Hi everyone, its kinda weird that its been over 2 years since i had to take my tank down i received an email about a thread i subscribed to 3 years ago.I read through some of the posts and think that its really neat that people are still wanting to see what my tank looked like.When i took the tank down i was quite depressed and went and got a smaller one(750 gallon) and that didn't last long because it was nothing like the big one and i sold that one and got out of reefing all together.This is the first time i have been back to the board in over 2 years and i still look back at all the pictures i have of the tank and all the great memories i had building it and watching it flourish for the 2+ years it was going. If you have any questions about the tank feel free to post any and i will answer them the best i can.
Mr4000 is back but w/o tank
- Thread starter Mr.4000
- Start date
sixxer
In Memoriam
Welcome back MR4000!!!!!
I have been in the Saltwater hobby for a little less than a year, but did freshwater before that, and always had heard the stories about your magnificent set-up.
I do have one question for you since I was not around when you were running the tank.
Is humidity the reason that things did not work out?
I am weighing the idea of building a tank into a nook in my basement versus trying to go larger than 300 gallons on my first floor and wanted to get as much info. as I could gather on the basement tank build up process.
Thanks in advance for any info.
Again, Welcome back to RC, great to see ya!!!!!
Today is actually the first time I had seen photos of the set-up, it was all in german so I could not understand any info. on it, but quite impressive anyways.
Aric
I have been in the Saltwater hobby for a little less than a year, but did freshwater before that, and always had heard the stories about your magnificent set-up.
I do have one question for you since I was not around when you were running the tank.
Is humidity the reason that things did not work out?
I am weighing the idea of building a tank into a nook in my basement versus trying to go larger than 300 gallons on my first floor and wanted to get as much info. as I could gather on the basement tank build up process.
Thanks in advance for any info.
Again, Welcome back to RC, great to see ya!!!!!
Today is actually the first time I had seen photos of the set-up, it was all in german so I could not understand any info. on it, but quite impressive anyways.
Aric
Yes the humidity is what caused the demise of my tank.I tried everything i could think of and nothing was even denting the amount of humidity that the tank and both of the 200 gallon sumps were producing.In the winter it was the worst, all the windows in the house where like a waterfall and eventually mold was growing on all of them and on the walls behind the tank(that was behind the drywall and insulation which had to be torn out and replaced).I was pulling so much air out of the basement that the furnace ran all the time because it was cold in the winter and the air conditioners were running non stop in the summer and i had electric bills of 1000+ every month.If your planning a tank much smaller than 4000 gallons than the humidity shouldn't be a problem just make sure you have a couple of bathroom exhaust fans to pull the humidity out and you can get them to come on when the humidity is too high so they don't have to run all the time.
Tozeman, there are two major things i would of changed, first i would of built a room big enough to house the tank and sumps that would of connected to the exsisting house but the only thing inside the main house would be the front of the tank so that the humidity could have been vented out of a smaller room instead of being spread throughout the house.Second i would of installed many sklights or put a glass ceiling so i wouldn't of had to use so many 1000 watt halides all the time and thus reducing my electric bill in half.I think if i had of incorporated them changes in the beginning that tank would still be up and running.
keefsama2003
In Memoriam
getting back in? or still contemplating ?
Hello
Hello
I read about you tanks online and was absolutely amazed, I'm sorry to hear you had to take it down.
Did you inspect your tank closely while tearing it down? Did you find any construction faults anywhere? Specifically, I am wondering if you could explain how you sealed the concrete (with some type of epoxy?) and if after the 2 years if you found any defects in it or areas it was damaged by organisms?
Hello
I read about you tanks online and was absolutely amazed, I'm sorry to hear you had to take it down.
Did you inspect your tank closely while tearing it down? Did you find any construction faults anywhere? Specifically, I am wondering if you could explain how you sealed the concrete (with some type of epoxy?) and if after the 2 years if you found any defects in it or areas it was damaged by organisms?
Well after haveing a tank i could swim with the fish in anything smaller just wasn't the same and now in order to get back into it i would have to build another 4000 gallon tank and at a cost of $50,000+ i don't see that happening again.When i tore the tank down(actually all i did was remove the plexiglass and cut a side out of the concret tank) i found no defects in the concrete or paint that i put on it. I used a 2 part epoxy paint that they use on swimming pools that had a life expectancy of 12 years outside so i figured it would hold up that long outside it would last longer inside.I have tons of pictures i will dig up and get posted on here.
Hi Mr 4000, Good to see you back, I am planning a near 4000 gallon tank for the future, and would like all the advice you could give and i would love to see the pictures of how you did it. I am building my whole house Around the tank, not incorporating the tank into the house, that is the best thing i think i have going for me so far! Haha, but anyway im glad your back because everyone was telling me how about your tank and how i should look up your posts and now your back so i can ask you the many questions i will have once i get the picture of what exactly it is gonna be like when i decide to build it. Thanks in advance, Justin.
Gerard Alba
New member
I will never forget the pictute of you diving in your tank! What a classic.
Greetings Mr. 4000,
While I know there is nothing any of us can say or do to replace your 4000 gallon dream, please find solace in the fact that your past efforts have inspired many of us to take up the challenge you so gallantly fought.
Your treads and pics are what inspired me to begin the planning of my own "4000" tank, though it will likely be only 2000 gal.
It is an honor to have your wisdom and experience back at RC.
I look forward to any pics you are able to share.
Sincerely,
ktmhk53
While I know there is nothing any of us can say or do to replace your 4000 gallon dream, please find solace in the fact that your past efforts have inspired many of us to take up the challenge you so gallantly fought.
Your treads and pics are what inspired me to begin the planning of my own "4000" tank, though it will likely be only 2000 gal.
It is an honor to have your wisdom and experience back at RC.
I look forward to any pics you are able to share.
Sincerely,
ktmhk53
I have the thread started called Monster Tank planning, please feel free to let me know if you like or dislike anything we have talked about in that thread, It is a great priveledge to chat with you and will be much better when there is someone that has been there, done that, andknows the experience it is with the tank and what to do and what not to do, i look forward to hearing what you went threw and the pictures of your tank. Thanks for the help in advance. Justin.
Hi ktmhk53, thanks for the comments, i do always look back and think what an accomplishment it was to do.When i was planning on building it i had searched everywhere for info on big tanks and came up with pretty much nothing.so from there it was designing in my head what i thought would work and it did(i guess i got real lucky especially with the overflows which took more work to get to flow the right amount of water through them).Back then people weren't really into big tanks(probably the cost) and if by me taking a chance on making a big tank work inspire people to give it a try then that really makes me feel that maybe losing the tank wasn't all a loss.I'm just an average guy(not rich by far, actually a drywaller)and saving a lot and i mean a LOT of money and having the drive to be able to do it, i think if anyone out there set there mind to it they could have any size tank they want.Having a 2000 gallon is huge and let me tell you do it right the first time and you will enjoy it forever, do what i did and well you know the results, but i always looked at it that i did do it and it worked just not as long as i wanted it too.So hopefully we can learn by my mistakes and everyone that builds a large tank will have a long lasting one.
Juthunter, i read through your thread on the tank your planning and would definately build a seperate room onto the house to house the tanks and filter systems.Humidity will get the best of you if you put it in the basement.In that room you can put skylights in so you don't have to run the metal halides so much.The slab that the tank would go on should be 12 inches thick and i would make the tank out of concrete with acrylic front and sides.If you looked at the price of an acrylic tank as big as your talking its about 50,000 for the tank alone,i thought about buying one till i say the price, my tank which was 12 feet wide 7 feet tall and 6 feet from to back cost me 600 for the tank and 400 for the acrylic.If you go over 4 feet high with the acrylic it gets very expensive and you will have to have thick glass. I had started out with 3 inches of acrylic and only used 2 inches(they were seperate 1 inch panels).There is much more to discuss about your tank and i have to cut this short but i will be back and get on your thread to discuss more.Hope this helps.Let me know what other questions you have.
