My first 300g Oddball Tank

Prodigal1011

Prodigal1011

New member
Hey Reefers,

Although I told myself I was going to wait, I found a "come get it or I'm throwing it out" tank deal I couldn't resist! I have not calculated actual gallons, but its somewhere around a 300 off the top of my head. Here are some tank specs and my first pic! Let me know what you guys think. I also need some lighting suggestions for such an odd shaped tank. What is this shape called anyway?

Custom built all Glass "Horseshoe" Tank- 98"L x 29" H x 25" deep in the middle x 30" deep at the ends.
Custom built stand with 85 gallon acrylic refugium/sump


Here is the pic:
295829_10150872261830165_584710164_21242183_1556480576_n.jpg
 
I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with the waterflow. I'm thinking about drilling the front corners on either side and using Locline for flow up front, then 2-1" returns on either side. I'm still deciding what I want to do with it, either a mixed sps tank, or a predator tank. I think I'll know better once I've decided on inhabitants!

I'm in the process of cutting out the old weir style overflow boxes and and replacing them with something a little cleaner looking. I'll post pics in the next few days.
 
Prodigal1011 said:
What is this shape called anyway?
Click to expand...
Um ... polygonal?

If you really want to figure out how much it contains you would have to start working out a system dividing the tank up into rectangles and triangles for which there are standard formulas on the web ... if you really want to.

Dave.M
 
TheFishTeen said:
Hmm....looks interesting!

What are your plans for aquascaping?
Click to expand...


This is something I have been excited about doing for a long time. I have been practicing with pond foam and dry rock for the past couple of days now on a small scale. I want to build my aquascaping using this method. Its the perfect tank for it. I have seen some amazing builds with using the foam, egg crate, and dry rock design. This is basically why I got the tank!

Thanks for the interest guys.
 
__SKINNY__ said:
funny looking tank,but none the less will be a cool build i'll be tagging along
Click to expand...

Skinny, I know what you mean. At first I was not at all excited about the shape. After a day of being up close and personal with it, I think its really starting to grow on me...

I need lighting suggestions! I would like to stay away from MH's. What kind of t-5 fixtures should I look into?
 
Dude that is an awesome tank... if you don't mind me asking how much did you pick it up for and where did you find it?
 
Last edited:
riseandfloat said:
Dude that's is an awesome tank... if you don't mind me asking how much did you pick it up for and where did you find it?
Click to expand...

A gentleman on craigslist had it. Told me it was going to the trash on Thursday and to come get all of it for $80. Here's what I got.

-Tank
-Stand
-Tops
-85g Acrylic Sump
-Maxxima RODI Unit
-4 Rolls of Filter Floss

I got a really good deal. Although I just found out there is a very small crack in the bottom of one of the panels. Its not all the way through, but I can have it re-cut and replaced by the weekend.

Not to bad for $80 bucks?
 
Lighting, I would stay away from T5, go with LED.

Since you can get LEDs with tight optics, you can achieve much better depth penetration rates which are important for your 30" height. It would take far more T5 to get the same amount of light at the bottom on that 30" than it would with LEDs. Your only other alternative would be to use MH, which you have stated you are not interested in doing.

Look into LEDs, they are a far better option.
 
If you are a big DIYer I'd recommend making your own LED fixture with the right optics to get the penetration in a 30" tank. You could make an odd shape for the tank to get good coverage as you'll have a hard time finding a fixture that lights up the shape IMHO. Take a look at the RC sponsors and you'll find a few great options for LED lighting.
 
Just if you cared....
That is a "DAS" tank
Dutch Aquarium Systems.

they are out of dallas texas (pet - o - rama) or something like that.
their website sucks....
but i have 2 of their tanks. they are nicely built!!!

Keep up the good work.
(does your tank have a 2 or 3 piece bottom pane of glass? they usually use 2 pieces and silicone them together. it scares people... but what people dont think about is that their whole tank is glass held together with silicone... lol)
 
TheFishTeen said:
Lighting, I would stay away from T5, go with LED.

Since you can get LEDs with tight optics, you can achieve much better depth penetration rates which are important for your 30" height. It would take far more T5 to get the same amount of light at the bottom on that 30" than it would with LEDs. Your only other alternative would be to use MH, which you have stated you are not interested in doing.

Look into LEDs, they are a far better option.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I currently run 8 54w T-5's on my 75 and I love the way they look and the coral growth is amazing, but just as you said I don't feel like I will be able to get the same light penetration as with an LED setup. I just hate the heat, and power consumption of MH's. I saved $60 a month on my electric bill by eliminating my MH's and my chiller. I'll look into an DIY LED.

Dustin1300 said:
If you are a big DIYer I'd recommend making your own LED fixture with the right optics to get the penetration in a 30" tank. You could make an odd shape for the tank to get good coverage as you'll have a hard time finding a fixture that lights up the shape IMHO. Take a look at the RC sponsors and you'll find a few great options for LED lighting.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I'm very familiar with LED's, soldering, and wiring, so a DIY is def. the best option. I'll take a look at the sponsors to see what I can rig up. Thanks, I was leaning this direction, but needed a little push!

dahenley said:
Just if you cared....
That is a "DAS" tank
Dutch Aquarium Systems.

they are out of dallas texas (pet - o - rama) or something like that.
their website sucks....
but i have 2 of their tanks. they are nicely built!!!

Keep up the good work.
(does your tank have a 2 or 3 piece bottom pane of glass? they usually use 2 pieces and silicone them together. it scares people... but what people dont think about is that their whole tank is glass held together with silicone... lol)
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!! I'm glad to know I got a nice tank. I have been looking for the MFG everywhere with no luck. The bottom is a 3 piece, one of the pieces has a small crack in it. I have a local glass guy cutting a piece for me for $50 bucks. I think I'll use this time to re-silicone the entire bottom of the tank. Again thank you for the info.
 
dahenley, you mentioned you had a couple of DAS tanks, do you have one thats shaped like mine?

I'm trying to find any picture of similar setups but there is NOTHING online for DAS setups over 70 gallons or so from what I'm seeing.
 
Well, got some bad news. After speaking with a couple of people in the glass industry down here, the general consensus is that the tank will need about $500-$1000 dollars to repair the cracked bottom panel.

I was told by the gentleman at the first glass shop, "no problem, we can cut a piece for about $100 and install it for another $75". Until I showed him a picture of the tank.....

The cutting of the glass is nothing, the problem is getting the new piece in and sealed properly. I really don't feel like spending that much money on this tank if I can put it towards something newer and more complete....

I guess it will go up on ebay or craigslist as a reptile tank.....
 
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