Drop Off Reef Tank

[don.ald]

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

Also thinking about possibly just building a regular rectangular aquarium and then making a shelf inside to duplicate the above. Then just cover the side of the aquarium with part of the stand so it still produces the L-shape.

this was my first thought when i saw the pics; but, i think you can do it with a real drop-off. go for it. i'm watching.

[monocus]

i would go with a rectangular,and build a viewable cave area

[Skimmerking]

what about doing it in Plywood. and have a see through hole on the left side or right side. or the viewing will still be the front. and the drop off can have ahuge oval shape view

[lastlight]

I was thinking the same with the shelf but with that empty void who knows how that affects the overall structure with water pushing down on it? I'd have inner eurobracing everywhere and build the stand edges a bit higher to hide it. So build the rectangle, inner brace it all then construct the shelf by building a hollow box inside and inner brace that. I'm no engineer (I'm a drop-out engineer tho lol) but that sounds do-able.

[steve fedyk]

I saw a build on rc last summer. He cut the glass on a flow jet(water) and looked pretty cool. I would like to see one built here.

[lastlight]

If you don't do the rectangle first technique I'd personally have it built on-site so the tank conforms to your stand better and doesn't get moved around. Then of course inner brace where possible.

[Strickland_673]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...754535&page=11

This guy built his own and as far i can see it's still up and running. same tank from second picture in first post. just the build thread.

[StirCrazy]

any time you have 90 degree inside corner cuts your going to have a week spot in glass.

I would suges to use a normal tank (but taller than normal) and partition off part of the inside to make a shelf. don't seal this off but leave a way to get into it and put a tone of rubble and rock in there to make a pod haven, just make sure that fish can't get in. this will increase tank load cabability due to the extra live rock (which can be crammed in there and filled to the max as it doesn't have to look good) and also supply food for other fish. just make sure you make it so you do have some flow going through that area. so maybe use egg crate to make the partition and then find a way to make it look good.

Steve

[Gripenfelter]

I want to try the L-shaped tank first. If it isn't do-able then I'll do the rectangular box.

Here are some more ideas for the tank (not my diagrams).



It doesn't use a sump or skimmer. I would however use both a sump and skimmer.

[mark]

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

Type of tank I've always thought was interesting was the beach/water for mud-skippers. With your layout, mud-skippers and a reef.

Thinking about the Aquagiant tanks and their curves corners, wonder what a custom from them would cost.