Largest Tank...
- Thread starter ZLTFUL
- Start date
musty baby
New member
Most likely someone outside the club.
Well, not to give too many details but I got the OK to do a 600 gallon(96x48x30) plywood build when we do our basement. It is a couple of years out still but I am wanting to plan this thing to the absolute tiniest detail...
I am not doing it for the "record" but more for the fact that I love to see Tangs flying all over the place and having tons of swimming room. Plus the width of the tank is big for me to give the illusion of infinity when looking into the tank (96x30 front panel glass only).
Sump will be in the area of a couple of hundred gallons and maybe 100 gallon fuge...
Everything will be plywood with single viewing panel of glass. I will also have a large pair of tanks for RO/DI and premixed saltwater.
Cost will be a consideration as I want to prove that you can do a LARGE tank that looks great on a budget IF you research it and do your homework and not get impatient...
GOD I hate this hobby. It's so addictive.
I am not doing it for the "record" but more for the fact that I love to see Tangs flying all over the place and having tons of swimming room. Plus the width of the tank is big for me to give the illusion of infinity when looking into the tank (96x30 front panel glass only).
Sump will be in the area of a couple of hundred gallons and maybe 100 gallon fuge...
Everything will be plywood with single viewing panel of glass. I will also have a large pair of tanks for RO/DI and premixed saltwater.
Cost will be a consideration as I want to prove that you can do a LARGE tank that looks great on a budget IF you research it and do your homework and not get impatient...
GOD I hate this hobby. It's so addictive.
Double-J
Premium Member
I'll tell you that if cost is a factor then going with a 600gallon tank might not be reasonable. you would definitely save by building your own tank but that is probably only 1/8 of the cost to set up a system this size. Is it going to be fish only? if so you can save a bunch just on lighting, calcium reactor alone.
I'll be the first to tell you that you can plan everything but there are many hidden costs when you get to putting it together
Sounds like an awesome project. look forward to seeing the build thread on it.
I'll be the first to tell you that you can plan everything but there are many hidden costs when you get to putting it together
Sounds like an awesome project. look forward to seeing the build thread on it.
Oh, I am not looking to build a budget tank but just interested in showing that you don't need to spend 576234986 dollars to have a big tank that is succesful.
The main plan is alot of DIY stuff based on existing products.
I am currently working on the Sketchup drawing...well at home I am...
I want to focus on the fish but I am definitely going to have corals in there too...
Basically, anything that will live under ~4 400 watt MHs with PC accent lighting.
The main plan is alot of DIY stuff based on existing products.
I am currently working on the Sketchup drawing...well at home I am...
I want to focus on the fish but I am definitely going to have corals in there too...
Basically, anything that will live under ~4 400 watt MHs with PC accent lighting.
overanalyzer
New member
there is a thread in the large reef tank forum like that here on RC - has the word build in the title.... very good thread.
I think your biggest issue will be humidity. you will need to look into air to air exchangers and humidistats for venting outside air.
good luck - I think a huge tank like that is best done as a plywood tank with a ton of planning and fore-thought!
I think your biggest issue will be humidity. you will need to look into air to air exchangers and humidistats for venting outside air.
good luck - I think a huge tank like that is best done as a plywood tank with a ton of planning and fore-thought!
waverz
Slave to the reef!
I know craig was planning on building a big tank, not sure if he is still going through with it or not. If you don't think you need to spend big bucks on a big tank, you might want to do that math again. The salt bill alone would be rough....let alone the water and utility bill.
Just something to think about.
Just something to think about.
Double-J
Premium Member
Yeah if your going reef then the cost probably went up 10 fold. Taking care of the humindity can cost over 2 grand alone,
Chiller
bathroomfan
sealed fish room
HRV
vented hood
A combination of the list would be ideal. 600+ gallons of water in a house can ruin it pretty quickly unless you get the humidity out.
Also on a 4ft front to back tank you will need two rows of MH lighting The luminarc is the best reflector and that only covers 3ftx3ft and that is raised 12" from the top of the tank, Ideally I would want it 6-9" from the tank to pound the par to the bottom. So with a tank this size I would say 6-8 400w Halides. skip the PC's and go with VHO's or T5's more par and better actiinics
I agree DIY stuff will save you tons of money but with things like a skimmer I would definitely buy retail. on a 600 gallon tank you would need a big skimmer, the cheapest route would be a becket on that.
Making the rock yourself would save you a couple grand.
Also the monthly fee to maintain the tank will be over $200 for salt, RO, electrical, maintnance and thats being conservative.
Just throwing some stuff out there before you dive in. I know when set up my 380 there was a lot of expense that I didn't expect even now just maintaining it. But once you get it going you can usually offset it by selling frags here and there. Good luck. I'll help you out anyway possible.
Chiller
bathroomfan
sealed fish room
HRV
vented hood
A combination of the list would be ideal. 600+ gallons of water in a house can ruin it pretty quickly unless you get the humidity out.
Also on a 4ft front to back tank you will need two rows of MH lighting The luminarc is the best reflector and that only covers 3ftx3ft and that is raised 12" from the top of the tank, Ideally I would want it 6-9" from the tank to pound the par to the bottom. So with a tank this size I would say 6-8 400w Halides. skip the PC's and go with VHO's or T5's more par and better actiinics
I agree DIY stuff will save you tons of money but with things like a skimmer I would definitely buy retail. on a 600 gallon tank you would need a big skimmer, the cheapest route would be a becket on that.
Making the rock yourself would save you a couple grand.
Also the monthly fee to maintain the tank will be over $200 for salt, RO, electrical, maintnance and thats being conservative.
Just throwing some stuff out there before you dive in. I know when set up my 380 there was a lot of expense that I didn't expect even now just maintaining it. But once you get it going you can usually offset it by selling frags here and there. Good luck. I'll help you out anyway possible.
overanalyzer
New member
one thing you might check to help off set costs is access to a well (for water) or getting the lawn watering meter T off of your water meter.
another thing is to start buying salt now.
Also for a skimmer Anthony Calfo has plans somewhere for a gravity feed skimmer that you can DIY and save some cash there (let gravity and some air lifters do the work of a few thousand dollar skimmer) .....
I would focus first on ventilation and humidity control so you don't ruin the larger investment (like Mr. 4000 did with his house) and then use some T5 lighting and a few MH's to light a overly large softie tank!
another thing is to start buying salt now.
Also for a skimmer Anthony Calfo has plans somewhere for a gravity feed skimmer that you can DIY and save some cash there (let gravity and some air lifters do the work of a few thousand dollar skimmer) .....
I would focus first on ventilation and humidity control so you don't ruin the larger investment (like Mr. 4000 did with his house) and then use some T5 lighting and a few MH's to light a overly large softie tank!
Actually, my monthly maintenance figure came out to between $275 and $300.
As for moisture control, air to air exchange was my primary choice.
Fish room was going to be epoxy paint and concrete on 3 of the 4 walls with the drywall wall being the high humidity drywall with epoxy coating.
I may go with a shorter width for the tank but I want an 8 foot frontage.
I was planning on doing the vast majority of the rock as homemade and then seeding it with at least a hundred pounds of good quality well cured rock plus what I already have.
I saw Doctor's wood build on the large tank forum and love the look of the foam that he did the back and sides with.
I have lots of evil plots in this beady little head of mine....MWUHAHAHAHAHA...
As for moisture control, air to air exchange was my primary choice.
Fish room was going to be epoxy paint and concrete on 3 of the 4 walls with the drywall wall being the high humidity drywall with epoxy coating.
I may go with a shorter width for the tank but I want an 8 foot frontage.
I was planning on doing the vast majority of the rock as homemade and then seeding it with at least a hundred pounds of good quality well cured rock plus what I already have.
I saw Doctor's wood build on the large tank forum and love the look of the foam that he did the back and sides with.
I have lots of evil plots in this beady little head of mine....MWUHAHAHAHAHA...
Double-J
Premium Member
Awesome! sounds like you have a good plan. I'm glad to see your realistic on the cost per month. It will make it that much more enjoyable not having that surprise hit ya later on. Moving on...
I have an "air to air vent" HRV on my system. the only problem with them is during the hot days of summer they are useless IMO eventually they are going to even out with the outside air making the room hot which along with your lights won't take long. So I use mine during certain seasons. Definitely need a bathroom fan. Also I've always like fans to cool the tank but with a tank that size it's better to go with a big chiller, It costs around 18-23 a month to run mine during the summer but I don't have any fans running so the humidity in my room hangs around 45% which is a good goal with the amount of water I have.
Epoxying the room and enclosing it is a good idea
I'd say 100% homemade rock would save ya a bunch then have someone give ya some live rock to seed it (it takes a while to cure so plan in advance)
Unless you want to run two rows of lights I would just got 3ft deep and make it as long as possible, It just doesn't make sense to have to double your lights for an additional foot, I mean if you were going to do this you might as well make the tank 5-6ft wide to take advantage of the additional lighting. If your just buying the front pane of glass might want to contact a glass company and see how long they can make one for ya. Might think about a 12-15ft tank because really the only thing holding you back from doing it would be an additional light or two. All the maintenance would be the same. Plus the tangs would love it. Also since the tank is going to be inwall you could have a foot on each side of the glass to hide all your powerheads out of view
I have an "air to air vent" HRV on my system. the only problem with them is during the hot days of summer they are useless IMO eventually they are going to even out with the outside air making the room hot which along with your lights won't take long. So I use mine during certain seasons. Definitely need a bathroom fan. Also I've always like fans to cool the tank but with a tank that size it's better to go with a big chiller, It costs around 18-23 a month to run mine during the summer but I don't have any fans running so the humidity in my room hangs around 45% which is a good goal with the amount of water I have.
Epoxying the room and enclosing it is a good idea
I'd say 100% homemade rock would save ya a bunch then have someone give ya some live rock to seed it (it takes a while to cure so plan in advance)
Unless you want to run two rows of lights I would just got 3ft deep and make it as long as possible, It just doesn't make sense to have to double your lights for an additional foot, I mean if you were going to do this you might as well make the tank 5-6ft wide to take advantage of the additional lighting. If your just buying the front pane of glass might want to contact a glass company and see how long they can make one for ya. Might think about a 12-15ft tank because really the only thing holding you back from doing it would be an additional light or two. All the maintenance would be the same. Plus the tangs would love it. Also since the tank is going to be inwall you could have a foot on each side of the glass to hide all your powerheads out of view
overanalyzer
New member
I did a ton of planning for an 8 foot long 2 1/2 foot deep tank by 2 1/2 foot deep and the room had an air to air exchange and I was still planning an exhaust fan. greenboard and epoxy/marine grade paint are a must as well!
dascharisma
New member
As JJ has mentioned, the thing to be prepared for are the costs. Everyday I am surprised by yet another unexpected cost on my tank build. For instance, today I am spending $200 for extensions from my lights to my ballasts, since the standard connectors aren't long enough when put on a big tank. There are so many little things like this, that you will be surprised no matter how well you plan.
I don't know how much a plywood tank costs to build (my tank cost about 1/10 of the system price) but for all the other stuff I would think that a 600 gallon reef for 10 grand would be very cheap. 15 to 20 would allow for a bit more redundancy and a few nice features that you will want in the long run. Of course some people would spend 40+ on a 600 gallon tank. So, you can do a big tank on the cheap, just be prepared for what cheap means when it comes to a 600 gallon monster.
As for the humidity issues, an HRV alone will gaurantee a cooked tank come summer. With that much water and 400 watt halides, you almost have to have a chiller.
Brad
I don't know how much a plywood tank costs to build (my tank cost about 1/10 of the system price) but for all the other stuff I would think that a 600 gallon reef for 10 grand would be very cheap. 15 to 20 would allow for a bit more redundancy and a few nice features that you will want in the long run. Of course some people would spend 40+ on a 600 gallon tank. So, you can do a big tank on the cheap, just be prepared for what cheap means when it comes to a 600 gallon monster.
As for the humidity issues, an HRV alone will gaurantee a cooked tank come summer. With that much water and 400 watt halides, you almost have to have a chiller.
Brad
matt the fiddler
New member
If you don't light the back foot of the tank, you can place the lights up front, and save the doubling the lights..
IT can also create the illusion that the tank is deeper, if it is dark in the back, plus if you use open aquascaping, you don't need to put rock against that wall.
IT can also create the illusion that the tank is deeper, if it is dark in the back, plus if you use open aquascaping, you don't need to put rock against that wall.
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