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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

[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.

[lockrookie]

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