The Planted Tank Forum banner

Steampunk/Mad Scientist Experimental Tanks

12K views 68 replies 27 participants last post by  davrx 
#1 ·
I've been wanting to do something that looked like it came from a mad scientist's lab so a few months ago I started looking on ebay for laboratory equipment. I found two quadruple neck boiling flasks (12L and 5L) and cork rings to set them on. I've seen one or two other boiling flask aquariums on stempunk sites but I've never seen two separate spheres linked together. I decided to try using a parallel distillation connecting adapter but I'd either need to run a vinyl hose through it or connect some acrylic tubing so that I could create a siphon. This has been the most difficult part of this project. It was a lesson in fluid mechanics/hydraulics as I had to balance the output from the filter into the 12L against the input to the pump from the 5L. If it was off then the 5L level dropped and the 12L overflowed. I finally found through trial and error that the minimum diameter tubing between the two had to be at least 5/8" I.D. The tubing to the Zoomed 501 pump is 3/8" I.D. I ended up having to use silicone rubber to glue acrylic tubes onto each end of the distillation connector.
I currently have Azoo substrate, some Hornwort, and some Nerite snails in them. I'm using a Catalina 50W titanium heater in the 5L flask and I have an ADA glass feeder in one of the necks of the 12L. I'm using ground glass connectors wherever possible to maintain the laboratory look.
Two of the nerites decided to attempt to clean the inside of the connecting tube and caused my 12L to overflow about a liter of water before I saw it so I had to cover the tube with an intake cover I found at the LFS. I'm using one of h4n's 9mm stainless steel guards on the filter intake in the 5L tank in case I want to add any shrimp to it.
I also wanted to have submerged lighting in the main center neck of each flask.
I looked in vain for lab equipment that would be small enough to fit into the neck, not fall through, and be large enough to accommodate LED's. I contacted DP Glassblowing which I saw advertising custom chemistry glassware on [Ebay Link Removed] I told them what I was looking for and asked for an estimate. I got a reply asking my address, thinking they were going to give me shipping costs. They sent me two sets of the tubes I needed free of charge! I couldn't believe it. I've never had anyone so generous before.
Enough talk, here's some photos:















 
See less See more
8
#26 ·
Enough talk, here's some photos:

Wow, what an awesome, unique setup! I really like the submerged glass lighting, the use of the temperature monitor, and the ADA food glass fits perfectly. :smile:

This is the first time I've seen a setup like this. Definitely has that steampunk/mad-scientist vibe. :thumbsup:
 
#31 ·
Chilis

Added a school of 18 Chili Rasboras. Had to put a foam cover on the bridge between the two flasks as it was sucking up the Chilis. After a couple of days most of them were in the 5L. Also added an overflow switch after my incident with nerites crawling into the bridge pipes. I don't want to come home to most of my water on the floor, a burnt up pump, heater, and dead fish. I have some other fittings I'm going to try using but for now I just want to keep everything running smoothly. The Chilis were difficult to photograph as they're swimming too fast so they're mostly a blur.





 
#33 ·
Hard to say but probably my 60gal. cube which I don't even have on the forum. I've had it longer than any of the 3 tanks I currently have up but have never taken the time to upload many photos of it. It's just a normal tank, nothing antique or unusual like the other ones I've shown but it has the greatest variety of plants and fish of any of my tanks by virtue of its size.
 
#34 ·
New Adapter

Just added a neat 4 arm adapter which I've fitted with the float switch in the center, the temperature probe in one, and the ADA glass feeder in the other. Still have an open one if I want to add anything else. I had to figure a way to use the float switch which is supposed to be attached with a suction cup. I came up with the idea of using a rubber washer which I trimmed down to size to hold it in place. Here's some photos I just took of it:







 
#45 ·
Update

I came up with a much easier way to start the siphon between the two flasks by switching out the parallel distillation connecting adapter with a transfer distilling adapter plus a flow control inlet adapter with glass stopcock. I can suck the air out of the transfer distilling adapter and turn the stopcock valve off once it's filled with water. Before, I had to fill the tube up with water from a sink and then use corks at each end. Then I installed the glass tube into the two receiving necks of the flasks with the corks in place. Finally, I had to use long tweezers to pull the corks out. What a pain. This is a piece of cake by comparison. Finally got both lights functioning now. Didn't realize my smaller LED light used a European size socket when I bought it on ebay so had to find a European to Candelabra adapter.





 
#47 ·
Scape

I finally decide to try tackling aquascaping the large flask today. I used some grape wood that I got from the LFS. It was being sold as a bird perch but I liked the fact that it had stainless steel bolts screwed into the wood with large SS washers. This would keep them from floating. I used some super glue gel and glued some moss to the wood and added a piece of petrified wood from my very first post to this forum http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=102902&highlight=
The hornwort has been transferred to the smaller flask until I have time to scape it. I plan on using a piece of grape wood and a piece of petrified wood in it as well.
Here's some photos I just took:











 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top