preview of 800 g tank in 3 rooms

[Tmrvstyle]

This idea was born from a the "in wall loophole". When your better half points out that large reef tanks tend to crowd a room up - you can use the "in wall loophole" - which - by definition puts the tank in the wall, and therefore, not crowding any room whatsoever. Now, if you build a wall that is four feet thick - you have some serious options. I was able to get this past not only my wife, but also the real boss, our interior designer.

Kidding aside, our friend and designer helped me with the dimensions and came up with some cladding ideas for the cabinet / wall, which I think will be unique - and will coordinate with the surrounding decor. Putting this in the control of our designer - has done a great deal to alleviate stress.

One system counts as one tank, I've won that wife argument.

 

[Bpp124987]

I was a crappy video anyway. I'll try to up my game and make a nice one.

Lol. I’m on chrome. No dice for me. Still a rad tank

 

[monica HHF]

it going to be beautiful. Walls made from tanks are wonderful.

 

[dzolot]

Improvements from my old setup.
1. better access. The cabinet / wall will have access panels all the way around. On the left side will be a maintenance closet.
2. less pumps. As a peninsula, the returns will be on the left, with penductors and 3 or 4 max-spect Gyres - running with only ONE turbine each. I find them MUCH easier to break down and maintain this way. And, the velocity of flow seems higher when only one turbine is attached. I am hoping to push enough water across the top to create a gyre type flow, so that I don't have to put any pumps on the far side. Old school life reef skimmer - one simple old school pump that can last 10 years. If I need to, I will suspend another gyre mid tank. No pumps on the glass - if I can help it.
3. Glass tank with magnet access all the way around. Scraping coralline will hopefully be much easier versus my current acrylic tank.
4. Adjustable aquascaping. I am going to build a network of rock "islands". Each one can be pulled out of the tank if it gets overgrown with mushrooms, mojanos, montipora, whatever. By perhaps changing one or two islands per year, I can keep the aquascaping fresh and fun - and trial and error until I get it right. Also, no rocks more than 12 inches tall. Got to be disciplined and leave room for the corals to grow.
5. Separate grow out area. I lose so many frags in my current display and I throw away so much coral! I need to end this waste.
6. Hidden returns. The tank is 140 inches long. I will frame 128 inches for viewing, giving me 12 inches of "out of view" area for the returns and gyres.

If any of you were doing it over with your monster tanks... what would you do differently?

Anyway to do an external overflow so you don’t have to “waste” 12” of viewable space? I have a 235g that is plumbed like a peninsula and has an external overflow on the left side. I know it’s not a mega 800g like what you’re building, but it works perfectly!!

 

[NavyDiver73]

Here is the house I am building for my new reef tank. The tank will be 140 inches long by 48 inches wide and 30 inches tall. About 870 gallons I guess. View-able from the living room, breakfast nook, and a "library" with a hidden door - to confound those who notice a room when they look through the tank.

What LEDs are you guys using for your monster tanks? I have just FOUR radions Gen 2 over my current 300, which I like. I would probably need 8 of them for this tank, plus another 2 to 4 in the grow-out tank going in the basement.

Holy Crap!!

 

[ClownSchool]

Thanks for the encouragement!!!

First bump in the road. They poured cement over the drain in the fish room. D'OH!

Hopefully, they can cut it out without busting the radiant heat coils. Also, I might have to have the floor pitched toward the drain... right? Clearly, the guys who poured the cement were not thinking about that.



Lifetime Aquariums is building the tank. Hopefully, to arrive in 4 to 6 weeks.

I like the overflows and compact aluminum frame. Being able to push the waterline as high as possible will help maximize the utility of 30 inch depth. My current tank creates about four inches of useless reaching distance between the canopy frame (.75 inches), Euorbrace (1.25 inches thick), and unnecessarily low water line (2 inches). So, compared to my current 30 inch deep tank... I am trying to reduce the reaching distance by 3 inches while increasing the swimming room for my fish. Clever - right!

I'll also be sure to seal the inside of my new canopy with white pond armor, which will repel splashes and spray, and should help spread out the light by reflection.

Here is a picture of the clever overflows. They'll mount an external box on the backside of the tank... where I will install a "beananimal" overflow. So... no plumbing below the water-line.

How wii I’llll you vent the canopy?

 

[FishTruck]

How wii I’llll you vent the canopy?

The 4 inch cut out that you see in the picture is attached to flexible duct an in-line fan and the hot air from the canopy is dumped outside. On the far of the tank is a fan that blows across the surface to keep it cool. There’s a second compartment above the light compartment that has lots of room for ballasts power strips whatever else I want to put up there also accessible by multiple doors.