doubleohwhat
New member
I meant to start a thread for my tank when construction began but unfortunately I just never got around to it. So this is a combined construction overview and "two years later" update. This thread is going to be a bit heavy on the images. I apologize to those on slower connections 
Almost exactly two years ago I purchased a townhome that was slated to begin construction a few weeks later. At the time I had a 60 gallon Solana tank that was designed to be placed flat against a wall. The tank was identical to this one other than the lighting (I retrofitted Ecoxotic Panorama units):
I loved that tank but due to the layout of the townhome, I couldn't find a place for it that wouldn't look like I just crammed it in. So I decided to take advantage of the new construction and build a custom tank that would blend into the home (more or less). I played with several ideas before I came across this photo somewhere online:
That would basically be my inspiration moving forward. The only issue was finding a place for the tank. Ultimately I made a decision that only an unmarried dude in his twenties could make... I decided to ditch the dining table and build the tank in a way that would act as a room divider (dividing the living and kitchen areas). I worked with the developer and contractor to add the aquarium and redesign the kitchen layout adding bar seating to (help) cover my butt on resale. I wish I had a photo of the expressions on their faces when I explained what I wanted to do!
Anyway, the design I came up with called for a sturdy wood stand with a brick facade that would connect to an existing brick wall. I provided the developer and contractor with packets detailing every square inch of the of the aquarium and the new layout. Included were images like this:
Even with over ten diagrams and adjusted blueprints (from the architect), the contractors still managed to make some errors that took the tank from its original intended size of 220 gallons down to 180. I honestly didn't feel like arguing and just decided to roll with it. A couple of weeks later and things were starting to take shape:
Wood Stand/Brick Facade
Tank arrives
The tank was ordered from Glass Cages. I went with them for the tank because they were the only tank manufacturer I could find that was willing to use 3/4" Starphire for the three viewing panels. All of the other companies I contacted insisted on going with thinner glass or acrylic. I was aware of the lower quality tanks that Glass Cages has a history of turning out and after receiving the tank, I can definitely confirm that this is not a total myth. The silicon work was a bit sloppy and I had to do some trimming with a knife. That said, the Starphire glass is flawless and the beefy 3/4" glass lets me sleep a bit better knowing I have 180 gallons of water in a eight foot rimless tank.
Lighting time!
As I mentioned earlier, my previous tank used Ecoxotic Panorama and I was definitely hooked on LEDs. However, this time I decided to go with AI Sol modules. Originally I installed four modules but as you'll see in the photos at the end of this thread, I added two more to help even out the coverage.
I didn't trust the tiny anchors that came with the AI Sol hanging kit. So I reinforced the anchors a bit. I later painted the metal the same color as the ceiling.
Almost exactly two years ago I purchased a townhome that was slated to begin construction a few weeks later. At the time I had a 60 gallon Solana tank that was designed to be placed flat against a wall. The tank was identical to this one other than the lighting (I retrofitted Ecoxotic Panorama units):
I loved that tank but due to the layout of the townhome, I couldn't find a place for it that wouldn't look like I just crammed it in. So I decided to take advantage of the new construction and build a custom tank that would blend into the home (more or less). I played with several ideas before I came across this photo somewhere online:
That would basically be my inspiration moving forward. The only issue was finding a place for the tank. Ultimately I made a decision that only an unmarried dude in his twenties could make... I decided to ditch the dining table and build the tank in a way that would act as a room divider (dividing the living and kitchen areas). I worked with the developer and contractor to add the aquarium and redesign the kitchen layout adding bar seating to (help) cover my butt on resale. I wish I had a photo of the expressions on their faces when I explained what I wanted to do!
Anyway, the design I came up with called for a sturdy wood stand with a brick facade that would connect to an existing brick wall. I provided the developer and contractor with packets detailing every square inch of the of the aquarium and the new layout. Included were images like this:
Even with over ten diagrams and adjusted blueprints (from the architect), the contractors still managed to make some errors that took the tank from its original intended size of 220 gallons down to 180. I honestly didn't feel like arguing and just decided to roll with it. A couple of weeks later and things were starting to take shape:
Wood Stand/Brick Facade
Tank arrives
The tank was ordered from Glass Cages. I went with them for the tank because they were the only tank manufacturer I could find that was willing to use 3/4" Starphire for the three viewing panels. All of the other companies I contacted insisted on going with thinner glass or acrylic. I was aware of the lower quality tanks that Glass Cages has a history of turning out and after receiving the tank, I can definitely confirm that this is not a total myth. The silicon work was a bit sloppy and I had to do some trimming with a knife. That said, the Starphire glass is flawless and the beefy 3/4" glass lets me sleep a bit better knowing I have 180 gallons of water in a eight foot rimless tank.
Lighting time!
As I mentioned earlier, my previous tank used Ecoxotic Panorama and I was definitely hooked on LEDs. However, this time I decided to go with AI Sol modules. Originally I installed four modules but as you'll see in the photos at the end of this thread, I added two more to help even out the coverage.
I didn't trust the tiny anchors that came with the AI Sol hanging kit. So I reinforced the anchors a bit. I later painted the metal the same color as the ceiling.
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