Contemplating Going BIG!!! 500+ Gallon

[mitch91175]

Ok, as some of you may already know, a few months ago I setup a 210 gallon http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=47245. With all of the equipment that I have in my living room, I am thinking about converting my office (which I am never in) into a fish room. The office has a wall which I could put a tank that could be 96" long. I have a few questions since I am strictly in the research phase.

1. What would be a good source for a tank that large?
2. Is it best to go with acrylic or glass?
3. With a tank this size, should I look into going with a closed-loop system?
4. What would be a good skimmer?
5. Should I use my 210 as a sump (if I go through with this build)?

These are just a few research questions that I need to start out with. If there are any recommendations please post.


By the way, the actual wall itself is 127" so i could go bigger; I just will have to move some electrical to a different location.

 

[Charlie]

Dude, you need some serious counseling I love Ramin's tank. Here's his spec list:

Tank and Accessories:

* 560 Gallon Tank - 10ft long, 30" wide, 37.5 inches tall
* 150 Gallon Sump, Refugium - 74"Lx21.25"Wx22"H
* 85 Gallon Saltwater Vat - For water changes
* 8 Gallon Freshwater Top Off Vat
* Aqua-fx 300gph 5 stage Reverse Osmosis De-ionization System
* Custom Euro-Reef RC750 Protein Skimmer
* Reeflo Hammerhead Return Pump
* Tradewind 1HP 230V Chiller
* 2 - Vortec 3000gph circulation pumps with battery backup
* Schuran Jetstream 1 Calcium Reactor

Pictures are here:
http://tinyurl.com/4uhrgn

 

[mitch91175]

@Charlie wrote:

Tell me about it!!! 8)

From an expense standpoint, I shouldn't have too much additional cost with the equipment I already have from the 210 build. I have a 75 complete setup that I think I would use for a frag setup in the fish room. From additional equipment, all I see myself needing is an additional:

Lumenarc reflector, bulb, ballast
New Skimmer
Possibly a new calcium reactor (may just add kalk reactor instead)
More live rock

 

[dp1416]

mitch, look at my thread...would never go back.

DO NOT USE YOUR TANK FOR A SUMP - too nice. Sell it and put money towards the new tank

 

[havuk]

Ya know it's sad when I read about someones new build and their SUMP will be 90 gallons more than my DT :wink:

 

[mitch91175]

@havuk wrote:

Havuk you can join the roller coaster ride, just get you a bigger tank. :twisted:

 

[mitch91175]

Ok ya'll. I have a mock of the tank as it would fit in the wall. So far the dimensions are 96"x 48"x 31" (app 620 gallons). Here is a pics of the wall I would use for the in-wall:

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The tank will be in a wall in my kitchen. What are ya'll thoughts? Should I decrease the height of the tank or lower the bottom from 36" to 30"? I will be using existing 250W MHs (I do understand that penetration at the bottom of the tank will be less with a 31" tall tank). I am contemplating a closed loop and was wondering would I have to replace my Reeflo Dart pump with something else or can I just add an additional Dart pump?

Please help me out with this because this will most definitely be my last build and I want to get it right the first time.

 

[mitch91175]

I could go longer but I have a light switch that I have to worry about if I do so.

 

[Serk]

Not meaning to patronize AT ALL, so please don't take this wrong, but...

-Expect a LOT more carpentry work than you ever thought possible... I'm so sick of sawing, screwing together, glueing, measuring boards together, apart, etc... I just wanna play with the fishies dangit!

-Whatever your budget is, double it... Heck, triple it... I'm over $10k in and don't even have a tank here yet on my 300... Also with larger sizes, ongoing costs keep going up to... Water changes use more salt, pumps have to be bigger, more lighting, more electric, more bulbs to replace, etc...

On material, acrylic would be a LOT lighter for a tank that size, but I'll never own an acrylic display, I WOULD scratch the snot outta it in no time, so for me it's glass ONLY. If you're extremely disciplined acrylic might work, but I just couldn't handle that...

For a large tank, if you've got the room front to back, I'd go less tall, and deeper. Go as deep as you can. Giving it that "3D" effect adds SO MUCH to a tank, and with a shallower tank you need less intense (And thus expensive!) lighting...

 

[mitch91175]

@Serk wrote:

Thanjks for the info Serk. I will browse over your build log to see why yours is so expensive.

 

[mitch91175]

Brian, I looked over your build thread briefly and see why your cost are high. It looks like you had to purchase some equipment that I already have purchased for my 210 build. I won't have to purchase a lot of additional equipment. I also think that I should be able to use my existing sump/refugium as well. Again, everything I am doing right now is preliminary. Thanks for the insight though.

 

[Serk]

Trip to Home Depot
Tank/stand itself ($4500)
Another trip to Home Depot
3x Vortechs
Back to Home Depot I go
Tunze Wave Box
Home Depot
3x Lumen Bright fixtures w/ 3x bulbs and 3x Icecap Ballasts
(Yup, you guessed it, TWO trips to Home Depot this time!)
Heaters, Pumps, etc...

It's all the little things that add up quickly...

My wife set up a CC just for aquarium related stuff, that's how I know where the total stands... They don't seem like a WHOLE lot individually, but all those trips to Home Depot for things you never even thought up quickly add up over the course of a big project like this...

 

[kwl1763]

Also don't skimp on your your tank. Go glass (believe me on this one) and make the viewable one starfire.

I would highly suggest dual waveboxes. They are awesome and you won't regret it. Circulation is the hardest thing in my opinion. You can look at my build log two and hopefully it will help you a bit.

 

[mitch91175]

@Serk wrote:

Who built your tank (link)? I was looking at glasscages. Maybe I should not have invested in the stock market today. :?:

 

[Serk]

Is building... A-G-E is building my tank...

Glass Cages, well... I just wasn't willing to take the roll of the dice that dealing with them seems to be...

(Of course, considering I was supposed to have my tank after 3 weeks when I ordered it on August 1st, I can't say a WHOLE lot, but at least they haven't been rude, they respond to my queries, and they're giving me some bonuses for it taking so long, plus they're local (As in about 4 miles from my house) so I'm not gonna hafta meet 'em at a truck stop near the Oklahoma border with 4 friends and a pickup to get my tank)

Also, I'm looking long term. I want this tank to be up and running indefinitely, so I'm planning things for 30 years. And that's 30 years of major water flow, wave boxes, and who knows what'll be invented over time, so it's being built extra stout... (CNC machined top with braces and euro bracing, PVC bottom, etc) and a Starphire front, on a tubular steel (Powder coated) stand...

I skimped last time and went with the cheapest equipment or DIY I could get away with, and I paid for it repeatedly, and this time I decided it's cheaper in the long run to buy quality equipment up front instead of buying cheap initially, then paying for the quality equipment anyway later on down the road...

Sorry if I'm coming off a little preachy, I don't mean to be...

 

[mitch91175]

Not preachy at all. Take a look at my 210 build and I think I didn't skimp alot at all. I do want something that will last along time and do not want to repurchase equipment, etc unless it is worn out from usage. I will look into their tanks (please post a link). Before proceeding, I am trying to get as much intel as possible (I really appreciate your passion - it only helps me and others in the long run). Thanks.

 

[Serk]

Here's AGE's web page:

http://www.acrylicandglassexhibits.com/

They don't sell direct to the public, you'll need to go through a LFS to make an order or get a quote. They don't have a catalog per se, what they do is 100% custom orders...

(And, although the quality I've seen so far has been fantastic, they're NOT fast!)

 

[extinguishfire]

I recommend Deep Sea Aquatics. That is where I got mine and it is stainless steel frame so there are no big glass crossbraces or eurobracing. Also it comes with a 7 year warranty as long as it on their stand and it covers damage to your house as well. Although they have never had a stainless steel frame tank leak even all the way back while they were making them for Oceanic.

P.S. Ramin's tank is a Deep Sea Aquatics built tank.

 

[kwl1763]

Also look at Aquarium Obsessed (That is where mine is from and the service was second to none.

Inter American I've also seen good work from.

 

[mitch91175]

@extinguishfire wrote:

Got a quote for a DSA tank and I do not care how awesome they think their tanks are they are crazy for the amount they charge. The tank alone would be over $6K (96"x36"x31"). I am waiting on a quote from Marineland. I also got a quote from GlassCages and their price is more feasible at $3500 with a Starphire front, bulkheads, etc. That does not mean that I will go with GlassCages though.