I am a Broker/realtor who recently took a listing that has a custom made 1100 gallon salt water aquarium installed in the wall designed and built by Tenji Inc. I know nothing about it...other than the details that my seller has provided....I keep thinking there has got to be some way to market this amazing home with this special tank to someone who would truly appreciate it.....any ideas?? I will try to post a picture....any suggestions would be helpful....as this would be an exceptional addition for someone who would truly understand the value.....
1100 gallon Salt water tank
- Thread starter CindyB
- Start date
Here is the youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYzufKx64b8
Jesterrace
New member
Yikes. That's a heck of tank. The problem is that you would have to market it to either someone who has a great love for marine environments or someone who has money to burn in paying for someone to come take care of it. I take it the home is not "in the low rent district" given that it has that in it. As mentioned though you are going to have to target the right buyer as most don't have any desire to maintain that kind of a setup. It does give you some options for stocking with some tweaking. With a tank that large a person could either do a very large and active reef or if they want to get really crazy they could go with a small shark tank (ie cat sharks)
Thanks for your reply I was told the original idea was to have a shark and then it was to small for that....so we have this 
again new it is an amazing addition and cost OMG to much money just trying to find someone who can truly appreciate what it is and yes seller has someone come and take care of it right now
again new it is an amazing addition and cost OMG to much money just trying to find someone who can truly appreciate what it is and yes seller has someone come and take care of it right nowJesterrace
New member
Thanks for your reply I was told the original idea was to have a shark and then it was to small for that....so we have this
If it is indeed 1100 gallons then it is capable of holding the smaller sharks (just not the big open ocean free swimming "requiem sharks").
Sharks like these would work though:
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+41+290&pcatid=290
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1523/marbled-bamboo-cat-shark?pcatid=1523&c=15+41+1523
https://www.sharkandreef.com/epaulette-shark/
https://www.sharkandreef.com/horn-shark-heterodontus-francisci/
https://www.sharkandreef.com/marbled-cat-shark-15-18-inches/
https://www.sharkandreef.com/japanese-leopard-shark-banded-hound-shark/
https://www.sharkandreef.com/port-jackson-shark-heterodontus-portusjacksoni/
thanks for your reply...the only info I have is from seller and his assistant who said it took 18 months to build I know for sure my seller clearly never thought he would leave which is why he spent so much money on this clearly over the top improvement.....my goal is to find someone who can appreciate it and afford it
Bent
I got nothin'
I love aquariums, I’m not afraid of large projects, I’ve always wanted a huge tank.
Even with all of that, there’s no way on earth I would buy an 1100 gallon tank. I can’t imagine a lay person would unless they just paid a small army to maintain it.
I’d honestly just tell the client to take it down. Hard truth.
Even with all of that, there’s no way on earth I would buy an 1100 gallon tank. I can’t imagine a lay person would unless they just paid a small army to maintain it.
I’d honestly just tell the client to take it down. Hard truth.
FullBoreReefer
New member
My exact response as well.
Even the "average" person thinks a 55gal tank is big. I want a big tank, and to me, a big tank that is big enough is under 300gal.
Have owner tear the system down and part the equipment out. Refinish the wall and the adjoining room....now able to list and sell to anyone.
I'll be listing my home this coming summer. I have a custom 90gal inwall. I'll be removing and repairing the wall before I even list my home.
Bent
I got nothin'
Same here.
We listed our house with my little 75g and basement sump. All the plumbing is run through the wall. I had the realtor tell people that if they wanted the system it would stay, if they didn't want it I would take it down and fix everything before selling.
Everyone that saw the house wanted to know what we were going to do with all those "œhuge fish tanks" and were afraid of "œall the work to fix the wall"...and it's all just drywall.
The average person just doesn't understand a whole heck of a lot. Their view is limited to exactly what's in front of them, no more no less.. Sad to say.
I disagree guys. You're all acting like this were you or I who owned and needed to sell this house to a guy like, well, you or I. That's not happening. I do a lot of work for builders and owners of homes in the Hamptons - this looks like a house for that kind of buyer, knowing SF areal estate market, so the work involved with this tank won't even register because they won't be doing it. Don't take out the tank, not yet. I would get/find out the monthly maintenance cost using local service. I would also have your guy get an estimate from a contractor for yanking the thing out. When a prospective buyer asks you say "œno work involved, $x to maintain/mos., though seller is willing to remove it if buyer doesn't want it." Most buyers in this range won't blink, and I think most dudes like the idea, if not the reality, of a home aquarium. I also think if they have kids . . .
Don't get me wrong, I don't think you'll get anyone to pay value - or anything close to value - for it (I.e. he's not getting his money out) but if he wants to avoid hassle or removing it I think you leave it in and take a shot. This is like a swimming pool, or a wet bar - a must for some, and PITA for others. I was in the latter category a few years ago - I looked at houses w pools but didn't put added value on a property that had one; other people would jump at it. I think that's your situation.
Plus if I were showing a house, I like the "œowner planned to stay long term and dumped $$$ into house" line, tells a buyer that seller wasn't skimping on anything. Telling them what he paid to make custom reef tank is a big illustration of that.
Plus don't you have all those Tech nerds with money in SF? That's all the reefkeepers on this website are!
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Don't get me wrong, I don't think you'll get anyone to pay value - or anything close to value - for it (I.e. he's not getting his money out) but if he wants to avoid hassle or removing it I think you leave it in and take a shot. This is like a swimming pool, or a wet bar - a must for some, and PITA for others. I was in the latter category a few years ago - I looked at houses w pools but didn't put added value on a property that had one; other people would jump at it. I think that's your situation.
Plus if I were showing a house, I like the "œowner planned to stay long term and dumped $$$ into house" line, tells a buyer that seller wasn't skimping on anything. Telling them what he paid to make custom reef tank is a big illustration of that.
Plus don't you have all those Tech nerds with money in SF? That's all the reefkeepers on this website are!
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sde1500
Active member
Not to nit pick, but it kinda feels like you are assuming everyone participating in this conversation can't afford the house lol. Maybe that is true, but there are also plenty on here with tanks as big or bigger than this one.
It is a good suggestion, getting a quote for a maintenance contract. Actually sounds like one is already involved for the current owner. But, I'd still be willing to bet money 99% of perspective buyers of that house would want the tank out. People are right when they are saying here a small tank to us is huge to non-hobbyists. People are blown away at how big my 65 gallon tank is and I consider it medium at best. I commend Cindy for wanting to find someone who loves fish as a buyer, but that is likely heavily limiting the market for the house.
DivingTheWorld
Active member
Yeah, it's actually not an abnormal price for a home of that size in the Bay Area. I'd say it's going to be very tricky selling to a buyer of a house at that price with such a large maintenance item included. I'd recommend removal prior to sale. If it were in the $10-20M range, I'd say a buyer wouldn't care as much about a "trivial" expense of that size, but at $2M, they'll care. It will greatly limit the buyer pool.
LauraGreenImp
New member
I dunno, y'all - hubs is one of those "˜tech nerds'. His co. would *pay* to get him closer (they're in sf, we're in tn) & I would hire a maintenance crew in a heartbeat. But he married me, all my fam is here, so he telecommutes. We tried sf once, loved the area, but I have 5 siblings... sigh
I think she should find the local reefer club in that area - there must be *one*, and put out feelers b4 the seller dismantles that gorgeous tank.
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I think she should find the local reefer club in that area - there must be *one*, and put out feelers b4 the seller dismantles that gorgeous tank.
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Valentini89
New member
We just paid $200 for 2 people to completely set up my new 150 tall, including scaping and they said they charge $180 to come out twice a month and service the tank, answer any questions, test water, make any adjustments, etc.. that's for a 150 GALLON. I can't imagine what they charge for an 1100 Gallon.
Thank you all for your thoughts ideas and comments. Yes he has a service that takes care of the tank...but I will indeed get a copy of what that costs per month as you are right that will be good information to have. I have held this home open the past couple of weekends and I had people show up that seen it online just to come and look at the tank, it is pretty spectacular. I have not had one person walk in there and say anything negative about it but it truly is a one of a kind improvement for sure.... and I am so hoping I find that one buyer that will appreciate it. It would really be a shame to take it out for sure.....
I'm in SF...maybe in a few years I could afford a home like this. I personally am not a huge fan of the aquarium placement, seems an odd height.
Also, I was doing some rough math and I'm not sure this aquarium is close to 1100 gallons, but it all depends on the depth and height.
Let's take the first obvious dimension, the width. That couch is at best 10' feet long, which roughly matches the aquarium length, so let's say the tank is 12' long.
I'm going to say based on proportions, that the tank height is 30". The depth is the only real unknown and hard to tell...but let's say for sake of my argument it is 36".
(144*30*36)/231 = I come up with 670 gallons.
That tank would need to be 12' long by 4' deep by 3' feet tall to be 1,073 gallons. A 4' deep tank is absolutely nuts!
Also - I work with a BUNCH of tech nerds (I'm in hardware sales), and most of them look at me sideways when I talk about my passion for reef keeping. I've grown up here in the Bay Area and very few understand this hobby...
-Mark
Also, I was doing some rough math and I'm not sure this aquarium is close to 1100 gallons, but it all depends on the depth and height.
Let's take the first obvious dimension, the width. That couch is at best 10' feet long, which roughly matches the aquarium length, so let's say the tank is 12' long.
I'm going to say based on proportions, that the tank height is 30". The depth is the only real unknown and hard to tell...but let's say for sake of my argument it is 36".
(144*30*36)/231 = I come up with 670 gallons.
That tank would need to be 12' long by 4' deep by 3' feet tall to be 1,073 gallons. A 4' deep tank is absolutely nuts!
Also - I work with a BUNCH of tech nerds (I'm in hardware sales), and most of them look at me sideways when I talk about my passion for reef keeping. I've grown up here in the Bay Area and very few understand this hobby...
-Mark
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Bent
I got nothin'
I'm sorry i opened my mouth my lord, I'll go back to my fallowed land with the rest of the serfs.
The pictures are a little deceiving the rest of this is on the back side that you can't see
In person it actually looks pretty great
The pictures are a little deceiving the rest of this is on the back side that you can't see
In person it actually looks pretty great....I have all of the specs and plans it is that big..
This is viewable from the other side as well? That would be slick and a better design.
So, you're confirming this is tank is 144" wide x 48" deep x 36" tall?
-Mark
