Large (dream?!?)tank brainstorming thread, input appreciated!

[smokinreefer]

Hey all!

If all goes as planned I may have the opportunity to set up another large (dream) tank!

I will need lots of input, ideas, suggestions and all of your experiences to do this.
Ive been in the hobby for quite some time, but haven't had a large system since my 180, but that was kind of just thrown together.

I will definitely want a nice clean set up. Display tank, sump, and associated furniture.

I am not quite sure where the tank will go yet. When I have an idea I will post pics, so you can give your input.

THE TANK:
What's the general consensus on a good working size?
I loved my standard 180, 6x2x2.
Though if I can, maybe go 7 or 8' long?
I like the depth of a 300DD but how hard is it to work a 3' tank?
Maybe peninsula style will make access bearable-easy?
Should a 2' height be max? Simply from an access/maintenance stand point?

This will be a mixed reef, sps dominant. And I like fish that get big, I'll definitely have tangs and I'll probably try some Angels like an emperor.

[lpsreefer]

Well. My tank is 120 by 36 by 36.
I love it.
But most people on average only go about 28 tall
I would say go as big as you can so you have no regrets.
96 by 30 by 24-28 would be a rock star of a dream tank.

The only downside to having a big tank is getting the equipment.
After that it is all downhill.
Let the big fish swim!

[Scythanith]

36" tall is a challenge for scaping, managing corals, etc. I personally feel that the space you will be working in around the tank is almost as important as the tank itself. It needs to be easy for maintenance & clean up sake. If it's a struggle to get into your tank, or can only access it from one side, it can be a bit of a burden. Talk with cabinet builders about your water safe & resistant options. Putting some holes in your house walls/floors now may say you a lot of headaches down the road. It all may seem drastic, but we are talking dream tank here :)

[Piscez]

I just built a 220 30" depth, granted it is a bit of a reach but I'm 6'2" long arms and on a 3 step stool it's not a big deal, on a 40" stand its an awesome sight, check out the link to it in my sig if you like, I'll post some general room pics, once I have finished the cover paneling etc, might give you and idea, also check out my water change/ATO setup... no bucket or Barrels

[Myka]

36" tall is a challenge for scaping, managing corals, etc. I personally feel that the space you will be working in around the tank is almost as important as the tank itself.

I agree with both of these sentiments wholeheartedly!

If you can access the tank from both sides and you're tall with long arms, then 28 or 30" deep you might be able to reach the sand in most parts of the tank if you don't have any cabinetry limiting your access. I can't reach the sand in a 30" deep tank no matter what. Personally, I enjoy having a longer tank rather than height or width. I really enjoy watching the fish swim along a 10 foot length than a 36" width. One of my clients has a tank that is 102 x 30 x 24" and the tank is very easy to work in. Being 24" tall I can reach the sand anywhere. If I was making it myself, I would probably go a bit taller though just so there's a taller viewing pane - maybe 26-27" tall.

Do you have a tank now? Spend the next month doing EVERYTHING in the tank with tongs, and see how you like it. If you can stand it, then maybe you would be game for a deep tank. Go to your LFS and see if you can reach the bottom of a 30" deep tank. Imo, the biggest thing between 24" and 30" is tongs. There is a vantage to this though - you tend to not have corals/frags littered all over the sand bed when you can't reach it! ;)

I would put a lot of thought into your water change layout. Make it easy to do. Have a tank-only sink nearby (full size is nice). Personally, I like tanks built into the wall with a fish room/sink behind the tank. This makes water changes a snap. I would definitely plan out a no-bucket system. Pumps and hoses/plumbing make life easier.

I would also plan an electrical system that allows you to turn off the common items with a switch, like return pump, powerheads, skimmer, water change pumps, etc.

If you have a tank this big you need to think about humidity too, an HRV is the most efficient long-term option.

First things first...you need to figure out your budget. :) It sucks when you see people buy this giant tank and put a bunch of poor quality or under-sized equipment on it and the tank is just never very nice.

[whatcaneyedo]

You seem to be quite concerned about ease of accessing the contents of the tank for yourself. But how much do you actually want to have your hands in there? I personally don't like being up to my shoulder in the tank and my fish don't like it much either. In fact I will go into anaphylactic shock if my lion fish gets me. So instead of designing a tank for you to jump inside design it instead for your captives. Experiment with your rocks until you get an aquascape that you want to keep, give your coral room to grow so that you're not in there fragging them a month later, don't place tiny specimens in the sand bed if there is a risk of them getting buried etc. Then add a frag tank to the system so that you still have a space to play in that is easy to work with. Now design the tank that you want to look at instead of swim in. Easy peasy.

[Scythanith]

I guess I like digging around in my tank more than you do :) I take a lot of top down pictures, for that I need access for my camera, shoulders and head above the tank, and I like to be comfortable while doing it. That's why my system has a lot of access over top. Also, I'm short... so for me to reach a coral that may have fallen over and is in the sand in the middle of the tank I still need to use tongs, which I despise.

Just my 2 cents.

You seem to be quite concerned about ease of accessing the contents of the tank for yourself. But how much do you actually want to have your hands in there? I personally don't like being up to my shoulder in the tank and my fish don't like it much either. In fact I will go into anaphylactic shock if my lion fish gets me. So instead of designing a tank for you to jump inside design it instead for your captives. Experiment with your rocks until you get an aquascape that you want to keep, give your coral room to grow so that you're not in there fragging them a month later, don't place tiny specimens in the sand bed if there is a risk of them getting buried etc. Then add a frag tank to the system so that you still have a space to play in that is easy to work with. Now design the tank that you want to look at instead of swim in. Easy peasy.

[smokinreefer]

Great discussion!

I think I need to rename this...
I guess this wont be dream tank, but let's say permanent, no more upgrades tank lol.

I think cost & time & room will keep me from dream tank status.

So At this moment I'm thinking 6' x 2.5' x 2'

I do like to tinker with the tank, but having a young family prevents me from having time to do so.

So my main concerns are accessibility and ease of maintenance.

As I'm not sure on tank location yet, I'm uncertain if I will have any sort of fish room or remote sump.

The house does have a large crawl space, so hopefully I can utilize that.

And I most certainly do want a nice and simple water change system.

I've begun going through some of your tank journals, so much info!

[WarDog]

Unless your crawlspace is close to 5' high, you are going to get tired of that real fast. Especially if you plan on having a sump down there. I like to joke that they are only good for Hobbits.
You could however, plumb a drain from the tank stand, through the crawl and into one of your house drains. Makes for easy water dumps.

Sounds interesting, following along!

[Skimmin]

Mine is a 6Lx28H×36w 300gal peninsula. Im 5'10 and 28 to 30 max is all I can reach to the bottom of without diving gear or draining water. A good set of tongs are super handy too. If I could do it again I would fo 8 or 10ft long 30 high and 48 wide. Dont get me wrong... I'm happy with what I have but an extra foot of width and two or four feet in length would be sweet for a peninsula. If its a peninsula the width is not really a service issue because you can get around three sides.

[smokinreefer]

Haha I hear ya on the crawlspace. What a waste. I always imagine renting it out to some hobbits lol.

But good idea about using it to run tank drain into house plumbing.

For some reason I'm not really keen on having to use tongs to reach stuff. I guess that'll limit me to around 2' height.

Didn't realize there were that many people with large reefs. They must look sweet!

[CM125]

I regret getting such a deep tank, at 34" its a huge reach to the bottom. A think a 27 or so wouldn't be bad, just measure your reach lol

[asylumdown]

I've got a 27" tank that we put on an extra tall stand so my 6'4 partner could look at it without bending over. I need a ladder to work in the tank and it blows. +1 to designing a system you can easily reach the bottom of while standing on flat feet.

Also, If I could sledge hammer out my internal overflows and still have a viable tank, I'd do it right this second. If you can avoid internal overflows you'll not be scheming about ways to redo your whole tank in three years.

And finally, go long and wide as your space and dollars will allow. If this is your "last" upgrade, you don't want to be pining over how your 6' tank looks small when all your fish and corals grow up 2 years from now.

[smokinreefer]

I'm thinking maybe put like a step along the bottom of the stand so that I can reach further into the tank, and my kids can stand on it and see into the tank from a better height. Maybe have it removable incase I need access under the stand. But I don't want it to be a hazard it possibly topple if the kids are on it. I also wouldn't want it to be in the way if adults are trying to look into the tank up close.

Ok, I get it about the buyers remorse. I'll have to crunch numbers and see exactly where the tank will be situated before I can determine what max size I can afford.

What are you guys lighting your tanks with? Especially those spectacular tanks like lpsreefers 10 x 3?!?

As much as I want to use MH again, I don't think I can deal with the heat effectively. Or would a house having HRV do the trick? (That's another topic I'll have to get into) or I suppose this is my brainstorming thread...

Will having a house with HRV eliminate problems with heat, moisture etc the tank will most likely be free standing or peninsula as opposed to being situated in wall or with a fish room.

[untamed]

If you wanted to come by and have a look at my tank, that can be arranged. It has been up for 7 years now, so I must have done some things right!

The fact that it is acrylic has made the 4' width manageable from a maintenance POV.

[smokinreefer]

I remember seeing your tank a few years back, i was very impressed with your whole set up.

can you explain how the tank being acrylic has made maintenance easier?

[nerdz]

I remember seeing your tank a few years back, i was very impressed with your whole set up.

can you explain how the tank being acrylic has made maintenance easier?

Ya, it'll be interesting to learn why?

I suspect it is because the cross brace is strong enough to climb on?

[Jaws]

I wouldn't let the reach of a deep tank scare you away from doing it. I agree that I wouldn't want to go deeper than 30 inches because of reach and mainly lighting but the larger the viewing window, the more enjoyment. My tank is 7' long by 3' deep and 2.5' tall. The reason I went with those dimensions is proportions mainly. I wanted to make sure if I went with a longer and deeper tank that it didn't look shallow by only going 24" tall. If you have an open concept aquascape then there's not much you can't reach with your fingers or a pair of tongs. I placed my rock too so there's as little rock as possible touching the sand but lots of real estate at least 6" off the sand to place corals. That way most of it is easy to reach for you and your lights. Like everyone said though, the main thing is accessibility. If you're going to have the tank in a room, make sure you can slide the canopy off the tank if possible. A couple hidden door tracks work great for that. And figure out a way to build a 6" or greater lip around the tank. Oversize the stand or make it a bar/seating area but make sure you can walk around it if possible. Makes maneuvering around a deep tank like that so much more manageable.

[hondas3000]

Ya, it'll be interesting to learn why?

I suspect it is because the cross brace is strong enough to climb on?


lol you are correct, that is what I do with my tank as it is 30" deep and I have no problem reaching the front but the far back I have to climb on the acrylic top. I don't think you can do that with glass tank.

[Aquattro]

Even when I dream about the dream tank, it's still only 24" tall. I've had to fight for too many years reaching in to grab stuff I can't really reach.

[lockrookie]

When I dream of my dream tank. It turns into a nightmare

[untamed]

Ya, it'll be interesting to learn why?

I suspect it is because the cross brace is strong enough to climb on?

Yup, I crawl around on top of the tank... And crawl around underneath the tank. The tank also has a catwalk all the way around it. (The front catwalk is disguised as a bar)

Water changes are done using a pump. There are a lot of union valves throughout that enable pump maintenance. Just think maintenance on EVERYTHING that you plan.

[hondas3000]

Yup, I crawl around on top of the tank... And crawl around underneath the tank. The tank also has a catwalk all the way around it. (The front catwalk is disguised as a bar)

Water changes are done using a pump. There are a lot of union valves throughout that enable pump maintenance. Just think maintenance on EVERYTHING that you plan.


have you get inside your tank as well? I did mine because I can't reach. But yeah planning is everything with dream tank as there is no room for error and if there is, its really hard to fix that's why it could be nightmare for others.

[untamed]

Ha... No, I've never been inside the tank...on purpose.

[StirCrazy]

Great discussion!

The house does have a large crawl space, so hopefully I can utilize that.



My house in Victoria had a 3 foot crawl space. I put the chiller, pumps and UV down there. that little bit of equipment I got out of the stand gave me a lot more room.

Steve

[smokinreefer]

hey guys,

so I've got things slightly narrowed down, if were able to do the renos we want, my tank will be in the main living room, against a wall. if not, it'll be a peninsula between the family and dining room. either way it'll be 180-240gallons.

so as I don't have things finalized to design tank etc, what I can use some help with is equipment.

the first couple things i'd like to decide on is lighting and a skimmer.

i'm not quite sure if it'll be open top, or have a "canopy" that makes the tank look "in wall" if you know what i mean.

any suggestions on slick fixtures? i like the idea of "showing off" a pretty fixture, but i do not like the idea of light blasting/bleeding into our eyes, especiually if tank is in living room.

any suggestions on some slick fixtures, hybrid or other?

as for skimmer, i'm thinking i'll want to go oversized, mainly because i'm wanting to go sps dominant, and i like fish, and i tend to feed heavily...

let the games begin!

[gobytron]

Ha... No, I've never been inside the tank...on purpose.

lol :lol:

[smokinreefer]

so finally decided on placement...
its going to go in between the front family room and the formal dining...
peninsula...

this is the look I'm after...
http://st.houzz.com/simgs/87812a19028bef96_4-2558/tropical-living-room.jpg

*this pic is not mine, found it on the net...

but interesting enough, the formal dining is a couple steps up from the family room, so set up will be similar.

on the lower side; family room side, I hope to add some bench seating. The stand & cabinetry will probably match whatever we decide on for the kitchen.

[gobytron]

Yup, I crawl around on top of the tank... And crawl around underneath the tank. The tank also has a catwalk all the way around it. (The front catwalk is disguised as a bar)

Water changes are done using a pump. There are a lot of union valves throughout that enable pump maintenance. Just think maintenance on EVERYTHING that you plan.

when you talk about it, it sounds fun.

in practice, that probably wouldn't last long...

[sumpfinfishe]

Hey Shao did you win the lotto :mrgreen:

Chin had or still has a similar setup like your plans above, maybe drop him a pm and see if he has any advice.

[Myka]

That's a pretty sweet looking room divider.

[smokinreefer]

Hey Rich, if I won the lotto this tank and my renos would be so much easier to do! Haha

Cool I'll try dig around and see what info I can find on his system. I will definitely need some advice from him and anyone willing to help.

Yeah, in that pic, the tank fits into the space so well. And it's so clean looking.
That's what I want. My old 180 was ghetto!