Building Large 785 g 14 ft wide tank - need advice.

I did some quick math and I can only guess a tank of that size in acrylic will weigh around the one ton mark- or slightly less/more. Forklift.

Filled you're looking at close to 4 tons- not including a sump. You realize you're also looking at a custom made steel stand and a mandatory concrete foundation right?

If it is able to be shipped, I can only guess you're probably in the $4000.-$6000. arena when you factor in the crating.
 
I sent him the info. You might be right but I got a quote from a tank from LeeMar for a 12 ft tank and it was around $12,000 for a 12 ft wide x 36" tall x 30" deep. I have heard that Leemar builds great quality tanks. I'm ok with spending 40k on the project but don't want to spend 40k on the tank alone. Acrylic Aquariums looks to be a very reputable company with great recommendations and reviews but hopefully James has some great insight and if he's in the ballpark then I'll have him build it for sure. Does 25k on equipment seem reasonable for a tank this large?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15757814#post15757814 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by InsaneClownFish
I did some quick math and I can only guess a tank of that size in acrylic will weigh around the one ton mark- or slightly less/more. Forklift.

Filled you're looking at close to 4 tons- not including a sump. You realize you're also looking at a custom made steel stand and a mandatory concrete foundation right?

If it is able to be shipped, I can only guess you're probably in the $4000.-$6000. arena when you factor in the crating.
Click to expand...


Yes it will be a professionally framed steel stand. The back goes into my air conditioned garage and that is where the stand will be built and framed with 2x6 construction, insulated and sheetrocked to match the rest of my garage. This will be built on the concrete slab of my garage so there shouldn't be any issues there. I already have the water line and drain ran to the area of the tank. If this size is wayyyyy too big then I'll tone it down to a 10 ft wide tank x 30" tall x 30" deep which would be 457 gallons. Maybe this will be more manageable but I really wanted atleast 12 ft wide. The wall can handle 14 ft so it's like why pay all this money for 10 or 12 ft when I can pay more and get the biggest size possible.
 
It sounds like you're on the right track. I think folks here are just trying to prepare you for what you're in for. My estimation for the 14 footer might be a touch high- we just want you to be prepared for the sticker shock. ;)

LeeMar has a decent reputation, but James is the best. I also think you're going to find a significant difference in price going from the 12 footer to the 14 footer.

Out of curiousity, what thickness Acrylic did Acrylic Aquariums and LeeMar quote you respectively?

I think Nanook's numbers are right on for what you can expect to pay for the setup- just to get you started.

Also keep in mind the cost of incidentals. You're easily looking at that + $4000.- $6000. a year on your electric bill to run a system of that magnitude, and that's ultra conservative depending on your area.
 
Ok. If your not going to maintain this tank yourself and you do care to learn how. You just want to enjoy the tank and let the company do all of the maintenance. Then,why are you asking us what should you do or is this right or wrong. If, you got the money just build it the way you want it and let the maintenance company deal with how to reach in a 36" tall tank. If I were you and had money like you I would just tell my workers "this is what I want, make it happen" and sit back, just snapping pics. You said that you wasn't going to learn this. Let's get this thing rolling. I want to see some pics.
 
Just wondering if you have found someone in your area to put your tank together and maintain the tank when you have it finished? JMO, I would go with a reef tank. Keep us updated with pics thru your project.
 
if i were u i would make tank taller and deeper. just so when ur in mood u can get into a wet suit jump into ur tank and swim with the fish its like havin an ocean in ur house. tats wat im plannin to do once i close escrow on my new house
 
as far as dimensions go i have a 30 inch deep tank and if i go larger, and who doesnt want to do that, i will have my next tank be 36 inches deep. but it will be 60 inches wide. depth gives the tank another dimension that is hard to beat. i agree with everyone who is asking you to do more research. we all want you to succeed with this project. your first decision should be, cost allowing approximate tank dimensions. then you need to work up a rough stock list, knowing what types and how many things you want to keep in the tank will largely drive the type of equipment that is needed to keep it running smoothly. just remember most people have a hard time not getting just one more fish, or starting to try a few corals. my experience with tanks over the last 30 years is that if something can go wrong it will, so planning for contingencies is essential. just in case you didnt get what people were saying about the sumps listed, my 300 gallon tank has a 120 gallon sump. the larger the tank the bigger the sump needs to be to hold any water that will flow out if there is a power outage. at your stated size your tank will contain a bit over 20 gallons of water per inch. that may well be enough to flood the small sumps. keep looking and asking questions, this is a great resource.
 
for me a tank this size i would go with glass. starfire glass tat is. at least for front panel since ur doin it for in wall.
 
Got the tank made out of acrylic from ATM. Starfire won't come in 14 ft lengths. The tank should be done in about a month and it should be pretty sweet.
 
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