adding radious to tank corners for large fish

[platax88]

So ive decided to change directions a bit in the hobby after almost 20 years of reefkeeping and finally pursue what actually got me into the hobby which is the beauty of an adult emperor angel and the large make naso tang. I currently have a 180 and that wont cut it... it is very important for me to provide appropriate long term homes for my fish... so after watching a 10" naso it is obvious that this guy wants to swim and not stop. Imo it looks unnatural setting one swim the slab off an aquarium then have to turn around.... the solution is simple. The ideal tank is a large cylindrical where he would be able to swim non-stop..... the problem is that they are super expensive and I have looked and looked for used ones which will still be out of my price range.... so here is where I need your opinion.

I have sourced a 48 x 48 tank with slim center overflow. Now if I where to add a curved acrylic panel (think of an inverted corner overflow) to the corners this would mimic a cylindrical shape and allow for large gyre flow. Do u think doing this will promote the naso to swim the entire tank around the overflow instead of wanting to switch direction as you see in rectangular tanks.

I have seen this done for sharks so they dont get stuck in corners but have no idea how it would work for a large naso.

The next question is how much of a curve is necessary so I am not wasting too much space.

I know this is kinda of a weird scenario... any help is appreciated!

 

[dave.m]

I don't think a 48"x48" is nearly big enough once you start chopping off the corners. Really, isn't that just the same as saying you want a four feet diameter tank? Fish aren't that stupid that they won't recognize the same landmarks on the reef. Reef fish set their territories by such landmarks. Circular shark tanks work partly because there is no scenery or structure, just blue, blue, blue.

May I suggest another alternative? What if you continue to follow your shark tank analogy and make a larger circular tank that you have to look down into, or with one or two side windows? I'm thinking a pool maybe six or eight feet in diameter. That would give your fish the room to move that they want, provide you with a much greater reefkeeping experience, and the windows provide you multiple views without the whole tank having to be transparent glass or acrylic which is where the expense lies.

Dave.M

 

[platax88]

Hi thanks for your feedback. I failed to mention that the only structure will be some rock just to cover the center overflow, and add refuge for smaller fish. So they would have all the span of the 48" in all 4 directions. The radious I was thinking of was just slight enough to add curvature to the angles. So in theory there is no limitation of swimming space since the fish can choose to swim unobstructed. The gyre will also change flow directions throught the day.

Keep note that the only fish in consern is one largr naso. Alll other fish will be smaller.

I just think an "all around" tank at 48" is better than any 6 or 8' rectangle.


EDIT: I think this may clear somethings. The shape i am mimicking would be consider a double bullnose i think not a cylinder. Here are top-down views at different curvature

 

[o2manyfish]

You want to keep a 1+ foot long fish in a 240g tank. But you only want him to swim a couple of body lengths at a time.

While sharks and puffers cruise into corners, my tangs seem to swim around the tank no problem, so I think your theory of curving the corners is a waste of time and going to be a horrible viewing distraction.

Build an 8'x4' tank and only scape the center of the tank and he can swim around both sides of the tank

 

[Tremelle]

I have never had a problem with my angels and tangs in a tank with 90 degree corners.