guserto4
New member
Hi all,
First thing's first- have patience! I started this process long before I would have actually done so had it not been for a steal of a deal on a big tank, so the tank actually getting wet is a long ways off. That, however, doesn't mean there can't be a vigorous discussion on best practices / setup theory, planning, window shopping and the like... I know that's what I am doing in my head already, so I figured I'd start a venue to share ideas. No doubt someone could buy or DIY a tank of similar size, do a build thread and have it salty before mine. This is gonna be a slow process, hence it NOT being titled a build thread. I will do a build thread once things ACTUALLY get physically moving though, for a while (unfortunately), it's all theory.
PRELUDE TO A BUILD THREAD
INTRODUCTION:
I purchased this tank just a few weeks ago, the exterior dimensions are: 115.25"x47.5"x15" and it is made of 3/4" acrylic. It came used from a LFS so scratches came free!
The footprint of this tank is over 38 sq. ft. but it's only about an inch taller than your basic 10 gallon so it's an odd-ball tank for sure. I plan on doing a reef tank complete with LF & sand and am leaning towards more of a shallow lagoon reef biotope, but will probably incorporate different regions versions of lagoon occupants and bend the term "lagoon" a little as well. I want lots of smaller fish which will make the tank look even bigger than it is (big fish in a big tank make it look smaller to me) with a few larger accent/show fish (suggestions welcome, but thinking in the tang direction). I have been doing the pie-in-the-sky dreaming and designing for a larger shallow tank similar to this since seeing my first one years ago at a LFS before graduating from FW (ponds, tanks, indoor aquaponics pondtanks [almost my architectural thesis topic], etc) into SW. I will be building a house (but I haven't purchased a lot yet) and I'd like to use this tank as a room divider on an open floor plan between the kitchen, living and dining rooms- likely build it into an island or peninsula and have counter top around and over portions of it with a fish room for all the utilities of a tank this large. With a professional background in design and a long standing love of building/DIY, it is paramount to me that this look like a part of the house rather than residing as a free standing object within it (aiming to be a shining member of the large, shallow and modern tank club threads at RC).
Because of the shallowness of this tank, and my demand to incorporate sand (probably 1-1.5") this creates some issues many other tanks don't have to deal with.
Because my water column is short and the footprint is big, circulation & lighting (IMHO) will be a much different animal than normal. I don't need punch, I need coverage. This tank will require finesse but, I think, will also have some different opportunities than a conventionally dimensioned tank. In that light, I have begun conceptualizing layout of this tank in zones, thinking of the ~10' x 4' tank in terms of 8x 40g breeders. I will plan out the systems of the tank with these 8 zones in mind. Your opinions, experience and reminders of reality along the way ARE MUCH APPRECIATED. :dance:
Stay tuned...:fun4:
First thing's first- have patience! I started this process long before I would have actually done so had it not been for a steal of a deal on a big tank, so the tank actually getting wet is a long ways off. That, however, doesn't mean there can't be a vigorous discussion on best practices / setup theory, planning, window shopping and the like... I know that's what I am doing in my head already, so I figured I'd start a venue to share ideas. No doubt someone could buy or DIY a tank of similar size, do a build thread and have it salty before mine. This is gonna be a slow process, hence it NOT being titled a build thread. I will do a build thread once things ACTUALLY get physically moving though, for a while (unfortunately), it's all theory.
PRELUDE TO A BUILD THREAD
INTRODUCTION:
I purchased this tank just a few weeks ago, the exterior dimensions are: 115.25"x47.5"x15" and it is made of 3/4" acrylic. It came used from a LFS so scratches came free!
The footprint of this tank is over 38 sq. ft. but it's only about an inch taller than your basic 10 gallon so it's an odd-ball tank for sure. I plan on doing a reef tank complete with LF & sand and am leaning towards more of a shallow lagoon reef biotope, but will probably incorporate different regions versions of lagoon occupants and bend the term "lagoon" a little as well. I want lots of smaller fish which will make the tank look even bigger than it is (big fish in a big tank make it look smaller to me) with a few larger accent/show fish (suggestions welcome, but thinking in the tang direction). I have been doing the pie-in-the-sky dreaming and designing for a larger shallow tank similar to this since seeing my first one years ago at a LFS before graduating from FW (ponds, tanks, indoor aquaponics pondtanks [almost my architectural thesis topic], etc) into SW. I will be building a house (but I haven't purchased a lot yet) and I'd like to use this tank as a room divider on an open floor plan between the kitchen, living and dining rooms- likely build it into an island or peninsula and have counter top around and over portions of it with a fish room for all the utilities of a tank this large. With a professional background in design and a long standing love of building/DIY, it is paramount to me that this look like a part of the house rather than residing as a free standing object within it (aiming to be a shining member of the large, shallow and modern tank club threads at RC).
Because of the shallowness of this tank, and my demand to incorporate sand (probably 1-1.5") this creates some issues many other tanks don't have to deal with.
Because my water column is short and the footprint is big, circulation & lighting (IMHO) will be a much different animal than normal. I don't need punch, I need coverage. This tank will require finesse but, I think, will also have some different opportunities than a conventionally dimensioned tank. In that light, I have begun conceptualizing layout of this tank in zones, thinking of the ~10' x 4' tank in terms of 8x 40g breeders. I will plan out the systems of the tank with these 8 zones in mind. Your opinions, experience and reminders of reality along the way ARE MUCH APPRECIATED. :dance:
Stay tuned...:fun4:
