Automated Self-Maintaning fresh water aquarium

I would love something to automate it a bit, and draining then refilling water is pretty easy to automate somewhat (need hookups for waste and incoming fresh water, lotsa other appliance have this, toilet, clotheswasher, dish washer, shower/tub, so that parts no big deal) maybe something to automatically treat with dechlorinator (again, fairly easy), buncha monitors to make contact with the water (for monitoring)

But what if you vaccuum gravel? how do automate that? Maybe with a "crawler" type thing like the automated vaccums for swimming pools?

In all actuallity, its not any different from any of the BIG aquariums do, all the water is piped in and out through PCV pipes and filtered and pumpe back in..

(actually, my dream aquarium setup is going to have a setup like this, with temperature control and external filtering with water piped in and out via PVC pipes, thinking of a 200+gallons if We move to a new house)

Main thing we dont see this in the aqua hobbiest arena is this:

$$$$ching$$$$

Only proffessional aquariums (ie. big ones) like those ran by the government (state parks) and major institutions (sea world, museums, z00's) can afford this kinda treatment
 
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Why do people keep referring to water changes as bonding time?? If you didn't have to spend so much time on water changes wouldn't you be able to watch your fish longer? And do you really think that your fish give a crap if you put your hands in there and scrub off their glass? I mean sure my tiger barbs nibble on my fingers, and its cute, but who cares. If i could trade in the time i do a water change for time to view my fishies, then hands down i would want to observe. Plus all of you perfectionists would love a gadget to help maintain parameters, as your fish would certainly thank you, and it would be a more natural environment for them. No one said that everything has to be automated, but if it creates a better environment for our fish that we can't monitor and provide for every 24/7, then why not. Technology has gotten man very very far (space actually), and it will just be a matter of time before we get a helping hand that i guarantee no one will dislike. So you can talk all you want now, but in 20 years, we will probably all have something in our aquarium that will provide a stable environment for the things we love (or like, maybe love is too strong). Isn't the reason most of you come to this site to make life a little easier for your fish? How about that technology, being able to finds almost any information on thousands of species in a matter of seconds. So why discourage someone from creating a helpful device that we will all be happy about (fish too). And if power goes out again what do you think that will mean, that we have to go back to manual maintenance for a few days (ooooo nooooo).
 
you can already do automatic water changes and such, we already discussed it. It's simply expensive and a self sustaining aquarium is not only brutally cost ineffective it's next to impossible that you could guarantee that it would be self sustaining for a long period. Even a computer needs maintenance. Everything needs maintenance and nothing is self sustaining.
 
Dr_Woo said:
Why do people keep referring to water changes as bonding time?? ......

....... if it creates a better environment for our fish that we can't monitor and provide for every 24/7, then why not....
...
So ..... Isn't the reason most of you come to this site to make life a little easier for your fish? How about that technology,....

So why discourage someone from creating a helpful device that we will all be happy about (fish too). ....
Click to expand...

Excellent outlook, and reply...

Give it a few years for Rena (or some other company) to come out with the "Extra XP-33".. This canister will include an automated "Aqua-Roomba" to make vacuuming easier and just as good as the old fashioned way. The Extra XP-33 will also automate water changes as the 'hobbiest' chooses... This canister will do it all, vacuum, heat, do water changes, and filter.

What the heck..?
:D
 
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There's always going to be obstacles for progression (or technology). I think your "far-sightedness", as one member has called it, is an excellent quality for an aquarist or scientist. Anyone who wants to improve things should be likewise!

I love spending time with my fish as much as many others on this website.....that's the difference between Aquarists and people who own aquariums, in my opinion! But looking for ways to improve the way things are done is to be entrepreneurial! This is one of the building blocks of our country.
New ideas are extremely important to growth and improvement. Keep your eyes set far into the future, especially since this is for a scholastic report. If your findings are that to fully automate nature is currently out of human reach, then say so. If you find ways to improve the system just a little bit, they report that! I think your idea is awesome, even if you do leave many ideas that others would think "basic research". God bless your studies!
 
I do think it would be cool to at least have some kind of alert light or something reminding me that it's time to change out the filter, or change the chems, add fertilizer, whatever - my sched gets so busy sometimes I can't remember until my tank "tells" me. I do wonder how it would do water changes for people like me who have to buy the bottled stuff - tap is really not acceptable here. And would you have to directly hook the thingy into your house pipes? It wouldn't be worth the trouble since I'll bet most of us have our tank in a room with no water supply - like libraries, bedrooms, or living areas. BTW I like technology, a lot of people would be out of work without it, and I enjoy electricity, even more so when I have to go 2 weeks without it - I guess I want a remote power option on this thingummy too! :)
 
To be honest this has actually been done before! I've seen it with my own eyes! It was a small tank, about 1 gallon maybe 2 if not smaller. and it had one plant, that created enough oxygen in the water for the two very small pair of fish, im not sure on the kind, i think maye killifish, but they were no longer than 2 cm and would not grow any bigger. that lived in it, the gravel was a kind that absorbed the fish's peee crap and algea, and the fish had to be fed with a moist toothpick that was dunked in some crunched up food, im not sure the kind i think it might have been extremly fine bread crumbs, the fish were fed once a week, and The tank was completly sealed off, except for a tiny hole where the toothpick was inserted. It lasted about 2 years.

Although it was not completly self sustaining, as the fish had to be fed manually. but it's pretty **** close if you ask me.

-I think the Idea is crap. No offense, it takes out absolutely all of the fun. and since no new fish could be added or removed and stuff, i think its rediculus, if a fish died what would happen to its corpse? how would the contraption not run out of food???

its not possible with the technology we have now to do this. Its basically playing God. its like Creating a new earth. as earth is the only known thing in the universe thats self sustaining, and who knows, even it may come to an end.

thats my opinion, I think the idea is good, but you did not think this through,
and hey, i'm only a 15 year old kid.
 
Yo_Loach said:
To be honest this has actually been done before! I've seen it with my own eyes! It was a small tank, about 1 gallon maybe 2 if not smaller. and it had one plant, that created enough oxygen in the water for the two very small pair of fish, im not sure on the kind, i think maye killifish, but they were no longer than 2 cm and would not grow any bigger. that lived in it, the gravel was a kind that absorbed the fish's peee crap and algea, and the fish had to be fed with a moist toothpick that was dunked in some crunched up food, im not sure the kind i think it might have been extremly fine bread crumbs, the fish were fed once a week, and The tank was completly sealed off, except for a tiny hole where the toothpick was inserted. It lasted about 2 years.

Although it was not completly self sustaining, as the fish had to be fed manually. but it's pretty **** close if you ask me.

-I think the Idea is crap. No offense, it takes out absolutely all of the fun. and since no new fish could be added or removed and stuff, i think its rediculus, if a fish died what would happen to its corpse? how would the contraption not run out of food???

its not possible with the technology we have now to do this. Its basically playing God. its like Creating a new earth. as earth is the only known thing in the universe thats self sustaining, and who knows, even it may come to an end.

thats my opinion, I think the idea is good, but you did not think this through,
and hey, i'm only a 15 year old kid.
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I agree, there wasn't enough thought put into it, and if in fact the people who are attempting this are hobbyists they should be ashamed to be trying to market something like this. It's just another attempt at trying to make aquariums mainline commercial. Which BTW is sick, because in the end it's the animals we strive to care so much for that are left out. As was said many times before this has been done before to some degree and if you even tried to do something so complicated nobody in their right mind would pay the ridiculous sums of money that would be required to buy it.
 
Hey guys,
Why dont you try giving constructive criticism, instead of ****ting all over the guys idea. The idea is great, it would sell. The Idea is to have a self-sustaining tank. This idea is excelent and would sell no-matter how expensive it is. If people are willing to spend 3000$ for a big spoiler or big rims for their cars, I am sure there are people that would be willing to spend the money on getting a self-sustaining tank. I agree he didnt think through the idea enough but that doesnt mean it isnt a good idea. He needs to do more research, but should stick to it. There are soo many posibilities to this idea.

What he needs to remember is that most people dont want to be replaced completely, they just want help!
What you guys have to remember is that if you dont like it, DONT BUY IT!

P.S. I have a similar idea waiting for a patent at the moment.
 
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carpguy said:
Ever wonder why they pay two people some fairly substantial salaries to sit up front and watch whats pretty much a fully automated process? Or why no one trusts the computer that does most of the flying to land the plane?

How do you feel about fully automated cars?

Ever have one of those sensors in your car read false? Like the 100,000 miles I drove with the check engine light on? (It actually stayed on after the engine was replaced).

What's the potential downside of system failure? What are the failsafes? The wellbeing of the fish aside, there's an awful lot of water involved.

My lights are on timers. I mix a brew for the Liquidoser. I change the water myself.
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the issue which I was responding to was technology, not automation...
 
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