Large Cube or Cylinder Idea!!!!

HOBrien

HOBrien

New member
I have been contemplating over the last several months if if I would do it as a cube or cylinder tank.

Can yall give me + and - for either.

I was thinking the smallest cube it would be 72x72x24 and upto 96x96x30.

Give some input on this as well.

This will be the center piece of the room it will go into and will have seating on all 4 sides.

I have several other questions about equipment and such but I would like opinions on these two first.

Thanks
Heath
 
Cost will also be a substantial difference. In the grand scheme of things, of course, the initial cost of the tank is a fairly minor expense for a tank this large...but a cylinder will likely be several times the cost of a cube of similar dimensions.

I agree that the cube will also be easier to clean.
 
ok, that is exactly what I was thinking and finding out from research.

So as far as skimming goes would you use several smaller skimmers or just 1 large one?
 
Well After doing some thinking I would have to go with something no larger than 72" front to back due to doorway clearance entering the house.

So on tank height would you suggest 30" or 36"?
 
Just a question: whether 72" x 72" or 96" x 96", how are you going to reach the middle of the tank if it is the centrepiece of the room? You would have to have some sort of movable scaffolding to do that. Just a thought.

Dave.M
 
dave.m said:
Just a question: whether 72" x 72" or 96" x 96", how are you going to reach the middle of the tank if it is the centrepiece of the room? You would have to have some sort of movable scaffolding to do that. Just a thought.

Dave.M
Click to expand...

A tank that big is most likely going to be acrylic, especially if it's a cylinder. Large acrylic tanks have very strong center/cross braces, that can easily supper the wait of a person. Do large cylinder tanks have cross bracing?
 
Cross-bracing isn't the issue. The point is that no matter the size of the tank, one has to include maintenance in one's total vision of not just building the system but operating it on a day-to-day basis. If you put a tank on a stand in the middle of the room you are going to have to consider how you are going to climb up to the height of the stand, how far you are going to have to lean over (in?) to reach all areas of the tank, as part of regular maintenance.

I do not meant to be discouraging at all. I am simply trying to point out that there are going to be some logistics involved as part of the planning process. Some people draw computer mock-ups to get an idea of what it is they are planning. This takes a lot of skill. Another way to do it is to get some cardboard boxes and build a life-sized mock-up and put it where you intend to put your real tank.

Get used to the physical totality of it. A tank this big (this is, after all, the Large Tank forum) is going to be a very real presence in the room. We all dream of putting in the mega-tank of our dreams. I'm just suggesting getting a practical handle on the reality of what you are proposing.

Dave.M
 
To me having it centered in the room will be easier to maintain than if it was against a wall as I would have any access from behind tank. Initially there will be alot more maintanance to do as in any new aquarium than there should be down the road if done right.

I have had 200gallon tank and had to have very little hands in tank maintinance after a few months of setup as my filtration and refugium handled it and I just had to maintain it. The equipment that will be bought and used will be overrated enough as in this last tank.

I didnt take anything personal and nothing is personally directed towards anyone to start anything.
 
I've had a 4 ft by 4ft Cylinder tank. When I build another again, I would go no more than 24 inches tall because of access / cleaning issues. It would be worse for a wider tank still.
A wide but short tank is a nicer look in my opinon.

Also, the braces on a cylinder run around the rim and as such cannot be trusted to hold your weight.
 
I've had a 2.5 foot wide, 3 foot tall tank. It's a royal pain to try and clean. I had to drain the tank about 1/2 way down and climb in to clean it. My gut/chest hurt every time after leaning over the sides to get to the bottom. Reaching the back was even harder from the front of the tank. Luckily I had some access to the back of the tank.

Even though the 3 foot tall tank looks awesome and my fish loved the extra swimming room, I won't go above 30" if I ever get another tank.
 
I had a 5 foot by 6 foot tank and Dave's comment was absolutely true, however didnt have that tank 7 years ago when this thread was first made :)
 
I would go with the "œcube"
Cube in quotations cuz neither of the "œcubes" you are thinking of are cubes!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
bertcmg said:
I've had a 4 ft by 4ft Cylinder tank. When I build another again, I would go no more than 24 inches tall because of access / cleaning issues. It would be worse for a wider tank still.
A wide but short tank is a nicer look in my opinon.

Also, the braces on a cylinder run around the rim and as such cannot be trusted to hold your weight.
Click to expand...

Second that! I just built a 1000 by 1000 by 500 cube. 20" is perfect, i can reach every part of the tank without yelling! i used to have a 30" high tank looked great, but got sick of the extra work! also insane lighting needed.
 
lol no updates in 7 yrs.. we have 2 120 x 48 x 24 at the store and it is a pain to reach the middle of the tanks and thats only 48"wide
 
If you are handy, King of DIY on youtube made a large cube using 2 recycled 6' tanks. Also round tanks will probably have distortion issues.
 
TheFishTeen said:
A tank that big is most likely going to be acrylic, especially if it's a cylinder. Large acrylic tanks have very strong center/cross braces, that can easily supper the wait of a person. Do large cylinder tanks have cross bracing?
Click to expand...

+1 to it being acrylic and the support braces being able to hold a person. I have a tank about the size you're thinking of doing (84x72x24) and I can tell you that you have to get in the tank to do most things and clearly the footprint is massive for the tank. I would suggest plumbing a drain for easy water changes otherwise you will be hauling buckets for hrs
 
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