I don't know how this fish tank works exactly, but from what I could understand, the tank on top that joins the adjacent tanks works as a vacuum. The result is that there are feeding holes in the side of the tank, and the water does not flow out. I could not wrap my mind around this technology, but it works.
The fish were swimming between the side tanks over the tunnel. The smarter fish would swim across to the side where we were giving them shrimp.
As you can see, the water stays within the half bowls that are affixed to the side of the tank.
You would think that the water would come gushing out, but it doesn't. In the words of Arthur C. Clarke, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from Magic.". Yup.
These are all fish that you can find off of the coast of Oita.
This guy got a little carried away and jumped out of the tank. He was delicious!
A brightly colored wrasse goes after some krill and misses. Not the most coordinated fish in the tank...
This rockfish was by far the most tenacious fish in the tank. He boxed out all of the other fish, until he had his fill.
The squirrel fish was a bit harder to lure out.
A trigger fish takes his time, and grazes on a shrimp buffet.
This is my favorite picture of the lot. Puffers, box fish, and cowfish all make me happy for some reason. They're such goofy fish, and tough to boot.
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Impossible Fish Tank
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Comments (18)
incredible!!! is that the same marine centre that houses the sunfish???
Posted by: slurp! | August 15, 2006 5:44 PM
Posted on: August 15, 2006 17:44
Yeah, this tank is in the Oita Marine Center, along with the sea turtles and sunfish. Definitely worth a visit if you travel through Oita.
Posted by: Adam | August 17, 2006 12:49 AM
Posted on: August 17, 2006 00:49
Me too, I love the puffers and square-bodied fish because they have such happy, goofy personalities!
I am so happy that puffers are small fish because after my pet puffer took a nip out of my finger, I had bad dreams of giant puffers coming after me in the ocean! What a bad way to go!
Posted by: YoMama | August 17, 2006 3:38 PM
Posted on: August 17, 2006 15:38
Cobgratulations, you have been Farked! Great photos and idea.
Meanwhile, the idea is not necessarily magical. By pulling a vacuum in the tank, they are reducing the pressure such that it is @ equal to the atmospheric pressure on the water in the half-bowls. As long as the pressure on either side of the water is equal, the water will have no reason to move, either way.
Posted by: CJrun | March 26, 2007 10:38 AM
Posted on: March 26, 2007 10:38
It's because there is no air above the water in the sealed tank, therefore the negative pressure it would create is keeping the water from flowing out of the holes in the side.
Posted by: Phil E. Drifter | March 26, 2007 10:57 AM
Posted on: March 26, 2007 10:57
It's the same technology that makes your boring office water cooler work, just taken to an extreme.
Posted by: a guy | March 26, 2007 3:48 PM
Posted on: March 26, 2007 15:48
The tank works through pretty simple physics - water sinks in air, and air rises through water. Since the holes in the tank are below water, air cannot enter them (we must assume the rest of the tank is air- and water-tight). You can do the same thing at home with a pint glass and a sink full of water. Let all the air out of the glass, and pull it upside down out of the water - you'll pull water up in it until the lip of the glass breaks the surface of the water in the sink.
Posted by: Monk | March 27, 2007 2:05 AM
Posted on: March 27, 2007 02:05
The reason the water doesn't come out is because the tanks are sealed at the top. Works the same as a barometer.
Posted by: Michael | March 27, 2007 2:11 AM
Posted on: March 27, 2007 02:11
I likesis the puffa fish x
Posted by: Weasel | March 27, 2007 7:30 PM
Posted on: March 27, 2007 19:30
What I'm curious about though is how did they fill it?
Posted by: Jon | March 27, 2007 10:07 PM
Posted on: March 27, 2007 22:07
have some fun, stick a straw half way in...
Posted by: Buddy | March 28, 2007 1:16 AM
Posted on: March 28, 2007 01:16
Yes, I'm curious about the filling of it, and maintenance... (for instance, someone has to go in the tank to clean it at some point)
Posted by: MC | March 28, 2007 2:21 AM
Posted on: March 28, 2007 02:21
All you need to do is seal the feeding holes and have a hatch at the top that is air-tight when it's closed...
~JW
Posted by: Anonymous | March 28, 2007 11:11 AM
Posted on: March 28, 2007 11:11
???What if the power goes out???
Posted by: Anonymous | March 30, 2007 1:43 AM
Posted on: March 30, 2007 01:43
I dunno...there sure is a lot of water on the floor in the second picture. I have a feeling "accidents" are common.
Posted by: Jimbo | March 30, 2007 3:38 AM
Posted on: March 30, 2007 03:38
Bring this to the Zoo so kids can pet the fish?
Posted by: staffrocket | April 9, 2007 6:05 AM
Posted on: April 9, 2007 06:05
i think that is a realy good idea nice.
Posted by: JOHN LYONS | April 24, 2007 11:04 PM
Posted on: April 24, 2007 23:04
What an amazing public aquarium
Posted by: Andrew | May 19, 2007 11:10 PM
Posted on: May 19, 2007 23:10