Acrylic Mer Tank

[Mermaid Galene]

What a lovely spot!

[Mermaid Mika]

reminds me of natural pools - that use natural filtration instead of chlorine. They are amazing and more cost effective and healthy than a regular pool.

also, did no one see my other post? I'm still wondering why tanks even use chlorine.

[MarkF]

Kill bugs, teeny tiny bugs.

[Mermaid Mika]

salt water.

[Echidna]

There are bugs that thrive very well in salt water.
Vibrio vulnificus, for example.

Natural filtration systems can only be used in extensive spaces (our garden would already be too small to have a little natural pool).
If a tank is filled with fresh water before use, a normal filter (no chlorine) should be ok though, unless your tapwater is at doubt.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Would it be too costly just to buy the shell of a fibre glass swimming pool? You know like one where you have installed in a hole in a ground, but instead of that, you just buy the pool and tote it around on the back of a truck?

Or a really big inflatable pool like this? Scroll down to 2nd pic, that seems deep enough?

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detai...510221571.html

[Mermaid Galene]

One problem I see with transporting a tank or pool to a gig: until you get there, you never know what kind of water will be available to fill the thing. The water could be icy cold from a hose, or from a municipal supply filled with chemicals, or from a well that may or may not have been tested for pathogens, etc. And you would have to scrupulously disinfect it after every use. I have battled every aquarium parasite and bacteria under the sun, in both fresh and salt water. Some of these pathogens need nothing more than a slightly moist and warm environment to grow. They often attach to algae/mold colonies, which can create a film on an aquarium/pool surface in a matter of hours. I'm not saying it's too dangerous to ever use a portable tank or pool, but you would have to be prepared for more than a little upkeep in order to be safe.

[Aziara]

^Even more than filling it, I've often wondered how you dispose of the water after? I don't think you can just dump several hundred gallons of chlorinated water on the ground...

[Mermaid Wesley]

For me (living in Los Angeles) pretty much all the water is regular tap water. I wouldn't sweat any parasites or bacteria mostly because I've drank tap water my whole life, I'm fine, and it's not like I'm a real mermaid breathing the water in. I wouldn't chlorinate it either. Chlorine is hard on the eyes and tail and skin you know? Id rather have plain old water. If it's in a tank


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[Anahita]

Would it be too costly just to buy the shell of a fibre glass swimming pool? You know like one where you have installed in a hole in a ground, but instead of that, you just buy the pool and tote it around on the back of a truck?

The problem with that as a solution is that those shells are not designed to be free standing. They rely on being put into the ground to give them support against the pressure of the water.

[MermaidNami]

having actually been in a mertank....I now understand why they are 1) so exspensive and 2)hard to build. a pool shell would not hold up to the pressure youre going to be putting on it. Frankly, I'm going to look around for large aquariums, and sealife transports. a shark transport tank with a large window would probably work.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Its such an interesting topic to a rec mer like me. I hope you can a find a solution soon, so that we can all see you swimming it in!

[just_d]

I know the thread is kind of old, but did anyone end up trying that little see-through kiddie pool?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E7810D...oding=UTF8&me=

I'm booked for a Halloween event, and we're trying to figure out if there's any way to do a tank. We were thinking of just dressing up a dunk tank, covering the dunk target with a painted sheet hawking a "captive mermaid", but that inflatable tank could be another option on offer if it actually works.

[PearlieMae]

I would dress up a dunk tank...it's already built to withstand the water pressure and abuse.

I looked into one of those pools for the Maker Faire next month and A: You have to have it on perfectly level ground; B: they are...delicate...; C: One errant/casual leaner can collapse the side and all that water goes rushing out.

nope nope nope

[just_d]

True - I didn't think about leaners. Alright, dunk tank it is!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Aside from building one (or having one custom built), dunk tanks have been my number one option as well.

[Mermaid Momo]

anyone know where to find bigger dunk tanks that aren't the usual thin rectangle ones? or short ones? let's say... one to fit a rather wide fluke? and have enough space to at least sit on the bottom completely? or do one full turn around in it?

[Calizaire]

I keep reading dunk tank as "drunk tank" and all I can picture is an over indulged mermaid locked up till she's sobered out, haha!
https://slm-assets3.secondlife.com/a...jpg?1277167786

[stellar lee]

Level water is the number one issue with tanks/pool/water carriers in general. Putting a water cooler on an out of level surface doesn't cause much issue. Putting a 60 gallon aquarium on an out of level surface, and the issues start building.

Let's do some hypothetical math

a 5' wide x 5' high x 8' long tank, filled to only 4' high (to allow for mermaid) : holds almost 1,200 gallons of water
Fresh water weighs roughly 8lbs/gallon , so that becomes 9,600 pounds of water
We assume that weight is equally distributed, which provided the ground is level, it will be. However, in a faire or party environment, lets assume your tank isn't on a level, concrete, surface that can hold 9,600 pounds... most likely your tank will be on dirt or turf. Dirt and turf that probably will gradually sink under that weight... start to get the idea? Even if you are able to set up on a patio, what happens when the travertine pavers can't handle that amount of PSI?

There is a reason that a well made fish tank isn't cheap. There's also a very good reason that a tank over 40 gallons starts to come with warnings about level surfaces with adequate engineering for weight. In other words, the home made mermaid tank sounds like an awesome idea, but, at some point, a magnificent failure is most likely going to occur.

I don't mean to rain on people's parades here... I just worry about safety. Not just of mers, but the kids around, should catastrophic failure occur.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I'm glad you bring that up, Stellar Lee! We have pretty much established in the past that you should only be making mermaid tanks if you know what you're doing. I think an altered dunk tank or something similar would be much more safe, cheap, and doable.