i started looking today... :(
 

i went to and called some LFS and started asking about a
8x4x2 tanks for a new peninsula build....

i feel broke already.

dude dont go to a Lfs ask around there are mant place will build for alot less.

mine is costing me around 600:mrgreen:

no way, where? ship me one
you go to a glass place?

If you're gonna go that big you might as well go 30 tall and make it a nice even 600 gallons

Ya Mike, share the wisdom. At that price i might get away with a upgrade when I spring it on the boss.

Boys boys I can't give u all my secrets to bad that I don't live in that area oh well I guess it's time for yeeeeeh alll move here

give us the secrets dammit

In Vancouver, the glass alone would cost more than $600, not including the labour or anything else.

whats the chances i could build it myself?

I also recommend getting one built, but be careful, do find a reputable builder with alot of experience. The last thing you want is a big tank blowing a seem!

Also price isn't everything, you do get what you pay for, and in my opinion the experience of the builder is the most important. You can spend thousands for a custom tank build, it all depends on many factors, so do your shopping/research.

In response to you building it yourself, if you have the courage to do it, then give it a try. But don't get upset if it leaks, I think patience in the building process is key. I myself thought about building my own tank next time, but probably will get Jay (Calgary tank builder) to build my next one, he built my current one, and I can say the quality of it surpasses most.

Seriously building your own tank isn't rocket science, when you look at what you have to do its a joke to build. and looking around and knowing the right people helps alot too. 1/2" glass isn't that much and the mark up that people put on things is crazy...

and having a tank that is surpasses the builders are doing nothing that order that special glass in that are cut and polished to a certain way. So when you look at the builders its where they get it from all they do is tape the edges and time thier time when applying the silicone/

:neutral:

also had jay do mine and i couldnt pick out one inperfection and i went over it with a fine tooth comb theres things he can do with a tank that not everybody can piece together so it all comes down to what you want and what you expect:)

i might go buy some glass and do a 24x24x10 cube for a frag/clown tank and see what happens. does someone have some good links on "how-tos"?

btw why is everyone mentioning glass? why not acrylic? I like the idea of rounded edges.

HEHE, I do agreee, but again I never built one, and when you are talking hundreds of gallons of water.... HHMMMMMM, I probably don't want to take a chance. If you have the contacts and knowledge, then I think you can save alot of dollars doing it yourself.

With most builders, you are correct, they just measure things up, get it all cut/polished/etc elsewhere and then tape and silicone. With Jay though, I can tell you that he does it all. He cuts, polishes, mitres, and whatever else is done for his tanks. He isn't cheap either, but he does keep the quality control under one roof. Again it is all part of the research and shopping around. Builders are not all the same either and most reefers can probably do the same job as the builders. So you are correct with your claims for most.

I personally wouldn't do acrylic for one reason, it does scratch much easier than glass. I also think acrylic is more expensive.

some people are a skilled trade......whats your time and skill and effort and name worth to you?.....

HEHE, sooooo true. I am a computer GEEK, if you need a computer fixed, web hosting or a website developed I can do it. Put a tool in my hand and I am like a Prehistoric Dumb Dumb!!!! :lol:

Well I guess that you dont make tanks or have some one making them for you hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . a talker

geezzzz then why even talk about it???

:loco: Well I guess you don't know me and how some of us talk around here to each other. this is a A and B conversion C yourself out .

I think when you get to a certain size of tank acrylic begins to be the more affordable option. I also think it's the safest if done by the right person and still I won't go down that road due to scratching. I don't even REALLY care if I scratch a glass tank here and there it does happen. With acrylic unless you are far more careful than I want to be several times a week it is many many scratches which look far worse than a few in glass.

Even though the steps in building a tank may seem simple and I consider myself handy I'd never build a large tank myself. Depending on size I also think it's totally worth having it built on-site and in place. I'm sure it's all in my head but I think moving even a new tank must stress the seams a little bit? I think an 8x4 tank fits into this category but it'll certainly cost you more to have them come build at your place.

I personally would let my LFS take care of the tank construction
much rather spend an extra few hundred bucks to have the assurance that there are no problems
damage would run more than a few hundred bucks if is self built and it starts to leak.

There is more than A and B reading this forum for your information.

so maybe take your message between A and B in private so that no C will see it.

My next tank hopefully 200-300 gallons, I plan to build it myself :), well assemble it anyways. I've built several sumps, and modified my own aquariums without any problems. My motivation would be the savings :)

HEHE, I like that saying, very creative. You brightened my day some. You made a funny!