Planning a BIG Tank for the future.....

[LarryW]

ok, yes I realize I need to actually put water in the 120, but it's almost there....

So I have been thinking about the future, and my BIG tank. I figure I am probably 4-5 years away from this build, but being so big, I really want to plan every little detail. I am pretty much set on the location in the house. It will be in the basement, and it will be an in wall. right now the dems are 10'x3'x32" which puts it at about 600g. I would do 10'x4'x32, but I don't know how I will be able to get to the front of a 4' deep tank.

here is the wall that the tank will be in....

Wide angle shot

I picked this wall because of what lies behind it..... please pardon the christmas clutter. There is a 10x10 room behind that wall. its used for overflow storage, but I can easily clear it out for the control room.

the left side of the control room is the back of my bar, so......

I have water lines, and a drain already in the room!

I check the breaker box, and I have slots for 7-8 20a circuits, and running the wire to the breaker box should be pretty simple.

I would like to maybe plumb it to the 120. I will go back to MH for this one probably, unless LED's are really really reasonable. It will be drilled for a CL, and I will have at least a 120g sump/fuge.

 

[Huhhhhh]

Looks like the perfect set up to me. How bout in a year of two????

 

[LarryW]

its possible, I plan on leaving the 120 up. I will just need to start laying out my equipment list and try to aquire items slowly. a year or two is very possible. I think I am going to build a catwalk behind the tank, an on the sides. this will let me stand at the height of the stand, and I should be able to do maintainence. I would love 4' deep but I think it will be hard to get into.

 

[reefkoi]

I think that location is perfect. I wish I had a 10x10 room behind my tank, if i could do it all over again that's the route I would go.
Those 7-8 circuits should be just right. and having your sewer line close by is perfect!
I can't wait to see it happen. Are you going glass or acrylic? is your house a walkout or garden level? Just wondering how you will get it inside the basement? I had to widen our opening and install french doors because the standard slider was not wide enough to accomodate a 48" wide tank.
It's good to start planning now. I framed and sheetrocked mine 2 years before I ordered the tank. Unless you have about $30K sitting around it takes a while to do a build like this, but worth it once it's up.
Chris

 

[ReefJerk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10332001#post10332001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkoi
...Just wondering how you will get it inside the basement...
Chris

Build it down there. Of course, you'd have to determine how to get it out if you ever decided to move.

 

[LarryW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10332001#post10332001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkoi
I think that location is perfect. I wish I had a 10x10 room behind my tank, if i could do it all over again that's the route I would go.
Those 7-8 circuits should be just right. and having your sewer line close by is perfect!
I can't wait to see it happen. Are you going glass or acrylic? is your house a walkout or garden level? Just wondering how you will get it inside the basement? I had to widen our opening and install french doors because the standard slider was not wide enough to accomodate a 48" wide tank.
It's good to start planning now. I framed and sheetrocked mine 2 years before I ordered the tank. Unless you have about $30K sitting around it takes a while to do a build like this, but worth it once it's up.
Chris

thanks guy's.

Chris it will be acrylic. I don't have a walkout down there, but the stairs to the basement are right inside the front door, and the stairs are 36". I was planning on turning the tank on it's 32" side, where it can be brought through the front door, and then walked right downstairs. do you think 4'front to back is going to make it hard to get at the front of the tank? Considering access is only from the back, I wonder if I could lay across the top of the tank, and stick my hands, or tongs down into the tank for maintenance.

 

[Huhhhhh]

I wonder if I could lay across the top of the tank, and stick my hands, or tongs down into the tank for maintenance. [/B]

You need to get the rig Tom Cruise used in Mission Impossible.

 

[LarryW]

how about this.....

when the steel stand is built, I want a bolt on catwalk to go around the tank. Well What about a suspended platform that comes down from the ceiling? so you slide the lights back away from the tank, and lower the platform....

or

I move the lights back, then with the braces for the platform on either side of the tank, I just add the top, and pop a couple cotter pins in to keep it together on each side. this would be easier to do, and would make a scaffold about the tank when I need it.

 

[Deuce67]

Sounds like a great plan for a bigger tank. Is any of the walls in that room have a window or part of the exterior of the house? If so, proper ventilation would not be a problem for sure.

 

[Deuce67]

I also think that a 4' deep tank would be awesome. But as far as reaching in the front, Why not built an access in the front and work of a ladder. Maybe something like reefkoi's cover. It just flips up.

 

[reefkoi]

I think you could do a catwalk on 3 sides and then lay across it partway to clean that front glass. It will be a chore wither way i think without a front access.
Most all large tanks I see have a front access. If you are good the access door can be almost non-detectable I'm sure.
That will be a heavy tank and tough to get down there but you could always hire a company like ABC moving to get it down there, and have them sign a paper stating they will be responsible for any scratching.
I like the idea of a trolley to get the lights out of there, but when i place corals i usually have to see it from the front to get the placement right. I do it from the top sometimes, its tough to see but doable if that's the only option

 

[LarryW]

my plan for now was to keep it rear access only, simply for a picture view in the wall.... I might have to re-think that though.

 

[LarryW]

I might also downsize it to 8' long instead of 10' after looking at the room.

so a 8x3x30" would be about 450g. That might be more realistic.

 

[reefkoi]

ok then I know the look you are after, talk to eric drew, his sounds really similiar to what you are wanting only smaller, I'd swing by and check out his dads setup and get some early ideas off of that one.

 

[aquaman2000]

Come on Larry…… think big… real big like 120 X 60 X 48 LOL 1496.10 Gallons

 

[LarryW]

yeah, I'm sure I could pass that off........

I checked the stairway, and its 38'' wide. I am kinda leaning to the 450g dems. 4' deep would be awesome though.

 

[reefkoi]

Well, just have the tank built down there like Cliff said.
Fly somebody out from somewhere!

I love helping people spend their money.

C

 

[aquaman2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10341357#post10341357 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkoi
Well, just have the tank built down there like Cliff said.
Fly somebody out from somewhere!

I love helping people spend their money.

C

ME TOO:bum:

 

[reefkoi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10341441#post10341441 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquaman2000
ME TOO:bum:

Yeah you are the master! You love planting the seed and running!

 

[LarryW]

well after talking to scott, and from what chris has said, I think I need to setup this with access to the front.
so..... we will do a faux cabinet/stand/canopy. if I trim it out to appear the the cabinets are built into the wall, I can then open the doors to access the front of the tank. with the height being 30 or 32, I can have a 3 or 4' tank built. I will still setup the catwalk in back, but that should make it easier. I still plan in the light mover to slide the mh's out of the way.