Large tank project Advice
- Thread starter Herpervet
- Start date
Herpervet
New member
BTW. You will notice the rail mounted metal halides. Obviously there will be some shadow due to the skylights.
I have considered using bare bulbs to cut down on shadows from the reflectors but I will probably go with the smallest pendant I can find.
What effect the shadows will have remains to be seen. The sky lights cover the entire surface area of the tank so I hope the bounced light from the sides of the light well will help soften the shadows somewhat.
When I was installing my tubular skylights at home I noticed how little shadow was cast when an object was placed dead center of the tube because the majority of the light is bounced at very acute angles from the rim of the tube at its terminal point.
The difference in these skylights is that the active tracking system has mirrors that bounce the light directly downward and less light bounces off the lightwell.
We'll see how it turns out. I am somewhat nervous about how the tank will appear at this point.
Any other ideas on how I can supplement light? The downside to natural light is that the color is too harsh (more yellow and orange spectrum) which makes the 20K halides a good idea.
The rails are removable so worst case I can remove them and go with all natural light.
Alternatively I can simply cover the skylight dome and go with all artificial lighting but that would be a waste and a shame.
I have considered using bare bulbs to cut down on shadows from the reflectors but I will probably go with the smallest pendant I can find.
What effect the shadows will have remains to be seen. The sky lights cover the entire surface area of the tank so I hope the bounced light from the sides of the light well will help soften the shadows somewhat.
When I was installing my tubular skylights at home I noticed how little shadow was cast when an object was placed dead center of the tube because the majority of the light is bounced at very acute angles from the rim of the tube at its terminal point.
The difference in these skylights is that the active tracking system has mirrors that bounce the light directly downward and less light bounces off the lightwell.
We'll see how it turns out. I am somewhat nervous about how the tank will appear at this point.
Any other ideas on how I can supplement light? The downside to natural light is that the color is too harsh (more yellow and orange spectrum) which makes the 20K halides a good idea.
The rails are removable so worst case I can remove them and go with all natural light.
Alternatively I can simply cover the skylight dome and go with all artificial lighting but that would be a waste and a shame.
lucubrator
New member
Herpervet
New member
YES!
Note the difference in clarity of the bottom VS the front viewing panel. This is a generic low iron panel.
I am trilled with the workmanship. Bob Elder of Exotic aquariums in Miami. This guy really knows what he is doing.
I have never been treated so well. They were going to just ship the tank and then had offered to drive it out. After realizing how long the trip would have been they could have backed out.
But instead they shipped the tank and Bob flew out to place the tank. Unbelievable service. I was hesitant to tell the story because I am quite sure that this isn't what they would make a habit of doing but it does illustrate that Bob and Karen Elder are truely outstanding folks.
Herpervet
New member
Bob sent 2' X 2' X 5" styrofoam blocks inside the tank. We used them to gradually raise the tank up (55"!) to place it on the stand. Pretty simple procedure: Raise one end and place a block then the opposite end. Thinner blocks might make the job a little easier but keeping the blocks aligned is the hardest part.
A fork lift would have been a lot easier and less nerve-wracking but since the walls are up there was no way to get a fork lift into the building.
Once the tank was up to the level of the stand we just pulled it onto the stand with the suction cups. Placing the last block was kinda scary but it went off without a hitch.
Willistein
Active member
This is a pretty amazing project, nice job so far! That tank is going to have a great depth factor to it.
Quick question, the display tank itself is up pretty high, are you going to make the floor higher in front of it or did I miss something?
Keep the pics coming!
-Dan
Quick question, the display tank itself is up pretty high, are you going to make the floor higher in front of it or did I miss something?
Keep the pics coming!
-Dan
Herpervet
New member
Willistein said:
Yes the tank is unusually high. The bottom of the tank is about 57" off the ground. This puts the tank centered between the floor and the ceiling more or less.
I did this for a few reasons, mainly because I have read some accounts of tanks mounted extra high and the unique perspective offers a nice effect. Eye level is about 8 inches from the bottom of the tank. I am only speculating but my initial opinion is that it gives the illusion of greater heigth.
Although I had not used this factor in my planning: The extra heigth ensures the view of the tank will be un-obstructed even with lots of foot traffic in the lobby where it is located.
Also: When the project is complete there will be seating in front and below the viewing panel. When I sit in a standard chair my head is about 54" from the floor so the entire tank will be visible even when the people are seated in front of the tank.
That is unless the little ones are standing up in their chairs to look in.
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