Please help me design a custom acrylic tank!!

[Mr James]

***I posted this in the TCMAS forum, in case you belong to it. I like both places as they both encompass my new state!!***

I'm going to get a quote on a custom acrylic tank. It will be in-wall and I really want to avoid spending a million bucks for it. I want an interesting tank, but also very functional. In my past I have had the following tanks, not necessarily together 5g, 20H, 29g, 60g, 75g, 120g, 125g, 180g <--being my last set up...

I want something new and different. I currently have a 40g breeder and a 30g, which were originally intended for show tank and fuge, with 70g (or 100g) Rubbermaid sump. I do not plan to have SPS again. I don't plan to have crazy amounts of fish. I guess I want to focus on some softies and LPS. I also want to focus on my fuge and try different types of macros. SO, the tank needs to be able to accommodate all of the above.

I always thought a racetrack tank would be cool or even possibly a multi-tiered tank where the top flows down to the next, and down to the next, and so on. Sort of like a water fall, but through PVC tubes. It'd create it's own water movement with the surge of water coming from above. But then of course I would need several tanks instead of just one. Hmmmm. I just may shoot for this?!? Different species in different tanks. Never have to worry about sweeper tentacles or problem fish. Hmmmm. I think I just talked myself into it.

What would you do??

[tarax]

I've had a great idea for an in wall tank.. Would take tons of work and you'll need to remote sump but I'll do a quick drawing here of something that I've had in my head for like the last year or so since I started wanting to get back into Salt..

If I ever got a place I swore this is what I would attempt to build..

http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x49/tarax_photos/Drawings/?action=view&current=tankdesign.jpg

The Highest tank would overflow into the middle which would overflow into the lowest which would feed the sump and then return to the first.

I put "teeth" to try and keep fish in their own environment but you would have to decide size/depth of teeth based on the water flow you are trying to achieve.. Each Tank would need something like a Tunze or something for flow/circulation in each section.

I kind of took the idea from looking at Melev's sumps (I ended up with one of these when I bought my tank) and I think it might be doable..

[Mr James]

Holy cow, 250g at 9' long!! So much for downsizing. No, it loks great tarax. I need to sit down and do some sketching and exact measuring regarding available space.

[tarax]

One of the parts I haven't really worked out is how to control the event of the water going from one tank into another. I personally don't like the idea of tubes.. more to hide.. I really haven't done a lot of thinking recently on it, but will try and work up some sketches etc on my free time..

The original plan for this was a room divider with a remote sump in the basement.

[Mr James]

That would be a nice room divider. You would control the water level like we do our tanks. In the tank we rely on the overflow to head south to the sump. If the Durso fails, your sump will empty into your tank, thus overflowing. We trust. Although some people will install an extra overflow in their tank that will go outside or down a drain or something.

But with the tiered system, we can have one bulkhead that drains to the next tank and have a second that "just in case".

[tarax]

What about a float value attached to the return pump. If the water gets above a certain level the pump shuts off.

[Mr James]

It would require some tricky (in my case only) wiring. I put in a request for quote to an acrylic manufacturer for 3 tanks measuring 24" x 18" x 18" with two 1" bulkheads in the ends. I'm also having him quote the same three but 36" long. I'll let you know what I find out.

[tarax]

Actually its not bad at all. There are several DIY articles on how to do it out on the net. That is going to end up being one of my projects here shortly since I have a HOB overflow with syphon U tube.

I supposedly have one that has "never" done that but I'll feel a lot better once it is completed.

As far as the tank goes, I was hoping you would have waited. I spent part of last night coming up with a 4 x 8 sheet layout for what parts would be needed for construction. I was going to spend tonight working on how to best attack the waterfall event issue and then ask for your email addy so I could send it to you.. The plan I have in mine has two common walls which would reduce part of the cost (I would hope anyway...) or at least give you something to chew on in your decision making process.

[Mr James]

Oh, I haven't committed to anything yet. I am just getting a quote to see what the cost would be. I'll PM you my e-mail address and see what you have in mind. Just from your description, it sounds interesteing. Diagrams or pictures would help tremendously.

[icereefer]

if your intersted in making your own acrylic tank or equipment James let me know, I'd still be willing to give you a hand.
Jim Durso.

[Mr James]

I'm not going to do it myself. I'm looking to have it done professionaly.