2500 Gal Tank Build.

D

diver27

New member
Hey everyone,
My names Jacob and I'm new to reefcentral. I am somewhat a newbie to all of this but I have big hopes and dreams. I've been an aquarist for about 3 years now but only freshwater. I have a 55 gal African Chiclid Tank and my starter tank still which is a 10 gal Molly tank.

I am looking to switch over to saltwater and and have a "dream aquarium".
My plan is to have a tank that will be 14ft long, 6ft wide, and 4ft deep. That's about 2,513 gal for just the display tank. I truly understand the difficulties and the magnitude of the build, and that's why I am planning on about 5 years of planning and preperation and experience. I will be doing my research and learning and talking to the experts all along the way so I can gather as much knowledge as possible.
I will be getting a 25 gal salt water tank in the next week or two to start my journey.

I guess I am writing this thread to get out the message of the monster build and plan it right. So any questions comments or concerns would be really appreciated as it will raise my awareness to not only big areas of concentration like problems with the weight of the aquarium, the lighting intensity, the filtration and nitrogen cycle, to name a few of my bigger concerns right off the bat; to some of the smaller details no1 should over look like the depth of the sand, creating caves and habitats for the fishes and proper invertebrates for the tank , or different brands of the hardware and materials or the style of hardware like the difference between metal halide lamps vs. Triphosphor fluorescent tubes.


My big qestions right now are
what brands are better than others?
Simple rules of thumbs to base research off like sump size for display tank size?
The do's and don'ts for a build of any size?
What are the areas to concentrate on the most? Types of filtration or what?


Like I said I have experience and want to take it farther. I am starting from scratch on the saltwater side of things but I have big dreams and would truly appreciate any help what-so-ever so I can start this hobby on the right foot.
 
Being as you want to get into larger aquariums, I would reccomend a larger tank to begin with, more along the lines of 75g-120g. The water parameters will stay a bit more constant and it will be easier to maintain than a smaller tank
 
2500 Gal Tank Build.

It too big of a jump imo
If you dont have experience with big tank i would suggest to start with 300 gallons first as there are a lot of learning mistake you will encounter. And to do it right you are looking at the minimum of 100k
 
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Thanks for the info on the starter saltwater tank. Any peticular brands of filters, lighting, ect... That I should be looking into (better than others). Also with a 300 gal tank what size sump should I have I was thinkin of a 50-75 gal. Too much or too little?
 
For the starter 300 gal I'm hoping no more 1000 for now. And the big build money isn't really an issue but I was thinking it would be more along the lines of 50k to 75k.

Another question just popped up as I'm researching. What is the difference between a protein skimmer and a tide pond? Is it just sheer size or am I not quite understanding?
 
If you are looking to stay around 1k, you will prob have to stay around the 75g size, as the 300g size tank will run you more than your budget.

I would keep your eyes out for used equipment - lights, skimmer, pumps, and then plan on using a 40 breeder as a sump and build your own stand. Don't be afraid to buy quality used equipment as opposed to new lesser quality product
 
If you can afford 2500g I would recommend you do so. You are talking $10k to $20k but more water is always safer, more forgiving than less water. If you do not have that kind of budget then go with a smaller tank...300g is a wonderful tank. Neptune Apex; Echotech (though that will start a discussion); Reeflo (I could not afford Dolphin or Red Dragon); LifeReef Skimmer (I'll stand by this :strooper:), high quality plumbing and valves; Halides, T5s, or LEDs (again, lots of discussion). If you can afford new your better off but I've bought a lot of my equipment used and have never regretted going that route: the folks on ReefCentral are great to work with. Use as big a sump as you can fit under your tank with lots of flow--I have 140g under a 600g DT. I like Bulk Reef and Live Aquaria.

I hope you follow through on your project. Looking forward to pics and updates. :beachbum:
 
My question for someone starting out is always: What books are you using? This stuff is far too complicated to get everything from scattered on-line articles which are never complete or from forum chatter which is not necessarily correct.

Dave.M
 
I think we need to direct this guy to some of the quality large tank threads here. What do you recommend Dave M? Nineball and Ching Chai?
 
My 2 cents...

Their is a point at which a large tank is not as enjoyable as a "smaller" setup. Personally, I wouldn't want anything larger than probably a 500-600gal display. I have a 210gal display now and if I had the room I would easily double it and would likely find it just as easy to take care of...
 
?? Waiting...give us a reading list. I would like to know what you have found that is particularly helpful to large systems in addition ot Mr. Saltwater Tank. Thanks in advance. :bdaysmile:
 
HAHA! I was asking you....:lmao:
Yeah, Mark Callahan has a way of keeping things real. He should have his Christmas sale running in the next few weeks.
 
I hope you accomplish your dream. My advice is to not rush. I don't have the means for that large a system, but I am 2 years into a 5 year plan to reach 1500 gallons in a multitank system. I hope it works out and that we get to see it come together!
 
I don't think you can realistically go from a 75g then jump to a 2500g. You need to become an expert before dropping $100k on a set up and maintaining a 75g just won't cut it IMO. Have you considered to cost of the upkeep alone on a tank that size? You'll spend a fortune in salt alone.

Start with the largest tank you can afford right now, you say money is no object for the 2500g so spend the money right now on a larger tank 210, 300 etc. I'd hate to see you drop that kind of coin to find out you don't LOVE the saltwater hobby. So first things first, set up a 210g and see how it goes.
 
Just to give you a ballpark I have about 550g of total volume and it cost close to 30k and I did the whole setup my self. my monthly costs to run is about $150-$200/month.

Now to do a 2500g + sump properly it will run you close to $100,000 as stated above and depending where you live about $500/month to run (salt, electricity, food, and replacement parts).

Then don't forget you will have to fill the tank with fish and corals, which depending what you go with will be another 5-10k.

It is a big investment for someone who has not had a salt water tank before. If the money is really not an issue than if it does not work out after a year you sell everything off for about 20% of your initial investment and move on to something else.

All that being said if you are paying someone to do the setup and upkeep than your risks will be reduced. Also, automate as much as you can as if it is too much work it will feel more like a job than a hobby.

I wish you luck and I hope it works out well for you in the end. When done right it is amazing and a great hobby.
 
Lavoisier said:
If you can afford 2500g I would recommend you do so. You are talking $10k to $20k but more water is always safer, more forgiving than less water. If you do not have that kind of budget then go with a smaller tank...300g is a wonderful tank. Neptune Apex; Echotech (though that will start a discussion); Reeflo (I could not afford Dolphin or Red Dragon); LifeReef Skimmer (I'll stand by this :strooper:), high quality plumbing and valves; Halides, T5s, or LEDs (again, lots of discussion). If you can afford new your better off but I've bought a lot of my equipment used and have never regretted going that route: the folks on ReefCentral are great to work with. Use as big a sump as you can fit under your tank with lots of flow--I have 140g under a 600g DT. I like Bulk Reef and Live Aquaria.

I hope you follow through on your project. Looking forward to pics and updates. :beachbum:
Click to expand...

$10k to $20k would cover the tank only, maybe. Once you factor in cabinetry, plumbing and equipment (before even considering livestock) you're looking at a minimum of $50k, I would think.
 
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