Idea to Vet & Tweak: Acrylic display risers on buried pedestals

[LHotelUmbraQua]

I would appreciate your views on this idea.

MAX FLOOR COVERAGE, ADDED DISPLAY SPACE

I like some smooth, open floor space cleared for displays, but I also want maximum substrate and plant coverage. I think acrylic risers may achieve this:

1/8" thick acrylic, with legs high enough for free movement of both fish and water (nobody trapped; minimal dead spots), and raise the surfaces 2", 3", 4" or even 5" above the soil level.

The 1/8" riser legs will set on pre-buried 1/2" or 3/4" or 1" acrylic pedestals, placed on the glass floor and *level* with the substrate, before or while green life is planted.

Pedestals at solid height will allow display areas to be removed and set back in easily; and also separated and cleaned themselves at any time. They will be very stable when buried, and need only be slightly wider than the riser legs.

All components are common and widely available in any size.

This is for tank #2, design phase. Interior 10.5" cube (1" higher for water level); 5 gal.

 

[LHotelUmbraQua]

Another question:

1. How level with the soil surface can an air bubbler be set? Is there a way to landscape it it slightly into the soil (when substrate and plants are installed), and keep the surface of the bubbler relatively the same level as the soil?

2. Also, as this thread is about display surfaces: Can a bubbler be placed under such display surface if enough clearance is allowed above it, and around it? Say, 3 to 5 inches above it (or more), and 1 or 2 inches around it?

 

[ColdKoi]

Sounds like a neat idea!

I’ve tried putting the air stones basically level with the substrate in my 29g. Unfortunately they only stay like that for a day or so! Between the air/water column moving things and the fish, the stones end up being buried in no time. Then you’re left with large bubbles coming out of the substrate that still do their job but it does add to the noise produced when they hit the surface. I think hiding them in or behind something is the best option

As for putting an air stone under one of these risers, yes it’s still going to do it’s job but I’d suspect again that you may have some of the smaller bubbles joining together when they hit the bottom surface of the riser, resulting in the larger bubbles rolling out the sides and creating more noise again. But that could probably be avoided by having the bottom of the riser slightly curved (like a bowl), so the bubbles have more tendency to roll out in random directions than glob together

 

[LHotelUmbraQua]

Sounds like a neat idea!

I’ve tried putting the air stones basically level with the substrate in my 29g. Unfortunately they only stay like that for a day or so! Between the air/water column moving things and the fish, the stones end up being buried in no time. Then you’re left with large bubbles coming out of the substrate that still do their job but it does add to the noise produced when they hit the surface. I think hiding them in or behind something is the best option

As for putting an air stone under one of these risers, yes it’s still going to do it’s job but I’d suspect again that you may have some of the smaller bubbles joining together when they hit the bottom surface of the riser, resulting in the larger bubbles rolling out the sides and creating more noise again. But that could probably be avoided by having the bottom of the riser slightly curved (like a bowl), so the bubbles have more tendency to roll out in random directions than glob together

My mind is a brainstorm right now! Before I got to the end of your sentence, I was thinking of a curved surface under the rise. Now I think a cone or V would be even better, because it would begin displacing the bubbles right away while they have power.

A submerged / soil level air stone would be very easy to brush debris off of with a cleaning tool. And a 1/8th rim above the stone surface might help. I love coming up with these ideas.

You would not believe the math I had to go through to calculate a tank size. Check out my DIY specs thread on a custom tank. I will do a reply soon walking through my reverse calculations, based on proportionality to a tank of a certain aspect ratio, and the volume I want to get to. I persisted until bout 3:45 am last night and it was wonderful! Lots of square and cube roots; comparative division (a is to b as c is to what?). I use it also to draw 3D to-scale models to compare how one shape pf tank will appear next to another in real life, using real objects like a Coke can as reference. It really helps predict exactly how to plot out items you want in a floor plan, see if they fit, and how they look in comparison, and in the context of the tank size.

Awesome stuff!!

If you have knowledge of custom tank, I would love your views on my DIY thread. Thank you for sharing my enthusiasm.