Underwater video enclosure

[KyleO]

I am looking for some ideas to mount underwater video cameras in my tank and am looking for some fake rock enclosures. It seems to me that I saw a few threads about stuff like this a few years back but am not able to find anything now.

Does anybody know where I can find suitable resin rocks or pre-made enclosures that will allow me to mount a few video cams inside my tank?

All other ideas welcome.............

[dogstar74]

The only problem I see with the camera underwater is the enclosure. Usually the housing is aluminum. I suppose you could fix a small plastic sticker on the lens, then dip the whole enclosure in that stuff used to coat pliers handles and such. Once it solidified, it should be water tight, then you could just cut around the sticker and peel off the lens to keep it clean.

As far as housings go, I would bet you could make your own pretty easily, with some concrete, foam, etc. Just check the DIY live rock threads, and include some type of pipe fitting that can be removed in the future and replaced with the camera. Shouldn't be too hard. Then you can throw the cement in the toilet tank to leach off the excess calcium and bring the pH back to where it should be, then after a couple of weeks into the sump they go to become real Live rocks.

Hope that helps.
Aaron

[KyleO]

Great ideas dogstar! Gives me a lot of ideas..........

[BeanAnimal]

How do you plan on keeping the lens clean?

[kcress]

My question too.

[Liquid Hobby]

Get a 'gopro' if it doesn't need to be wired for a live feed.

[Jeewilikers]

Get a 'gopro' if it doesn't need to be wired for a live feed.

Agreed, this is what I thought about as well.

[KyleO]

My question too.

Mine too ironically...........will be doing some experimenting

[KyleO]

Get a 'gopro' if it doesn't need to be wired for a live feed.

Very cool device...........but I am actually looking for something to allow me to place bullet cams inside the tank to get a "fish-eye" perspective.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

[dogstar74]

You could also house the camera in a small home built enclosure of acrylic. Actually seal the camera inside then silicone the heck out of where the cord comes out.

If you used bullet cameras, then a piece of 1.5 or 2 inch acrylic pipe cut about 3 inches in length with a flat piece glued to the front would suffice. Then make a hole out the back for the cord and fill in with resin or silicone so that no water gets in.

House that in a rock so that minimal light gets on the housing and that will definately lower the amount of cleaning that will need to be done to the viewing pane.

If you needed to clean it, just wipe it off with some felt, and if more aggressive cleaning was needed use one of those dish scrubbers that are plastic so it doesnt' scratch the acrylic.

I suppose the houseing and camera would be a finicky thing, and probably temporary, but it would be fun while it's going on.

I think it would be cool to have 4-6 of them in the tank at different places, and have them shown live on 4-6 TVs that are mounted on the wall around the tank like picture frames. Have some cool new wave type psycodellic music playing.

That would be awesome!
But above all, hide the hardware! It must look normal. You could even have one pointing directly out the front pane and show all the people who come to tap on the glass what they look like to the fish.

Cheers,
Aaron

[dogstar74]

Shouldn't be too hard to place one of these.

http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=14383+ST

http://www.mpja.com/images/14383.jpg

[KyleO]

Outstanding!!! Dogstar74 is da man! This is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I was stuck on attempting to come up with an enclosure that looks like a natural rock, either out of resin, ceramic or ???

With your idea it gets me to thinking about the approach that I should be hiding behind the natural rocks.

Thanks very much. I will be sure to post what I come up with!

[dogstar74]

Sweet.