Underground Aquarium

[Tozzy]

Hi,

Just wondered what you thought of my project...

Dug quite a large hole intending to use it to bury old cuttings etc, but have now decided to carry on digging and make far better use of it.

Sorry if the picture isn't showing up (server temporarily down last time I checked).

Obviously, it will have to be built properly. I know the picture isn't very informative (I've yet to do a 3D version).

I've never laid a brick in my life, but I know that this project will make great practice and there is no deadline . Also, bricklaying won't be a problem because I have tutorial videos to learn from.

Would you think there would be any special damp proofing requirements apart from the usual tanking method? I know incorporating a DPC wouldn't be beneficial due to the surrounding earth.

Some sort of large plastic tray will be needed for the water, but it would have to be very strong to withstand the weight. Any ideas on where I could obtain one? Also, a pillar like one of these would be needed for the middle of the tray:

Last but not least, do you think the project would be successful? When finished, it will have a white tiled floor laid on a screed, white walls (I'll just paint the bricks white) and for the ceiling, the underneath of a clear pond (with fish swimming around of course lol) for the light to shine through.

What d'ya think?

 

[Deluks]

Underground aquarium? Round here they're called fishponds


Do you mean putting glass on top to seal the fish in? (like in a previous post) This sounds a bit 'James Bond villain' What are you putting in there, mutated Sea Bass?

 

[Tozzy]

No, this will be an aquarium lol. Not an ordinary fishpond (already have two of those). I'm building a small underground structure which I can walk down into and when I look up, I will be looking straight up at the 'fishpond' above me, but it will just have clear water and fish inside (no algae etc) otherwise, it will obstruct the light shining through.

So imagine a pond but instead of using black liner, it will be in a transparent tray and a pond that you can walk underneath when you're underground and when you're above ground level, you can look down into it.

Just wondered if there would be any dangers involved and whether it would be possible for the DIYer. I am by no means a builder . I reckon I have what it takes to do the job though .

Hopefully by next week, I will have a 3d visualisation of the project to show to you.

 

[workrelatedstress]

Hi

Looks like a very unusual project ... don't you worry a bit about the weight of the water ?

A liter of water weighs 1 Kg so you are going to have a lot of it up there !

Unless you are very careful I would imagine you may well have a very serious case of ' fish on the head ' !

WRS

 

[Steve]

You'd need very thick glass for that. Also very powerful filtration and pumping to get rid of the 5h1 from the bottom of the tank - the fish excrement and weeds, and a novel way of doing this so its not visible!

The bottom of a fish is not as attractive as the top or sides!

May I suggest you rethink this, it will be very expensive to find glass of that strength. You'd need steel to support it and heaps of sealant. And I'm not sure the underneath would be very pleasant.

 

[breezer]

Have to agree. (cost aside) It will need to be a purpose made tank from very thick glass, then it will be spoilt becuse of the filtraton pipework required.
since you have a couple of ponds try this.

look into one, see alll the stuff in the bottom, now that is what you will get on the bottom of this project, you dont see it in walk through aquariums because divers really do go in and clean it

the more shallow the water the quicker it will collect algae (it will readily heat up) then you have got the dreaded string alage that a uv can not prevent.

very nice idea but not very practicable (new word) also it will need slightly heating to prevent the water from freezing, as water will expand when it freezes

any type of pespex / arcylic will get scratched and look awlful

 

[Tozzy]

Ok guys, thanks very much for your views regarding this doomed project ! I didn't think about the maintenance side of it.

Ok, how about this for an alternative idea then:

Instead of a pond for the roof, how about some of those little glass blocks integrated within a small patio? That would probably work wouldn't it?

 

[workrelatedstress]

I guess you could then go down there and look at the bottom of peoples shoes ?

WRS

 

[Tozzy]

I guess you could then go down there and look at the bottom of peoples shoes ?

WRS

Or secretly look up my female lodger's skirt? Great idea I think!!

Ok lets get digging!! I hope to be sleeping in this hole very soon.

 

[breezer]

How will glass blocks in a patio work?

you may be able to have them in the patio, and put lights under them, but why bother? just put the lights in the patio

 

[Tozzy]

Yea, but there might not be any lecky. I can't even see my house from this part of the garden; that's how far away I am, so I could use glss blocks during the day and candles at night. I might even be able to see some stars though the glass blocks if I'm lucky .

It won't be an easy project nd I imagine will take a year or 2, that's if I stick with it of course lol. I'm doing it mainly because I love digging; brilliant exercise.

 

[marshman]

I'm doing it mainly because I love digging; brilliant exercise.

are you a friend of "swampy"

 

[Tozzy]

I'm doing it mainly because I love digging; brilliant exercise.

are you a friend of "swampy"

Nope, Swampy is a friend of mine .

 

[JohnD]

I heard Swampy recently died due to heart disease.

the hospital offered him a by-pass but he objected to it.

 

[Tozzy]

I heard Swampy recently died due to heart disease.

the hospital offered him a by-pass but he objected to it.

Well at least the hole for his coffin was already there lol, jk! RIP Swampy. He didn't get the heart disease from living underground did he?