Acrylic Mer Tank

[stellar lee]

it isn't even the tank itself that is as much of an issue as you don't know what that tank is going to be sitting on. Dunk tanks and huge water barrels work great because the PSI is generally so much lower! A tank that has a stand and legs that needs to be moved around from venue to venue can quickly spell disaster, simply because there is an issue with the unknown surface.

[PearlieMae]

I'm sticking with the kiddie pool and drunk tank.

[Mermaid Coralia]

I know this thread is old now, but I was wondering if anyone had seen anything swim worthy out there? Does anyone do gigs in an inflatable portable above ground pool? Like a pool about three feet deep? That way you could still swim and interact with people but they could come up to the sides and see you.

[Merenneito Nerissa]

With Mermaid Riia we have done and are doing gigs in portable, 12 000 litre pool It actually is pretty cool but needs a lot of work with putting it together and filling etc.

Here's a photo from last summer's gig

[Mermaid Coralia]

Nerissa that looks great! Does that seem to work pretty good and be stable enough not to collapse if people lean on it?

[Aziara]

In the $100-$300 dollar range, Walmart has easy set up pools. Then the only problem is figuring out how to fill and drain it at the event. Much cheaper and easier to transport than an acrylic tank! I imagine with the steel frame, people leaning on the sides wouldn't be a problem.
http://www.walmart.com/browse/toys/u...sort=price_low

[Merenneito Nerissa]

Well, it actually shouldn't last people leaning on it, it said so in the manual. However, the fence weren't pretty good at that event so kids were leaning on it, and the water was actually so damn cold that we needed to get up on the edges every now and then And it held up great ( we won't do it like that again though better fence and warmer water are the way )

[Caymanmermaidbubbles]

Hey I'm not sure if anyone posted this but I found this online, might be a cheaper way to make a tank.
http://www.jonolavsakvarium.com/eng_...200litres.html

[Mermaid Kassandra]

I know someone found a portable pool with clear plastic walls that would be a great alternative in my opinion, I just can't remember the website where they were sold.
More I saw a maxi bucket with a clear glass that some mermaids are using and it looks really perfect for travelling the only problem is that you can't transport it easily as it is rigid

[MermaidNerenia]

I just look back now at how young and mer-naïve I was when I posted this thread.

Raina you should have just chucked me in my head with your fluke. Silly me posting this.

SO many dreams, so young LOL. Now im an old jaded mer happy with just getting in a pool ......

It is really cool though, just to see where the 'tank game' has gone.

From Eric having the only tank around to Raven getting his tank, and now Renaissance festivals everywhere are getting them, The Dive Bar opened, Melissa has the trailer tank, more and more clear sided pools are being built (lookin at you Jaguar stadium), the Fringe Festival tank, Moon Mermaids, Hyli's tanks, Nerissa's pool, The Real Mermaids tank show......they're everywhere now!!!!!!

Just a few years and the pro-mermaid game has exploded. It's so wonderful to see!

[Mermaid Miradis]

Hello mers!

So I found this the other day: http://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/aquosis_water_tanks
What do you think about it? They are made of PVC covered polyester and seem to be able to hold the water. And they are portable and don't have cheap plastic framework.
Do you think one could cut out a piece and replace it with industrial clear PVC sheets or similar? What glue to use or how to stick it together again?
I found a video of Raina in a dunk tank and I must say that it seems waaay to small (especially with a large fluke) if you use it just as a "pool" without all the dunking

[MermaidNerenia]

Something like that might be really cool with a little step stool or bridge so kids can see you in the water, if I remember correctly Dive Bar did an event with something similar to that where they were in a large pool and the kids could climb up and see them.

I don't think replacing any part of that will work though, you'll ruin the structural integrity of the product by trying to remove a portion and then replace it.

With Mermaid Riia we have done and are doing gigs in portable, 12 000 litre pool It actually is pretty cool but needs a lot of work with putting it together and filling etc.

Here's a photo from last summer's gig

Like this!!! ^^^

[Mermaid Miradis]

wow, that looks great! I will definitely do that if I can't find a similar transparent pool (I still think of a tank substitution to interact with people through the 'glass', too). I just seem to find inflatable family pools that are transparent, but not really high or clear enough (is one meter too low?).

[Mermaid Miradis]

Sorry to write in here again, but I just found the thing i was looking for: http://www.kingsjumpingcastles.co.za/dunktanke.html

Those are custom-made collapsible dunk tanks. The size like it is here is about $590, but I requested a quote for a custom one of 3m x 3m x 2,5m with larger window and windows on all sides.

I think it would be also cheaper with just the "tank". I could really dress it up nicely, depending on event (how about a victorian one?) plus maybe a great light on the bottom for the evenings? I thought about a filter, too, so that the water stays clear? I've got an event coming up next summer, where I will be probably in a tank for about 3 or 4 weeks (not constantly )

[maybe mermaid mika]

Poking in again to see if after all these years if people have any thoughts on types of water to fill these tanks with? <3

[PearlieMae]

Water. Straight out of the tap. Heated, if possible.

If tanks were easy to build and maintain and transport, don't you think there would be tons of them and all their subsequent discussions? Not trying to sound mean, but if you've ever watched any of those aquarium builder shows, or know anything about acrylic construction, you'd know that first and foremost (aside from safety), tanks to swim in are going to cost trends of thousands of dollars. Especially a tank to transport. Most Merfolk I know aren't exactly swimming in the big bucks.

I WISH I could afford a nice swimming tank! I would use it all the time, and when i couldn't, I'd hire it out. But to be honest, it's a big empty box that you keep throwing money into.

[maybe mermaid mika]

I work in a number of tanks. I'm surprised more of us don't actually.

But tap water is really the worst. It often has higher chlorine than a pool. Salt water is ideal and of course my favorite. I'm just surprised there isn't more talk on the subject of maybe travel conversion kits or how to make exsisting tanks better.

[StellaRae]

But tap water is really the worst. It often has higher chlorine than a pool. Salt water is ideal and of course my favorite. I'm just surprised there isn't more talk on the subject of maybe travel conversion kits or how to make exsisting tanks better.

Not sure what area you're in but most private pools have a recommended level of 1.5-3 ppm chlorine. Public pools up to 5 ppm. Tap water I've tested in different parts of the North East contains about .03 ppm chlorine. I'm genuinely interested in where the levels of chlorine are higher in tap water.

Side note: pools with salt generators are still chlorine pools, the chlorine in them is just made via chemical reaction from running over the metal plates of the salt cell and getting zapped. I agree though, Oceans or lakes are where its at!

[PearlieMae]

You're not going to be living in a tank, a few hours in tap water might not be ideal but it's not gonna kill you.

Besides, there's no talk about tanks because nobody has one except the one in question.