Custom Tall Plywood Aquarium Project

Hello Everyone!

I'm a newcomer to the scene and this is my first post. Glad to be here! So I just purchased my first home, and now I can begin to work on a centerpiece community aquarium in my living room. I have a "bookshelf nook" that I plan to use (a 29" x 39" corner nook) as the space for my aquarium. I'm making a custom built plywood aquarium that will be taller than it is wide (see rough draft pic). I've been doing extensive research on how to do this, so I think I'm pretty good on how to get it set up correctly (type of ply, thickness of glass, pump and filter, etc.), but if you would like to comment on those things, please feel free. My real question(s) though...

Do taller tanks have different exceptions to the rule on stocking? I've read numerous statements that basically say 1" of fish/gallon of water. My tank will be about 12o gallons. However since it is taller than it is wide, I wonder if I should take into account any factors when it comes to stocking fish...

I was considering 3-5 clown loaches, but I'm not sure if this build would be long enough for them. Thoughts?

Does having a taller tank open up more diversity and options for "leveling" the species preferred depth?

Thanks in advance for any advice thrown this way!

 

depth is good and its bad. Fish swim horizontal so size of fish is more determined by footprint and not gallons. The good it separates the bottom middle and top more alowing for some weird stocking by giving each more room. If that makes sense. A tank like yours I would try to stay with fish under 6-7 inches.

 

I wouldn't personally put clown loaches in this tank. It is less than three feet long, and a clown loach will get to be about a foot long. That gives the loach less than three of its own body lengths to swim before it is out of room and must turn. And loaches are pretty active swimmers in a group. A longer tank would suit them much better.

 

Don't follow the inch per gallon "rule". Theres almost nothing correct about it (it doesn't consider any of the needs of the fish, including swimming space, bio load etc. ). The dimensions of your plan also make the tank around 144 gallons, so you will also need to consider the weight of the aquarium, and how you will make a stand for it (unless you are putting it on the ground).
The dimensions for the tank will not provide full grown clown loaches with adequate swimming space, but should be great for fish that like more vertical swim room (angelfish etc. ) and smaller, more active fish.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. Yes, I thought that inch/gallon thing was way too vague myself, hence why I asked about it.

You also confirmed my suspicions that clown loaches would just not be a good fit for this tank due to their growth potential and providing a happy home to thrive in.

I would definitely be interested in hearing more of your thoughts on the stocking possibilities of a taller tank, and what that entails. That is something I have had trouble finding info about.

I'm getting a lot of my research for tank design and build from Joey the "DIY King." This tank will have a stand built for it, and my reinforced concrete floor can hold the weight as well. I will post a separate thread of my build later once I have actually started the build. Still in the R&D phase.

Thanks again for your time and suggestions!

 

Taller fish like angelfish would appreciate the space and could be quite majrstic having a group of those swimming about.
Also smaller schooling fish could make good use of the space as it won't be as 'tight' of a turn for them. With that size tank you can have several rather good sized schools of smaller fish. Really look into fish that school in the three different areas of the tank (top mide bottom) as the height of your tank will allows for plenty of space for small schoolers in each of these areas.
Bottom schoolers could be kuhlis or corys. Maybe even weather loaches given the size of the tank.
Angelfish would be good mid to top swimmers.
And then there's just so many choices in the world of small schoolers, it comes down to what you like and what else you may be putting in the tank and the parameters it will be at (like temp).

 

Your bulkhead plan really cuts into the longer footprint dimension on your tank. Have you considered running it across the other wall, or in the corner, instead? Having 37" vs 29" as your longest "swimming sprint" really would make a difference on your stocking options.

 

I hadn't really considered moving the bulkhead. I suppose I could reduce its footprint on the tank space. I will look into those possibilities. This tank would have two 1.5" durso standpipes/overflow, and one 1" water intake built into the bulkhead, as well a 1"drain. So Ithink it would be nice to have EASY access to those somehow, hence the bulkhead and "hidden" plumbing compartment. I'll have to think on that a bit.

Angelfish would look good in a taller tank. I really haven't put a lot of thought or time into fish breeds yet, but I do know that I would like a diverse little ecosystem from top to bottom with minimal territorial confrontations. At the moment, I imagine myself having some schools of 1.5-3" fish moving about different levels,and then either a small school of larger "center stage" fish, or a small number of larger "center stage" that will coexist.

Right now, my main concern is maximizing the space for my aquarium, and understanding how to benefit most from a taller tank since my space choices are limited in my living room.

Thanks again for your thoughts and insight!