is this huntsmans own website?
Archived3 replies · 686 views
sample from the site...
Centrifugal fishtank
Watch the little fishies ....
(+6, -3) [vote for,
against]
The centrifugal fishtank consists of a squat toroid of Perspex. It can be spun at high speed via a central hub. All the gravel, ceramic model divers, little houses, lumps of coral etc. are glued to the outer circumference of the torod, which is rectangular in cross section. The fishtank is provided with the usual air bubblers, etc.
The tank starts from a rest position and over a period of many minutes increases its speed until the water is flung outwards by the roatational forces. The acceleration needs to be very, very gentle to ensure the whole water mass is affected by viscous coupling and the fish don't get bashed about.
The tank is intended to be viewed from below; "down" for the fish will be along the radius of the tank, so they can swim round and round forever, with some of their compatriots "above" them. Because of buoyancy effects, they should be relatively unaware of the increase in "gravity".
Given that fish feel the effects of gravity much less than the rest of us, how does this change things significantly...? I mean, if you want to see a fish floating sideways, look in a regular fishtank.
Beyond that, suspending the tank from the ceiling, spinning it at high speed, this gets my "wrong in so many ways" vote.
Turn it vertical and you have a fish treadmill.
Won't the fish suffer from coriolis forces when they try to move sideways? I don't know whether fish can get seasick....but think about being on those twirly platforms in playgrounds & what happens when you move your head.
They could provide the motive force, like hamsters.
Today's random [angel] factoid: fish can get seasick.
This is certainly this week's most elaborate nothing accomplisher.
[angel] are you sure that those wobbly, vomiting, dizzy seasick fish aren't just plain drunk?
The fish are bouyant, so they will move to a point where there are zero net forces acting on them and then stay there. Wouldn't coming in to feed rip off their lips?
I love it! It's been quite a while since we've had an idea this feasible, workable, and useful. ((No, I'm not being sarcastic. Why do you ask?)) I want one! I want to see the rotating fishies!
