A guide to fish tanks for busy professionals

[bettaMagenta]

I was gonna title this thread "lazy person's aquarium" but figured that might give the wrong vibe.

My wife's into wild mushrooms, taken a bunch of classes on 'em. Saw this fruiting chamber on a kids' invention show a while back, thought it'd be a cool gift. Ended up buying one from the company that developed it, they're into bringing new inventions to market. Got an email from 'em about some new projects, including an indoor food smoker that looks kinda neat.

Anyway, I was browsing their site and stumbled upon this project for a "maintenance-free" aquarium. I mean, I get it, some folks just wanna look at the fish, not mess with the tank. But personally, I think the maintenance is part of the fun. Don't get me wrong, lugging around 5-gallon buckets of water can be a pain, but there are some home-built systems out there that can make it easier.

Figured some of you might find this interesting, or maybe you've got some ideas to share. Not promoting the company or anything, just thought it was worth mentioning.

Smart fish tank - FirstBuild
firstbuild.com

[WildFins]

I'm with you on that, the whole point of having an aquarium is the experience, not just looking at the fish. I caught that "water replacement reminder" bit too, and it got me wondering - are they talking about doing actual water changes or just topping off? To me, it seems like if you're not willing to get involved with your tank, and you've got the means, why not just hire a professional to take care of it?

[Burgermuncher]

Many of the features they're proposing are already available as standalone units, such as automatic feeders and temperature control. The 'water replacement reminder' is essentially just a timer. What they seem to be aiming for is a single app to control the system and a hardware framework to integrate various components like heaters, lights, TDS monitors, and dosing systems using peristaltic pumps. I'm not aware of the specifics, but I suspect similar systems are already being used in the saltwater reef community.

In reality, this won't be a maintenance-free solution - it won't clean the glass, filters, or change the water, which are the most time-consuming tasks for me. And, as with all automation, you'll still need to maintain the automated components. Some sensors have limited lifespans and are quite expensive. This means you'll need to establish maintenance schedules for the automated aspects, such as:

- Replacing or servicing the TDS sensor every 2-3 months
- Replacing or servicing the pH sensor every month
- Cleaning and servicing the feeders monthly
- Keeping the app updated

You'll also need to diagnose issues with the system, such as connectivity problems with the app or sensor malfunctions. What if some water damages the sensor connectors or the auto feeders get clogged? You'll essentially be trading aquarium maintenance for system maintenance.

Most of the features they're suggesting aren't really necessary. Temperature control is relatively reliable with most heaters, and you can get instant feedback with a thermometer. TDS monitoring isn't a crucial parameter for daily monitoring. The four levels of filtration seem excessive.

If I had to choose one aspect to automate, it would be water changes. A system that can control the rate of water addition, with waste water storage or direct plumbing, would be useful. This would require a water flow control system, drain or waste monitoring system, and a dosing pump for chlorine treatment. However, the plumbing for such a system would likely be costly and introduce additional risks, such as overflow or clogged pipes.

Overall, while the idea is intriguing, I don't think it's worth the expense. As someone who works in industrial automation, I'm not opposed to computers or automation, but I think this particular solution is more hassle than it's worth.

[graye]

I've seen this idea recycled so many times, it's like a broken record from my childhood. Those miracle systems always seem to vanish, only to be replaced by the next big thing. You've got guys my age peddling no-work aquarium solutions online, and people eat it up because it's what they want to hear.

The closest thing I've seen to a decent solution is a continuous drip water change system, but even that ended up breaking down on me.

It's possible that someone might crack the code someday, but we'd need to have a much better understanding of the intricacies of aquariums. I'd love to see an affordable machine that can change water, trim plants, clean glass, and even spot and treat parasites and diseases. Oh, and it should also be able to grow and deliver live food for insectivores and veggies for herbivores in the same tank. If that machine exists, I'll be the first in line to buy it.

Every system I've come across relies on the old myth of a balanced aquarium with no water changes. But I have seen some clever, mechanically inclined aquarists rig up their own labour-saving devices. Those weren't integrated systems, but they were clever solutions that worked well when used together.

[bettaMagenta]

I'm the guy who'd rather pay for a person to handle the details, than rely on automation to do it for me. I've worked in the industry, at a plant that was one of the first to implement automation, and let me tell you, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Every time it rained that first year, the system would go down and none of the production crew could get it back up and running, so production would come to a halt. There's a box plant just down the street from my old plant, and they print packaging for companies all around the world. They've got to keep a couple of full-time electricians on staff just to keep their systems running, even to this day. I like to keep things simple, and the maintenance I do on my tanks, I consider stress-free - which is how aquariums should be.

[TwinTankman]

I've had a bunch of tanks for years, 20 of them to be exact. They're scattered around, not in a fish room. I only get to check on them thoroughly twice - during feeding time and weekly maintenance. Feeding time is just a quick glance, but it's enough to catch any major issues like injured fish or equipment problems.

Weekly maintenance is when I really get into the tanks. I prune the plants, vacuum the substrate in non-planted tanks, and shine a flashlight into pleco caves and hiding places to see what's going on. If most of this could be automated, I'd probably never catch any problems with the fish. I guess AI and cameras might work, but that's way out of my budget. It's probably cheaper to just hire someone to do it for me. I actually know a guy who does it for free, but that's a rare find.

[sageSe]

I've seen automated water changes in action, at the public aquarium where I sometimes lend a hand. Their flow-through system constantly drains old water, replacing it with fresh seawater. Sounds like a dream, right? Yet, we still spend our mornings prepping food - artemia, chopped fish, squid, mussels, and cube foods. Algae wiping is a daily chore, as is siphoning the tanks to clean the bottoms. And let's not forget the leftover shells and such from the bivalves and crabs - those need picking out too.

Even with automation taking care of the water changes, most of our day is still spent on maintenance. It's not like the work just disappears.

[graye]

I recall this one system for a massive freshwater tank that really caught my attention. It utilized tapwater, which was dechlorinated and filtered before being gravity-fed into the tank. The setup was for tropical fish, so the Canadian water needed to be heated to maintain a suitable temperature.

What struck me, though, was when the aquarist went on a week-long trip during winter, and a tree branch took out the power line. By the time he returned a few days later, the water heating system had failed, and the tank was filled with dead fish. All the gauges were still functioning, but as we all know, Murphy's Law has a way of sneaking up on us.

[kokomo]

I'm not impressed. I'll believe in complete automation when I see a system that can actually handle everything, and I mean everything. You know, a control panel where you just input the plants you have in the tank and it automatically adjusts the lighting, fertilization, CO2, and minerals. No fuss, no muss.

And let's not forget about the fish. I want a system that can automatically feed them, with individual nutritional surveillance and environmental modification. And it should be able to adjust to the different species and their specific needs. A yearly schedule would be nice, and species-specific breeding modes would be the icing on the cake.

But that's still not all. I want a system that can automatically diagnose diseases and administer medication. No more manual water testing or worrying about whether your fish are healthy. And to top it all off, I want it all monitored by some kind of advanced AI, with maintenance drones patrolling the tank to catch any problems before they become major issues.

Until I see something like that, I'm not interested. All these half-baked automation systems that can only handle one or two tasks just aren't worth my time.

[graye]

I'm not impressed. I'll believe in complete automation when I see a system that can actually handle everything, and I mean everything. You know, a control panel where you just input the plants you have in the tank and it automatically adjusts the lighting, fertilization, CO2, and minerals. No fuss, no muss.

And let's not forget about the fish. I want a system that can automatically feed them, with individual nutritional surveillance and environmental modification. And it should be able to adjust to the different species and their specific needs. A yearly schedule would be nice, and species-specific breeding modes would be the icing on the cake.

But that's still not all. I want a system that can automatically diagnose diseases and administer medication. No more manual water testing or worrying about whether your fish are healthy. And to top it all off, I want it all monitored by some kind of advanced AI, with maintenance drones patrolling the tank to catch any problems before they become major issues.

Until I see something like that, I'm not interested. All these half-baked automation systems that can only handle one or two tasks just aren't worth my time.

I'm left wondering, what's the point of it all. At that point, why not just buy a picture of a tank or a screen saver.

Imagine this for a second - a large tank with drones designed to mimic kingfishers, but they're always malfunctioning. That would be something, at least we'd get to see some natural small fish behavior.

The thing is, people are looking at automation all wrong. We don't need some corporate solution in our tanks, and we don't need everything done for us. What we need is the ability to do things we can't do now.