My New AGE tank build! It's big! ~1500g DT
- Thread starter prickles
- Start date
muttley000
MTS Sufferer!
A monster for sure!
Wow, I know what it costs for a 72"x36" sheet of low iron glass, I can only imagine on that monster.
Are you a certified scuba diver? or getting that in your new tank?
Planning access from the front and the back?
For your mixing station you could automate all those valves with actuators, although that could get pricy.
Can I ask what you do for work?
Are you a certified scuba diver? or getting that in your new tank?
Planning access from the front and the back?
For your mixing station you could automate all those valves with actuators, although that could get pricy.
Can I ask what you do for work?
not a diver. I plan on building a movable platform for the top of the tank that I can lie on and reach into the tank with my snorkel mask on. I do plan access from both sides, but plan on not using the front much.
I don't actually think I need to move all those valves that often. I have a pool that has the hayward automated valves on it and those take so long that it's kinda annoying. I want to move them by hand it's so slow.
For work I have a couple small businesses that I run: real estate; and investments. In the grand scheme of things this tank isn't that expensive. I started with a bit smaller 10x4x4 and going bigger hardly added any cost.
MurphysLaw
New member
That is awesome!
Here is my "stunning" graphic of what I am trying to accomplish.
The green bars are supposed to be steel beams just above the lip of the tank. the platform will hook onto those so I can lie on it without putting weight on the tank. the beams will be attached to the walls on either side of the room.
It seems simple in my mind, but I'm sure there's difficulties I haven't come up with yet. The big one is that I want it to be removable I think, so it has to be light enough that I can pick it up. Solutions that have come to mind so far:
I could try to rig some sort of joist
I could make two really narrow platforms and just put them next to each other when I want to use them. Potentially figure out some sort of wheels or bearings so I could move them to the ends of the tank and out of the way of the light and not have to remove them.
thoughts anyone?
The green bars are supposed to be steel beams just above the lip of the tank. the platform will hook onto those so I can lie on it without putting weight on the tank. the beams will be attached to the walls on either side of the room.
It seems simple in my mind, but I'm sure there's difficulties I haven't come up with yet. The big one is that I want it to be removable I think, so it has to be light enough that I can pick it up. Solutions that have come to mind so far:
I could try to rig some sort of joist
I could make two really narrow platforms and just put them next to each other when I want to use them. Potentially figure out some sort of wheels or bearings so I could move them to the ends of the tank and out of the way of the light and not have to remove them.
thoughts anyone?
techreef
Premium Member
Can you ask AGE what kind of weight the steel frame of your tank will support? That may be simpler and allow you to just lay a thick plank of finished plywood or hardwood board/platform on the tank. You may be engineering a complicated solution for something that may not be needed. If you aren't a terribly large human being, I would think a steel frame of much size would support another 220 lbs on top of it no problem. But I would also guess the guys at AGE would know more about it, at least in general terms. Love your build so far. Thanks for sharing!
I'd think the issue would be putting the plank on the glass, his stand will be fine, but it is under the tank.
Unistrut and rollers for inside it.
inside this
You can get the strut in aluminium, coated, painted, or stainless if you really wanted, but I use the galvanized in saltier conditions than your fish room and it looks great even 10 years later.
I love strut, you can build almost anything from it, and will support lots of weight. It's also pretty cheap. Get it from an electrical wholesaler, not home depot.
I have a frag tank hanging from it, and my water station built from it.
thanks prickles, your choice of tank and dimensions are destined for greatness :thumbsup: this will be an amazing journey :beer:
I'd think the issue would be putting the plank on the glass, his stand will be fine, but it is under the tank.
Unistrut and rollers for inside it.
inside this
You can get the strut in aluminium, coated, painted, or stainless if you really wanted, but I use the galvanized in saltier conditions than your fish room and it looks great even 10 years later.
I love strut, you can build almost anything from it, and will support lots of weight. It's also pretty cheap. Get it from an electrical wholesaler, not home depot.
I have a frag tank hanging from it, and my water station built from it.
can you put stuff on top of it or does it have to hang down from it? I was kinda hoping to avoid stuff above me as I lay on the board.
You can orientate it however you want. The roller pieces only work up or down though. Although never tried them sideways. There are a number of other fittings though, hundreds of them, and they can be built in any orientation.
This is a small amount of the parts made.
http://www.unistrut.us/index.php?WP=comm_pict
I hang 1000lb transformers from strut all the time, make huge complicated tray raceways, etc.
With the steel (or stainless) a 10' piece (you can get it in 20' too) can support my 145lbs in the center no problem. The aluminium would need to be doubled up.
Could put the strut on the ceiling and use all thread or more stut to drop it down to the level you wanted.
But I would almost say just put one piece in the front edge and one of the back edge and place an almost massage table plank across those pieces. Be easy and light to move that way.
Jeff,
that sounds like a good option. I will look more into it.
I got my fish room completed and am just waiting on the tank and stand.
Unfortunately on that front, AGE forgot to make some cuts on the back panel and now has to start over. This will push us back to a June delivery.
I think they also want to temper the back panel now (not sure exactly why) and put the steel down the corners of the tank as well as on the top and bottom.
Oh well, some delays are to be expected in construction projects.
that sounds like a good option. I will look more into it.
I got my fish room completed and am just waiting on the tank and stand.
Unfortunately on that front, AGE forgot to make some cuts on the back panel and now has to start over. This will push us back to a June delivery.
I think they also want to temper the back panel now (not sure exactly why) and put the steel down the corners of the tank as well as on the top and bottom.
Oh well, some delays are to be expected in construction projects.
rott161982
New member
I say the humidity worries and problem I would get an air exchanger install check out jehmco.com
kmu
New member
on a more serious note...
We got some of the air handling done today. I now have a 4" vent with a humidity sensing fan going out of the fish room. In addition I have a 4" vent with a regular fan going into the fish room. Hopefully those will handle the humidity that the ~2,000 gallons will create.
If that fails, then there is also the 1 ton mini split that I had lying around that I had installed in the fish room. The condensation drain runs right into the sewer, kinda a neat solution I think. Hopefully between the two they will handle it.
That 1 ton minisplit will help you a lot on getting rid of the humidity on the hot days here in the desert, specially the hot humid rainy days of the monsoon season.
They finally did deliver the tank back in August. There was quite a bit of haggling back and forth since they didn't want to remake the tank after forgetting to cut the overflow before building it. Eventually we went with an overflow that looks similar to the ghost design as opposed to scrapping and starting over.
Here's some pics from the delivery
We had to take the frame of the french door off to fit the tank in the house.
Here's the "sump"
getting the stand into the house
removing the tank from the truck
Here's some pics from the delivery
We had to take the frame of the french door off to fit the tank in the house.
Here's the "sump"
getting the stand into the house
removing the tank from the truck
the delivery attracted quite a few people who i'm not sure who they were.
pulling it out of the truck
i guess some people just didn't want to walk from the truck to the house and decided to ride in the tank...
i left them plenty of room to get it in the house. As you can see there's a good inch or two on either side of the tank. It's also almost a foot from my 300g, so no worries about hitting that either while installing.
sliding it into place
pulling it out of the truck
i guess some people just didn't want to walk from the truck to the house and decided to ride in the tank...
i left them plenty of room to get it in the house. As you can see there's a good inch or two on either side of the tank. It's also almost a foot from my 300g, so no worries about hitting that either while installing.
sliding it into place
