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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by nerdz

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.