" look, i.e. have the appearance of a fish suspended in mid air with no way of getting there. Personally...if I were going to all the trouble to do this I would make things a little bigger, maybe a 10 gallon size or so. I don't think the cost will be much greater (unless you are using acrylic) but will be visually more impressive.

[UFOtofu]

Sorry, I don't actually have advice, but I was just wondering if you could possibly post a picture of your tank with the finished pent house when you finish it? =) It sounds like an awesome idea.

[Sailor Jet]

OMG!! YES we all need pics very much.

[Lil_Stinker]

I think I have your solution...
http://www.tomaquarium.com/webfiles/productspages/aqualifter.html

If you can drill a small hole into the top of the "penthouse" for airline tubing to fit in...stick an airline tube in and seal it with silicone. Put the tubing into this pump, and the output tubing back into your aquarium. I have one of these pumps and it works great. I use it to keep my overflow box from filling with air (it sucks air and water).

Thanks, I think that is the answer. ....

****


Similar to clayt101's idea, why don't you have 2 pvc pipes going into it? Then, down in the aquarium, you can have a pump pumping water into the "entrance" to your penthouse and the water will automatically come out the "exit", i.e. pipe number 2. I would be careful about putting any holes in your penthouse or the pvc going to it...one smallest leak and you will have several gallons of water on the floor. What really makes this a cool looking tank is if you can use clear acrylic for the tubes going in and out so you can actually see the fish swimming up and down...unless you want the "invisible" look, i.e. have the appearance of a fish suspended in mid air with no way of getting there. Personally...if I were going to all the trouble to do this I would make things a little bigger, maybe a 10 gallon size or so. I don't think the cost will be much greater (unless you are using acrylic) but will be visually more impressive.

The cube is only 1 gal, not much on the floor if it fails.

I have the cube already (its actually a container) I will use standard PVC, since clear is much more expensive & this is more of a prototype project...

****

Once complete, I will put up pics, but be patient, this is not on the top of my wifes "things for him to do" list

:)

[alphahydrox]

Nice idea you came up with. I will love to see some pictures once you finished your project too.

[flapper12]

I think its going to be cool. But I'm going to laugh a lil if the fish don't swim up into the penthouse.

[Viettxboii]

likes like a waterbridge type thing.

[ThePBM]

yep. i already have something like this setup (also have a waterbridge too).

i basically took one of these without the lid http://www.ghann.com/images/products%5Ckeepin_kit_jr_01.gif except mine wasn't a cricket variety, it just happens to be the only image i could find.
submerged it in my tank and used the water already in the tank so i don't have to worry about overflow should the water drop out. lifted the container partially out of the water, upside down, and supported it with a sturdy piece of clear pvc i had, right in the middle. allows my fish to peer over the edge of the aquarium, but only my golden algae eater regularly clings around up there.

[Ajordan]

what if you did two pipes coming out of the box similar to a fish bridge. The current in your tank may be enough move water through. I did a fish bridge between two ten gallons and found my fish used it (even though it was just pvc). Here is a crappy pic I took with my phone...

Clear PVC is super expensive. If you decide this is something you want to do you may want to consider clear acrylic tube, its much cheaper (can't remember prices but do recall seeing some stuff that would have been affordable had I decided to make this permanent).

[Lil_Stinker]

what if you did two pipes coming out of the box similar to a fish bridge. The current in your tank may be enough move water through. I did a fish bridge between two ten gallons and found my fish used it (even though it was just pvc). Here is a crappy pic I took with my phone...

Clear PVC is super expensive. If you decide this is something you want to do you may want to consider clear acrylic tube, its much cheaper (can't remember prices but do recall seeing some stuff that would have been affordable had I decided to make this permanent).

At sometime I may do a bridge between these 2 55s, but for now I am just looking to play with a single pipe system from the one on the right...

[da jig iz up]

The TV looks sooo boring in between those two tanks.

Who would wanna watch regis and kelly when they can watch swimming african cichs

[Ajordan]

those 2 55's are begging for a bridge!

[Lil_Stinker]

The TV looks sooo boring in between those two tanks.

Who would wanna watch regis and kelly when they can watch swimming african cichs

I watch the fish, the kids watch the Tube & play the Cube. I enjoy a movie now and again, but I am not planning on a 110 inch "plazma" although....


those 2 55's are begging for a bridge!

Currently there are Convicts in the left tank, mixing with the others would be a bad idea.. I will be making a bridge (much) later & moving the cons to another tank

[hatcheridiot]

Great idea! I hope it works out and you post some great pics.....Just a thought though........if you pump air into the "penthouse"......wont it push the water back out and it will "lose it's prime" so to speak??? You might have to go with the bridge. Prove me wrong soon cuz I wanna see this thing!

[Bryan Cooper]

Have you ever tried filling a glass of water in a sink, then slowly pulling up on it upside down out of the water, the water will stay untill air enters the glass, but good luck doing a water change with that, I think its a GREAT idea, and looking forward to seeing the end product.

[Lil_Stinker]

This is on hold till whenever...

Water changes will not go below the top hole, and if they do, the pump system I have planned will certainly clear the air back out. the condo will only drain till the top hole is blocked by water again, so still no flood risk either..

I will revive this thread when I can get back to it & then post all the progress & completed project.. till then .....

[NewObsession]

Was thinking of a similar problem when I was pondering how one could go about builg raised cubes coming out of a deck over a fish pond. Not an engineer ( trust me lol) but my thoughts..

if you ran clear airline up the tube and up the corner of the cube ( running it in the corner I figure would make it as inconspicuous as possibleto withing an inch of the top of the cube, and hooked the other end up to the output of a powerhead or something of the sort.. pumping the aquarium water into the top of the cube with nowhere to go would it not somewhat "push" the "old" water back down your PVC and back into the tank? ALthough you would have to be careful not to have such a strong current coming down that the fish can't get up the tube..

[Cyberpaddy66]

I do believe this is what you need ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTJ0OoDRUds