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Ok here is the project that I am going to be looking at fullfilling over the next coming year. It will take that amount of time or longer due to the size of the project as well as the costs involved .

The tank I want to build is going to be 144" Long x 30" Wide x 36" Deep (12ft x 2½ft x 3ft) - that's about 675 US gallons when empty. Since I'd rather not have the tank drilled, I'm thinking of using tempered glass. Should I decide otherwise, I'll switch to plate glass. Until I speak to a glass supplier, I'm also not sure on the thickness either; unless someone here can tell me

The stand/base will be built from cinder blocks (breeze blocks for us Brits ) and 4x4's and plywood.

The filtration will consist of 2 undertank wet & dry self made sumps. They'll basicly be two 48" x 12" x 12" glass tanks with modifications. Since I'd like to avoid having the show tank being drilled, I'd like to find a way to bring the water from it to the sumps and back - any suggestions on this will be greatly appreciated Otherwise, I'll look at using 6 x HAGEN FLUVAL 405 canister filter's or whatever is equivalent out there at the time I've decided

The tank's occupant's will consist some fish, inverts and live rock.

I still also have more researching to do but have already got the materials for the stand; just waiting to get the room cleared out

Well, that's the project. Any questions, suggestions or advice you may have are always welcome.

Best regards,
D

Cody

WOW sounds expensive and fun...i bett that will be an amazing tank

COBettaCouple

whoa.. that'll be a great tank!

Peterpiper

Found this link that may help you with the glass thickness
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/aqu...customtank.htm
Thats a loooonnnnngggg tank! Did'nt know you could get glass in 14' lengths.
You need to take care when handling the long lengths so thay dont snap in half.. I would look at having the hole drilled for this size tank, as the flow rate required for this volume of water is huge. Best of luck with your tank.. Gee Im glad your doing the water changes..

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As far as I know getting 12ft lengths of glass is possible ... I know it was when I was living in England years ago. I would assume here in the US it is also possible too - I'll find out soon enough .

Yeah, I intend to be really careful so they don't snap; thankfully there will only be 3 pieces at that length

If I do end up having holes drilled in it, they'll be done at the back of the tank instead of the bottom.

And for the glass thickness link.

Regards,
D

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From that article, I was able to download a program that tells me I'd need 25mm thick glass. I might go for 30mm. All of that and the length of the glass will be confirmed when I chat with some glass suppliers.

Regards,
D

Peterpiper

Can you make the front glass from iron free glass, as iron free does not have that green tinge, it costs more but if you are going to 30mm you may start to see the green in the glass

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Well I've come across a website (by fluke) that does have a glass called "Starfire Glass" and from the looks of it, the green in the glass won't be seen.

So if I'm to avoid the green, I may have to purchase the tank already made - unless a glass supply company can sell it to me.

Also, if I have to buy one, I might look at getting an acrylic one. The same company also offers a scratch resistant tank as an upgrade.

The site by the way is:
http://www.artaquatics.com

Regards,
D

rwood

I don't know if it actually is starfire glass that I'm thinking about but it sounds very familiar. But anyway - if it is starfire then it would be worth getting; apparently it's supposed to amplify the light and make the tank much brighter and the glass much clearer.

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Wow, I have so much knowledge to catch up on it's unbelievable Looks like I may go the acrylic route for the tank - which, by the way, will be a reef setup with carefully selected fish.

Since I don't want a BBT, I'll be putting an even layer of 1" of live sand.

Some areas of research I'll have to engage in include filtration, sumps, refugiums as well as lighting.

Any recomendations on research will be of great help.

Regards,
D

Coryd55

You have'nt posted in a while. Any new news or are you still researching? Keep us updated man. Good luck with it. I hope you follow through on the plan.

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Mainly still researching filtration - particularly refugiums, type of tank (I'd still like it to be glass) and how to get it, lighting and then save up the money for it all. This big tank won't even be started until Feb or March 2008. I've already got the wife's blessing to have it, so at least that hurdle is done with

In the meantime, and as part of her conditions for letting me have such a tank, I'm setting up a 55g FW with the possibility of another 55g being given to me (for free) in about a week - heaven knows what I'll do with that I'm also trying to find a couple of types of moss which so far I can't find anywhere. Plus, I'm working on getting about 3 or 4 more 10g tanks for my Bettas, which is more of a priority at the moment.

On top of all that, the missus has started thinking about adding a room on to the house.

Amongst all that, my normal (if it can be called that) life has to fit in there somewhere;

Yes I will follow it through, it will just take time.

Rbacchiega

you could look at a FX5 canister filter (it's a suped up fluval) its sufficient for about 400 gallons, so that and maybe 3 405s. I'd imagine that'd be sufficient

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Nice suggestion there Rbacchiega.

If I did go with them, I'd probably get two of the FX5's and not bother with the 405's. The I'd place each one at each end of the tank.

Rbacchiega

yeah, they sound to me like they're excellent filters. A friend of mine uses one on his 220 gallon salt. I'm thinking about saving up and getting one for the 240 discus tank. The more filtration and water movement the better in my mind.

paswed

I can not wait t o see picutres of this I just built my stand and now I wish i could build something like this

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Trpimp147

http://www.txholeyrocks.com/home/ind...d=57&Itemid=46 try this site out i bought a rock from him vary cool guy. this is his tank he built him self and he has texas holey rock great for any type of fish really really good for cichlids.

paswed

could i use this rock for saltwater tank

Trpimp147

i wouldnt see why not it will hold alot of coral rock in them smaller holes and fish live in them alot

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paswed

i am glad you got your 55 gallon tank and for free way to go. I would sleep on it and then make a choice but if it was me I would start with the 55 gallon slatwater then move up that is what I did. I am in the same boat with you when it comes to room .so had to wait till the kids got some of thier stuff out and then hurry up and claim it for my new tank and stand that you help me build, picked up pictures today and will be uploading them sometime this weekend as I am packing up kids to go to grandma house now.

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You mean that MagpieTear helped you build I just gave the encouragement Oh and I am sure looking forward to seeing the pictures

I'd actually fix the 55g up as another freshwater tank instead of a saltwater one - maybe a cichlid tank - until I have the funds and space for the Big Marine; but a part of me would like to start putting the Big Marine tank together as it's been such a long time since I had saltwater fish;

If I'm going to do a SW tank I'd be much happier (and so will the wife) if it were the Big Marine instead of a 55g.

pistorta

I use the FX5 canister filter on a freshwater planted aquarium and have no complaints. Once pressure is applied, pump output is drastically reduced from their advertised flow rate, however, you can't beat the filter's volume capability for the amount of power it uses.

With regard to glass, it only allows approximately 80% (sounds hard to believe, I know) of light to penetrate compared to acrylic which is in the high 90th percentile. Extreme caution will have to be exercised when drilling (nearly impossible on tempered glass). I diamond bit (pricey) will have to be used and is only good for 1-2 holes.

I don't blame you for going with glass. A project that size in acrylic, my guess, would cost ~$4000.

Best of luck.

Coryd55

Go for the gold dude lol. Make the 12 ft. =). I just don't udnerstand how using parts of the 55 will make a 12ft long tank ?

Trpimp147

front and back and bottem are 48 inch each. 48x3=144/12=12ft. i would say go for the big one just make the front all glass and the rest plywood with a concreat base.

Coryd55

I just got an idea. i don't know if its been thought of already or not biut it eliminates having to get a really long piece of glass. Ok so get some decent sized glass pieces (30-50 inches.) Add it up and see how many you need to make twelve feet. Get the pieces. Line them up and silicone them together to make one giant piece of glass with little segments. Then take a piece of trim (Like for cheap counter edges/sides) and glue it where the seems are for aesthetic reasons. Just an idea might work, might not.

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Cory, have a look again at option A

Coryd55

Oh. lol my bad.

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No worries