filtering a chinese fish bowl

[sleasia]

I have a large chinese vase...they are actually called "fish bowls" , because as many of you may know in "the old days" they were actually used as fish bowls for fancy goldfish , which is why many of them have goldfish painted on the inside. I would like to use mine as it was traditionally meant to be used...but filtering presents a dilemma since I would like to do something which is concealed and does not show cords etc. ?undergravel with airstone? plenum? any ideas....or just very frequent water changing as probably was done in china long ago??? here are pics. Since it is ceramic, I guess it is possible to drill it with masonary bits? Any ideas equipment gurus? thanks

 

[cowfishrule]

dont drill it!
just go with goldfish and make water changes.
or, better yet, dont use it as a fish bowl

 

[sleasia]

What about just doing a "plenum" idea, and frequent water changes with ph adjusted r/o....I plan on having only two goldfish, probably fantails or orandas. I think I would avoid drilling at all cost...because drilling ceramic is a pain and the risk of cracking and chipping is high..

 

[sharkbait9]

If it’s not an antique, I say drill it with a roto zip or dremel, with a tile bit. You have to wonder they are made out of ceramic or clay. If a roto zip and the right bit can do a fish tank why not a vase. Put a filter fountain in the middle with some glass marbles as a bottom and place some aquarium silicon around or a bulk head fitting. No offense but I see these big vases at walmart and home depot all the time. What ever your choice is keep the thread going with pics and the way you do it. Could be interesting.

 

[sleasia]

sharkbait9...this is definately not an antique, especially since I have seen 5 million with the same exact pattern....the fountain sounds good. I was wondering if there are any self contained maybe battery run pumps for circulation?

 

[sharkbait9]

No unfortunately I have not seen a battery powered unit. Plus think about how good could that possibly be. A its battery powered, B open and closing to replace batteries, the seals would go in no time. C The expense on batteries would be thru the roof. D Even if you were to get rechargeable batteries what a pain in the gluteus maximums that would be to keep taking batteries out charging replacing, cause we all know how well they hold and keep a charge. The ones that I have seen also in home depot have a power cord and little tube that evacuates water at the top in an umbrella type pattern, how cool would that look. How about adding that “colored tear drop light, for a colorful effect on the umbrella effect. So the vase you have is mass produced then go and drill a hole and pack that hole with a silicone on the bottom or back side and have at it. Then the only thing you have to worry about is changing the filter pad. Good luck with what ever you choose.

 

[fiji_blue]

I am just curious, how are you going to cycle this?

 

[turningtim]

Why not drill the bottom (diamond bits) put in a bulkhead. Have a stand pipe for the drain mount a small PH under it and return in the side with a small waterfall or fountain effect. Use a submersible light........
NO cords, black Bulkhead and a black pc of pvc.
Just a thought
Tim

 

[sleasia]

thanks sharkbait...i'll check out the home depot pumps tomarrow. I think I have seen what you are describing in their garden pond section...and see what kind of hole needs to be drilled. fiji blue, probably I can cycle this with some freshwater bio spira and plain old fish food, and keep it running for a few weeks before adding the fish. If I need to drill, I will get a smaller pot and practice on that first to be sure it won't shatter.

 

[mythrenody]

This sounds like an awsome project! Post some pics as you gor through the steps!

 

[sleasia]

turning tim...thats along the lines I was thinking if I can not find a premade thing like sharkbait described. I'm thinking I can do as you said and even have the return threaded up through the drain. two things i did not think about was the possibility of bad stuff leaching into the water from the glaze on the pot, and also whether the current fancy wood stand will hold up under the weight of the pot + water. so I will have to test this out first before drilling. Is this something like what you are thinking?

 

[turningtim]

Yup, but after thinking about it, wouldn't you want the surface to be as calm as possible to be able to see the fish? Thats kinda why I was thinking return somehow on the side? But the way you have it looks pretty cool!
As far as the glaze harming anything, I wonder but it would seem to me that the pot has been fired to umpteen thousand degrees F and I don't think its legal to use lead in pottery anymore.
I wouldn't take a chance on that stand. I think you need something a little more stable....
Very Cool project
Keep us updated
HTH
Tim

 

[sharkbait9]

I believe if I’m not mistaken, all pottery paint, stain and clear coat, are lead and chemical free unless stated on the vase, bowl, dish, plate yada yada yada., “this product is not intended to be used with food or liquids” I would say it’s a safe bet to use.

 

[sleasia]

I think the stand can be used if i reinforce it a bit with screws, because of the physics of it.
look...I will need to drill and screw the lower ring to the feet since right now it looks like it is either glued, or possibly doweled, but probably just glued. I went to home depot and they do have alot of smallish pond filters with spouts. You are right that a central fountain spout will disturb viewing and it should be redirected to the side probably. I don't know if I should drill the bottom and put in a stand pipe and have the filter in a small sump under the pot, or whether I should let the pump remain in the pot in a false bottom built up with egg crate and covered with gravel. either way I will probably have to drill in order to provide an inconspicuous exit for the pump cord.

 

[sleasia]

Also I think the glaze is probably not such an issue for freshwater. In the old days aquarium ornaments were mostly ceramic, before resin became popular.

 

[sleasia]

Well here is where I am with this. I have a pump, exactly what sharkbait has described. these pumps can be flow adjusted with a built in valve, so you can have large to small umbrellas. I have a drill bit for tile and will attempt to drill a 1" hole in the bottom center tomarrow for a bulk head. I'm planning on doing a standing drain and will initially try the pump umbrella return up through the stand drain to cut down on stuff in the bowl. If it messes up the water surface too much i will try a side return. If I can cut the hole and fit a bulkhead, this is should be cake. I will rig up a small reservoire or sump right under the pot, in an inconspicuous manner to hold the pump and allow for drain water to be recirculated. I might even be able to find a smaller version of the same pot to house directly underneath it for the sump. this will allow the pumps cord to have a low exit point.

 

[sleasia]

Here's an update on the progress of this chinese fish bowl project. A nice granite company drilled the hole for me free!!!(so I tipped them alot). I know its cheating pulling the damsel in distress thing, but sometimes you just have to.... So I had the hole drilled and put in the 1" bulkhead , then I cut slots into the end of a 1" pvc, and pvc cemented it into the bulkhead. I found a handy end cap in the grocery store, probably a sink strainer. which fits nicely....

 

[sleasia]

Then I thought about the issue of the return, and how it is probably better not to agitate the surface too much or viewing will be messed up....so I decided to have the return come back into an "undergravel" filter to provide a "reverse" undergravel filter...this will provide a bit more filter power, and the return will not agitate the surface too much...and then to be sure I am oxygenating the water sufficiently I can always put an airstone into the filter "sump" which will sit under the pot stand. so here is how I made a false bottom for the undergravel part. Its made out of scrap eggcrate tied with cable ties and covered with nylon screen

 

[sleasia]

the undergravel sits on pvc pipes notched so water can circulate through them and tied with cable ties so they do not drift apart too much. then I drilled a hole in the standing drain to allow the return line to come into the pot lower down out of view and enter under the undergravel plate.

 

[sleasia]

then the plate goes on top of this