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#26
02/01/2005, 01:22 AM
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Hmm since you mentioned the time deadline to install it before the walls I think that's where your problem lies, I don't know if you could get the materials you want quickly, now if this house isn't going to go up for months and months then you should be fine, but if the framing is being done at the end of the week you're in trouble.
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Mike |
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#27
02/01/2005, 07:15 AM
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Greetings bergzy,
Before I begin, let me say that you have best avatar on this site.  I should state that when I mentioned the walls being installed, I didn't mean that was happening this week, but just that the tank needed to be installed before the walls went up. Right now the architectural drawings are half-done, and the ground breaking will begin in approx. 3-4 months. Waterdog Products contacted me to say that they have a 16 week timeline. This looks good. The humidity issue has been accounted for, as I've read many of the "humidity" posts on this site, as well as all of Mr. 4000's posts. The entire Fish Room will be constructed of concrete and green-board, and covered in an epoxy paint (waterproof). This room will be located directly behind the tank and extend to the height of the house, 3 stories. I got this idea from the setup shown in the attached pics.   The only differences in my setup will be that I will have an area directly above the tank, and in front of the viewing area, to clean the viewing window from. I'll actually be lying down directly above someone who would be looking at the front of the tank. This is why the room is 3 stories tall. Also, I plan to have all the filtration equipment at waist level, instead of on the floor. With the available space I'll have, there's no reason to have to bend over. ktmhk53 Last edited by ktmhk53; 02/01/2005 at 07:27 AM. |
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#28
02/01/2005, 09:46 AM
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I've seen a number of these tank rooms in a garage. It doesn't give me a comfortable feeling about the air quality.
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Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. ~ Anatole France (1844-1924) |
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#29
02/01/2005, 04:04 PM
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Quote:
 thank you! it is great when others are complimentary to one another! yep...that is the violin is am aspiring to eventually get! but a $1m for one in decent shape...i will have to spend a little more time collecting my used soda cans for recycling!  don't forget to think about some sort of air exchange method...whether it be an output fan to expel humidity laden air, bring fresh air in...or both! another thing to think about is if you are thinking about using a chiller. if you are...having one remotely located outside will be much more effective and efficient for its intended purpose! i am lucky that my equipment is located in the garage. when i feel that the air is getting a little moist, i just open the door for an hour or so. does wonders! what i found to be a total time, back bone and, well, basically, lifesaver is a sink in the garage. i can easily wash things and empty icky junk down the drain without having to haul anything anywhere. i could have hooked my ro/di unit to the sink but instead it is in the kitchen with its drinking kit since i was able to split the line and run it to the garage (with a lot of 1/4" tubing!). my tank is only a 180g with about 300g total water volume. i did the electrical in that the tank had two dedicated 20 amp circuits and another 15a to run the tank only (lights and ph's in the tank). the chiller and heaters are on a totally separate breaker than the rest of the equipment that is in the garage. air quality is not a problem in the garage as it is a three car garage and the only car in there is my wifes. the only time sthe car is on is when she is driving the car out and into the garage...minimal pollution generation. i find it easier, for me, to park outside on the driveway. this means that there is a lot of room for additional equip if i ever needed the space. you are a lucky guy! at most, i can fit a 400g odd size tank in the space that i have. i have a single story home so there is no option of going up or down! hope this little tidbit helps! let us know how you are selecting a tank material via the advice of waterdog products (are these the guys that are building your tank and possible equip room?)
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...and the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats and... Ben. |
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#30
02/01/2005, 05:36 PM
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Greetings again everyone,
Thanks for the tips bergzy, I can use all the help I can get. John at WP is working up a quote for me right now. While the final length and width will be determined by my budget, I'm really focusing on having the tank as tall as possible so that the top of it extends above the viewing room's ceiling. This will give the appearance that you're underwater. Also, I've decided to absolutely sink the tank several inches below the bottom of the viewing window opening. This will help give the appearance of the tank being bottomless, and as I said earlier, allow me to keep the aragonite far enough below the viewing window opening that it prevents scratches from being seen. Now on to finding someone to design the Life Support systems, and provide the interior rockwork. I forgot to mention that this will be a FOWLR tank. I still need to determine whether to have the LR in the tank, or in the sump... ktmhk53 |
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#31
02/01/2005, 06:15 PM
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I have helped a good friend do intalls a few times & I am sure he could help you out with the filtration stuff if needed. A few years back we installed 2 1200 gallon tanks & 10 300-660 gallon tanks in a guys basement in Washington D.C., looked like a museum
They also build aquariums & can make them any size. If it was me I would do the entire tank in acrylic. Glass would scare me due to the reasons other people mentioned. I am sure concrete, wood or fiberglass are OK alternatives however I feel for ease of maintenance/install/etc all acrylic is superior. You just have to be cautious on how you clean the acrylic however you already mentioned placing the substrate a few inches below the viewing window so you do not pull stuff up & scratch it. I would do the LR in the tank, you might as well enjoy it
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#32
02/02/2005, 10:23 AM
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I say go for it with glass. If money isn't a concern you should be able to find an industrial glass maker. I'd go one step further and have a bow front made. At the Calgary Zoo they have the new destination Africa exhibit made out of curved glass and its about 10,000 plus gallons, it houses hippos! Keep us posted.
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My tank is finally done........Ya right! |
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#33
02/02/2005, 11:42 PM
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You might want to visit with this guy in St. Louis. Search for Zilla and there is a detailed thread about his tank.
http://www.seaplace.org/gallery/Zilla-III |
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#34
02/02/2005, 11:57 PM
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Concrete would help with the strength and cost issues. With a room/tank this size you could just take the glass out and turn the space into a wine celler when you sell the house.
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#35
02/03/2005, 07:44 AM
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Greetings everyone,
Thanks for the suggestions and photos. I'd likely go with a plywood/epoxy tank if I "knew" for certain that it would last at least 20 years. It would be the least expensive way to go, as my family is in the building trade, so construction costs would be minimal. Unfortunately, I can't "risk" a couple thousand gallons of saltwater (and dead livestock) on my floor to find out. Concrete seems a safer option, but (living in Southern Maine) I haven't found anyone local who is both experienced, and willing to commit to this type of project. John at WP quickly provided me with quotes for 2 fiberglass tanks with a single acrylic window. The dimensions for the first is 12' x 4' x 7' with an approximate price of $29,000.00. The second tank is 15-1/2' x 4' x 7' with an approximate price of $37,000.00. I've chosen to share these prices with everyone, as I think it helps members get an idea of the cost in this type of project. My construction budget won't be finalized for another 6 weeks, but when it's done I plan on getting the largest tank possible. I hope it can be one of John's...  ktmhk53 |
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#36
02/03/2005, 08:17 AM
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ktmhk53,
FWIW Waterdog is a well known (and highly regarded) company in public aquariums and they have always been extremely pleasant to work with as I have on a number of occasions. If you do go through with this and work with them, I am quite certain that your experience will equal those of mine. The one piece of advice I can give regarding these tanks is to have every penetration planned out ahead of time as they are "built in" to the tank structure itself. Put in extras as well (for possible future use) and plug them just in case you want them down the road. BTW, the prices seem very reasonable to me and far, far less than an all acrylic tank would be. HTH, James |
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#37
02/03/2005, 08:24 AM
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ktmhk53, What are the window dimensions?
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Mike Reefcentral Folding@Home team 37251 - Click my little red house to learn more and help medical science! |
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#38
02/03/2005, 10:25 AM
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so does anybody here know what is the largest glass panel you could safely have with 3/4" glass? 1"? 1.5"?
i think the biggest i've seen is qualos' tank with 3/4" glass, 8' x 3' x 4', so the biggest panel is 8x3, which could lead to a very large square tank, thats just with 3/4" |
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#40
02/03/2005, 01:27 PM
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Quote:
Thanks for the reassurance. I'll certainly take your advice on pre-plumbing for any possible future needs. Can you tell us what a ballpark figure for an all acrylic tank in these 2 sizes would be? I'm sure we'd all find that information interesting. Quote:
The window sizes are approximately 11-1/2' or 15' wide by approximately 6-1/2' tall. Quote:
Yes, my plan is to place the tank on a poured concrete pedestal. Its surface dimensions will extend beyond the sides and back of the tank approximately 3' so as to provide a walkway. ktmhk53 |
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#41
02/03/2005, 09:52 PM
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Don't forget to plan for humidity...and take lots of pictures!
There are lots of old threads where people have been planning multi-thousand gallon tanks, just start reading on the last page of this forum, the threads tended to filter to the bottom...I have seen very few people actually follow through, but I wish you good luck. |
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#42
02/03/2005, 10:10 PM
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Maybe this has already been stated and I missed it, but ktmhk, you are aware that James (Acrylics) built the tank you posted a picture of? Personally, I would do business with no one else in custom fabrication.
Good luck on your project - I hope you keep us all informed of your decisions and progress!
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When life hands you lemons ... add vodka! Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. Closed minds should come with closed mouths. |
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#43
02/03/2005, 11:16 PM
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good luck!
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Neil |
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#44
02/04/2005, 12:22 AM
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KT- If you post pictures from someone else's site, it is appropriate to at least credit the site in your post. Most of us recognize Steve Weast's tank, but for those that don't- visit oregonreef.com
Zeph |
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#45
02/04/2005, 01:18 AM
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Browse around www.royal-exclusiv.de
Lot's of construction pictures of absurdly large tanks, might be inspiring Here for example is a step by step slide show of a 5000 gallon tank construction: http://english.royal-exclusiv.de/reference8.htm |
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#46
02/04/2005, 01:52 AM
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ktmhk53
Have you seen this thread yet? 1700gal shark tank. Wood and fibreglass I believe. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article...00g_tank_1.php
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Thanks Bob |
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#47
02/04/2005, 08:49 AM
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Greetings everyone,
Thanks for the info, links, pic citation standards, and encouragement. Didn't this thread take a wild turn from its humble beginnings of "Largest Possible Glass Aquarium?!" While I'm trying to anticipate every possible scenario in this tank's construction, which is impossible, what would you be most concerned about with such a project? Would it be requiring (or avoiding) a certain feature, filtration, lighting, etc? I'd really like to hear your concerns, as well as your suggestions for an even better setup along these lines. ktmhk53 |
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#50
02/04/2005, 12:31 PM
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Quote:
To get into what would be best and colored acrylic (read custom run), you could easily add 40-50% or more. As for what I personally would watch out for would be determined by what sort of fish you want. A predator tank will have different needs than say a tank full of schooling chromis' or tangs. For a predator tank fo this size, I'd use a much bigger filtration system whereas I'd probably use just LR & macroalgae for schooling reef fish. Of course, opinions will vary greatly on this type of stuff James |
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