KrazyKuch's & Michika's 180Gal Tank Build

[michika]

I can't really think of cons for option 2 since its a newer option....

Oh wait! Option No.2 cons:
- More demo required to get it set up properly into place, the wall will need to be completely replaced.
- More lighting required for longer tank, if we do over 13ft, thus higher costs.
- Will have a smaller work area (lower ceiling) behind a part of the tank due to the stairs, furnace, and hot water tank.
- The stupid telepost will still have to stay where it is. I have no love for this thing. It will still be skinned in whatever goes with the rest of the decor.

I will have to think on this for a couple of weeks. Go sit with the outline and decide if its really what I want, and make sure that its really what Kevin wants too. There are also new logistics that need to be worked out with this design; access to the fish room, maintenance access, costs for running the tank, set-up costs on the different dimensions, etc.

Things I definitely do know though regardless of which option we go with;
- tank will be over 500g
- will have a fish room, completely closed off from the rest of the house
- my lighting will try and be as power-bill friendly as possible, how yet, I don't know.
- I am going to eliminate the need to schlep buckets for anything, water changes, or adding top-off water to the top-off container.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I vote option 2 as well! Very cool dimensions. How big is that room? I think it looks really small and to make it smaller with the tank IN the room would be a shame. You need room with a big tank to look at it from a good distance and take it all in.

I usually feel jealous of the big tanks (around 300G) but not this one I just cringe at the cost of lighting and maintaining it! Actually even more when I think of the time it will take to maintain it...Your brave

Going to be amazing though to watch someone else take this on. I would never want a tank this big but I love seeing them

So your not building this one yourself though right?

[steve fedyk]

I'm liking the 10' long tank tank. If your go 36" front to back and 24"-27" deep you might be able to get a way with four 250 HQI and couple t-5. But you would have to run the lights about 12"- 16" off the water for a good spread (Helps with cooling).

Lots of good ideas there good planing.

[untamed]

It is my advice that you cannot sacrifice maintenance. If any aspect of keeping the tank is difficult to do, it won't get done.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by untamed

It is my advice that you cannot sacrifice maintenance. If any aspect of keeping the tank is difficult to do, it won't get done.

Well on a tank this size easy maintenance is a must! Monthly water changes of say 200G is not going to get done by buckets

[michika]

I do know this tank will be built on site, and the final dimensions will need to work with what the house has to offer, e.g. windows & doors to get the glass in. Other then that so far I don't know. Kevin wants to build the tank himself again, but we haven't really discussed it yet.

I know that I don't like powerheads in the tank, so I want to try and avoiding putting them in for any other reason beyond emergency purposes. I still want to go with Oceans Motions 4 or 8 ways, how though, I haven't worked it out.

The lighting will be on sliding racks, which will pull out in banks, e.g. 2MHs & T5s in a bank. I want to be able to push the lighting out of the way for adding in livestock, or doing maintenance, but still have enough lighting from elsewhere to be able to see. I want to almost make each set of lighting banks its own system where you can shut them off to move it.

The room is pretty big, about 13.5ft wide at the smallest part, and probably 15.5ft wide at the largest spot. Its probably 25ft long, maybe 30. The ceiling is 7ft I think, although we have this one bulkhead that is somewhat in the way, but we think it can be moved/made smaller. We never actually measured the room, and that is probably something we should do. I definitely don't want to take away from the space we have if we can, as I think it will really enclose it in and have more negative drawbacks then positive ones.

I have a notebook that I've been recording ideas in since we got our house and started planning how we want to do everything. I flip through it once and awhile and remember all the little things I want to do.

This is probably going to be my last tank build for a long while, so I want to make sure I get everything done right the first time.

[Parker]

I like option two for the simple fact that you can view the tank while doing other activities, entertaining, tv watching etc. Option one seems to me like that room would be soley for the tank? You would only be in that room to view that tank and wouldn't really have the room for other activities?