Endless stream fish tank

Abstract

An endless flow fish tank, which occupies relatively little space, yet allows instinctively swimming fish to swim comfortably. Aerated water is pumped in one direction through a swim chamber, and water returns through a space between inner and outer container, through return flow piping, or through a second swim chamber which also serves as a return flow chamber.

1 . An endless flow fish tank comprising:
 at least one generally elongate chamber, with one end of the chamber configured as an inlet and the other end of the chamber configured as an outlet,   at least one pump for pumping water through said chamber,   wherein said pump and chamber are configured such that water flowing in said elongate chamber flows in a single direction of flow.   
   
   
       2 . The endless flow fish tank according to  claim 1 , said endless flow fish tank comprising:
 a generally elongate container having a bottom, side walls and end walls, the side walls having a greater length than the end walls,   a dividing wall extending generally parallel to the side walls, dividing the elongate container into first and second elongate swimming channels, with a flow-through area proximate to each end wall, and   a pump having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet extending through an anti-backflow partition in said first elongate swimming channel,   wherein said pump is provided to pump water in said endless flow fish tank through said anti-backflow partition, causing water to flow in a first direction through said first elongate swimming channel, in the opposite direction in said second elongate swimming channel, and back into the pump inlet.   
   
   
       3 . The endless flow fish tank of  claim 2 , wherein said pump is located inside said fish tank. 
   
   
       4 . The endless flow fish tank of  claim 2 , wherein said side walls transition to said end walls via a curve. 
   
   
       5 . An endless flow fish tank or live well configuration ( 100 ), comprising:
 a longitudinally elongate outer container ( 40 );   a longitudinally elongate inner container ( 30 ) having a depth that is less than said longitudinally elongate outer container, positioned within the outer container ( 40 ), wherein the space inside the inner container defines a fish chamber, wherein the space between the inner container and outer container, defined by the difference in depths of said inner and outer containers, forms a flow return chamber, said fish chamber having an upstream end ( 31 ) with at least one flow inlet ( 32 ) and a downstream end ( 33 ) with at least one flow outlet ( 34 ), wherein said upstream end and said downstream end are on longitudinally opposite ends of said inner container; and   a pump ( 20 ) located inside the outer container ( 40 ) but outside the inner container ( 30 ) with a pump outlet fluidly connected to the fish chamber inlet ( 32 ) and a pump inlet fluidly connected to the fish chamber outlet.   
   
   
       6 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , wherein side walls and a bottom of the inner container extend between the upstream and downstream ends of said inner container, and wherein said side walls and bottom are water-tight. 
   
   
       7 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , further comprising a tank lid ( 10 ) for closing the fish tank or live well during normal operating condition. 
   
   
       8 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 7 , wherein the tank lid ( 10 ) is pivotably connected to one side of the outer container. 
   
   
       9 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , wherein said outer container is provided with an access opening adapted for servicing said pump, and wherein said access opening is provided with a threaded pump lid ( 22 ) for closing the access opening. 
   
   
       10 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , wherein the outer container ( 40 ) has at least one corrugated wall ( 42 ). 
   
   
       11 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , further comprising means for adjusting the speed of the pump to accommodate the natural swimming speeds of the type of fish contained within the inner container. 
   
   
       12 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , wherein the bottom of the inner container ( 30 ) is formed as a semi-circular shape. 
   
   
       13 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 12 , wherein a bottom of the outer container ( 40 ) is formed as a semi-circular shape. 
   
   
       14 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 6 , wherein the volume of the space between the inner and outer containers ( 30 ,  40 ) is less than the volume of the inner container. 
   
   
       15 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 5 , further comprising means for aeration, said means comprising a means for metering air or oxygen introduced via venturi or pressure. 
   
   
       16 . A unidirectional flow fish tank or live well configuration ( 200 ), comprising:
 a longitudinally elongate outer container ( 40 );   first and second longitudinally elongate inner containers ( 130 ) positioned within the outer container ( 40 ), wherein the space inside the inner containers defines fish chambers, the respective fish chambers having an upstream end ( 31 ) with at least one flow inlet ( 32 ) and a downstream end ( 33 ) with at least one flow outlet ( 34 ), wherein said upstream ends and said downstream ends are on longitudinally opposite ends of said fish chambers; and   at least one pump ( 120 ,  120 ′) with a pump outlet fluidly connected to the fish chamber inlets ( 32 ) and a pump inlet fluidly connected to the fish chamber outlet.   
   
   
       17 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second longitudinally elongate inner containers ( 130 ) have at least one corrugated side wall ( 132 ). 
   
   
       18 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 16 , further comprising means for adjusting the speed of the pump(s). 
   
   
       19 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one pump includes an upstream pump ( 120 ) and a downstream pump ( 120 ′), and wherein aeration occurs by metering gasses between said upstream and downstream pumps. 
   
   
       20 . The fish tank or live well configuration of  claim 16 , wherein the downstream pump ( 120 ′) can be bypassed. 
   
   
       21 . A unidirectional flow fish tank or live well configuration ( 100 ), comprising:
 a longitudinally elongate outer container ( 40 );   a longitudinally elongate inner container ( 30 ) positioned within the outer container ( 40 ), wherein the space inside the inner container defines a fish chamber, the fish chamber having an upstream end ( 31 ) with at least one flow inlet ( 32 ) and a downstream end ( 33 ) with at least one flow outlet ( 34 );   a pump ( 20 ) with an outlet fluidly connected via piping to the fish chamber inlet ( 32 ) and fluidly connected via piping to the fish chamber outlet.