900 US gallon tank project

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 20 Sep 2007, 22:44

Having just built a new fish house i decided to have a monster sized tank built to house my largest fish in something they can be comfortable in, so i employed Windsor Aquatics to come and build me a 96X72x30" tank (sorry to the metric users) and this is how it looks so far.

First i had to build a substancial base to support the weight of 900 gallons of water

[img:414:272]http://www.fishforums.net/uploads/month ... 862701.jpg[/img]

and today the tank builders came and built the tank

[img:399:299]http://www.fishforums.net/uploads/month ... 323010.jpg[/img]

[img:399:299]http://www.fishforums.net/uploads/month ... 323070.jpg[/img]

[img:399:299]http://www.fishforums.net/uploads/month ... 323096.jpg[/img]

[img:399:299]http://www.fishforums.net/uploads/month ... 323121.jpg[/img]

Now i have to wait 18 days before i can fill it up but i will update with pictures as i decorate the tank and set up the filtration system.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 21 Sep 2007, 00:58

Is your new tank constructed out of glass or plexi-glas? It appears to be glass. Your stand certainly is stout enough but you could have used Chimney CMU block without mortar. It isn't going anywhere.

I have some concern that the top platform lacks sufficient rigidity to counteract flexure between the support points for an all glass tank.. Point loading may occur based on appearances. Perhaps you have a final platform with stringers to provide evenly distributed means of transferring the dead loads to the supports?
Just some thoughts not meant to critique. I would love to have the ability to have such a large tank.

In would go my herd of Heckel Discus!

Seedy · Post by **Seedy** » 21 Sep 2007, 01:18

How would one access the back portion of this tank for maintenence? Also, what are filtration plans? I'm assuming drilled and sumped?

grokefish · Post by **grokefish** » 21 Sep 2007, 07:35

That is an amazing size for a tank, I am quite jealous,
all you need now is a grokefish to swim around and around.

Matt

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 21 Sep 2007, 07:55

Great tank CFC!!!

I really wish to be able to make one as big in the future...
Only one thing from me,i think the fishroom would look a lot better if you had covered the walls with something else...This seems to be too bright with all the reflections and make the place be a bit tiring to be in...

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 21 Sep 2007, 07:59

Now I can see why the missus is upset

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 21 Sep 2007, 08:12

racoll wrote:Now I can see why the missus is upset

Great tank CFC. And huge as well. I'll probably see it "live" when I'm coming around to pick up all those Ageneiosids

.

Seriously, that's going to look great. Can't wait for pix.

PS: nothing wrong with your missus (letting you have such an enormous tank); she must like you for some reason.

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 21 Sep 2007, 13:34

Appistomaster, the top platform is a sheet of 3/4" ply backed with 4mm flooring underlay foam and then screwed directly into the concrete blocks giving a completely level flat base, the only reason the ply is even there is to iron out any slight bumps in the block work. On top of the ply sheet is 2" thick polystyrene sheet which again covers for any minor indiscrepencies and will help spread the load over the 5 block piers. The base of the tank itself is a hinged base (split in two parts with a silicon "hinge" and then a glass plate over the top of the silicon) which allows for any movement caused by the weight of the water settling, i have absolutely no doubts (well maybe some tiny ones but who doesnt with nearly 9000lbs of water)that the stand will hold the weight.

Seedy, i wont really need to get to the back for maintainance, i never clean the back or side glass of tanks as i believe that algea is an importent part of a tanks eco system and i only vacume the substrate if there is a real reason too such as uneaten food ( a rarity) or a fish has regurgitated, people try to keep their tanks too clean and as such never acheive a bomb proof thriving eco system, i change 20% of the water on all my tanks weekly and keep the mechanical filter media clean and thats what really matters. If i really do need to get to the back of the tank its on with the thigh length waders and in i get.

Kostas, i decided to leave the walls as they are for money saving reasons, with the reflective properties of the aluminum backed insulation i dont need to have the lights on during the day as the reflected light from the small window is enough to light the room. Our electric bills recently have risen to over £3000 a year so anything i can do to lessen this is a bonus (and means i can buy more fish). I am going to paint the backs and sides of the tanks however so the silver walls wont be visable to the fish.

Marc if youre ever in London then you are welcome to a visit, however i will set my electric eel on you if you touch my Auchenipterids

and i'm sure the only reason the mrs let me have the tank is the hope that i'll be able to keep something big enough to eat me one day

Haavard Stoere · Post by **Haavard Stoere** » 21 Sep 2007, 15:00

Exiting project

Thanks for sharing

For myself and other metric users the tank is approx:
2,44x1,83x0,76 = 3394 liters. HUGE

Looking forward to seeing the project progress.

mikelouth · Post by **mikelouth** » 21 Sep 2007, 16:04

Thats awesome CFC, What you going to put in it??

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 21 Sep 2007, 16:27

The tank was made mainly to house my 24" Liearius pictus which has far outgrown the 200 gallon tank i keep it in to the point where i was feeling guilty for keeping it, likewise i have a 27" silver arowana in the same tank which is also in desperate need for some extra room. I bought these fish with the intention to always upgrade them to a 96x36x24 when i needed to but i didnt have a good year for work last year and wasnt able to fullfill that. This year however has been fantastic so i decided to go mad and have the largest tank i could sensibly accomidate built for them. The tank will also house a few motoro stingrays and a group of peacock bass that i have been growing on and various other bits and pieces from other tanks around the fishroom.

Seedy · Post by **Seedy** » 21 Sep 2007, 21:10

CFC,

It's going to be amazing with those p-bass and rays...can't wait to see it!

Haavard Stoere · Post by **Haavard Stoere** » 21 Sep 2007, 22:48

Glass is truly an amazing material

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 22 Sep 2007, 01:37

Your silicone glass bottom "hinge' is an interesting design feature and I understand now your weight distribution method. Like all of us, I'm looking forward to seeing how this design performs.

I once built an over sized(for 3/8" plate glass) glass/silicone tank and the bottom pane did fail as it neared topping off. I repaired it by simply adding another pane over the cracked bottom and it worked. That tank, 48x20X24H inches was constructed from the remains of it's failed predecessor, a 48X24X36H inch tank. I do think the original bottom failure cracks performed as stress relieving points much as your hinged bottom design is intended to perform. I used a few other design features, added laminated glass strips, to double the width of all the bonded joint connections.
I was only 18 years old at that time and did not fully appreciate the stresses involved and the materials' performance properties.

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 22 Sep 2007, 06:53

This tank too has extra strips of 12" wide 1/2" thick plate glass added across the whole length of the front and rear to give an increased surface area for the silicon to bond to the verticals panes, infact the whole tank is constructed of 1/2" (12mm) plate glass and so is incredibly strong (and heavy).
The company that built the tank specialise in large public aquaria and built many of the aquatic exhibit tanks at London zoo and other public aquariums across the country so i have every trust in their work.

taksan · Post by **taksan** » 22 Sep 2007, 08:38

Let me get this straight? You had a professional company build a 8x6x2.5 and they did it in 12mm????????
They should have built it out of 19mm at minimum.

Bas Pels · Post by **Bas Pels** » 22 Sep 2007, 09:05

my 400 * 100 * 70 cm tank (2800 l) is also in 12 mm. Built on the spot, I would ad. It is now functioning for almost 4 years (build 4 october 2003). Another tank was leaky after replacing it

I think we do not fully realize how much stress a tank is under during auch replacements, resulting in the requitrement of much heavier tanks - just for the transpor phase.

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 22 Sep 2007, 15:54

taksan wrote:Let me get this straight? You had a professional company build a 8x6x2.5 and they did it in 12mm????????
They should have built it out of 19mm at minimum.

19mm, where on earth do you get that size from?

Only when you go above 36" high do you need to go to 19mm. 30" high is the absolute maximum you can go with 12mm and its debateable whether you should go up to 15mm but since my drain holes are at 27" the tank will never be more than 28" full of water so 12mm is fine. Windsor Aquatics have over 30 years of expereince is building large custom aquaria so i think they should know what they are doing.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 22 Sep 2007, 19:18

Hi CFC,
I agree with you. The controlling design factor is depth of the tank and your tank is not too deep for 1/2" glass at a nominal 30 inches high.

I'm not sure that some of us understand that in addition you increased the joints' linear bonded surface areas by 100%. One inch wide silicone/glass joints are incredibly strong. Also since these are continuous they contribute a great deal of flexural strength.

grokefish · Post by **grokefish** » 22 Sep 2007, 22:39

Just out of interest why didn't you go for acrylic?

Matt

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 23 Sep 2007, 09:22

Matt,

I didnt go for acrylic for two reasons, firstly the cost of an Acrylic tank this size is almost twice as much as glass and i am working on a very tight budget to complete the fish house the way i want it, the cost of the glass tank with on site build and two 55mm holes drilled was only £1740. Secondly the tank had to be built on site, there is no way of getting the tank in or out of the building other than in pieces. Although it is possible to have an on site build in acrylic the chemicals used to bond the joints give off highly toxic fumes and since there are already a couple of tanks of fish in the room i didnt want to risk poisoning the fish or have to move the tanks out.

Dean

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 23 Sep 2007, 09:52

I understand now...

And if you paint the tank walls as you said fish wont be annoyed by that effect

Looking forward for setting up photos

taksan · Post by **taksan** » 23 Sep 2007, 10:21

Well we never use 12mm for anything wider then 30", then 15mm for wider up to 4', then 19mm above 4' to 6'.

This is for 24" and 30" high tanks ....if we go to 3' or 4" high we use 19, 25 or even 32mm depending on the width.

We have done a 8" wide tank before 18x8x4 and we used 32mm.

Even double or triple braced and bottom braced as well 12mm is really borderline for a tank 6' wide.

I'm sure your tank will be fine ...but well I'd be scared if it was mine.

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 23 Sep 2007, 16:09

Your prices must be astronomical if you are using glass of that thickness, i originally wanted to go to 36" high but the cost of the 15mm glass bumped the cost up by around £800 or so which just wasnt worth paying for a few extra inches.

Using 32mm glass is pointless, anything over 15mm and everything you see through the tank is tinted green, at 32mm it must be like looking into a bowl of pea soup lol. If you're having tanks that need that kind of thickness then you can afford to have it done in acrylic which is crystal clear.

Out of interest which company is it that you work for?

grokefish · Post by **grokefish** » 23 Sep 2007, 17:55

When I finally get around to setting up my 16ft long Xingu tank in my living room, I'm think I am going to build it myself in acrylic.

It's only going to be 18" deep though, so maybe glass would be a better choice.
How thick would the glass have to be for that?
It will be 16ftlong 18inches high and 18 wide.
Matt

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 23 Sep 2007, 20:02

At that height you could easily get away with 10mm glass, i would even dare to say 8mm would be ok but im not sure on how the length would effect it.

Remember if you build it from acrylic in situ then you will need to heavily ventilate the room, the solvent fumes are really nasty.

KenMan · Post by **KenMan** » 23 Sep 2007, 22:49

grokefish wrote:When I finally get around to setting up my 16ft long Xingu tank in my living room, I'm think I am going to build it myself in acrylic.

It's only going to be 18" deep though, so maybe glass would be a better choice.
How thick would the glass have to be for that?
It will be 16ftlong 18inches high and 18 wide.
Matt

How come your going so long but so short in wideness???

taksan · Post by **taksan** » 24 Sep 2007, 04:40

CFC wrote:Your prices must be astronomical

Using 32mm glass is pointless, anything over 15mm and everything you see through the tank is tinted green,

Out of interest which company is it that you work for?

Its not a question of saving money but of being able to sell the tank at all.
Our insurance company would not insure us on a tank of your size @12mm and our Engineer wouldn't sign off on one like that either.Without a engineers certificate and a insurance stamp we won't build large tanks at all. So we use the specs that we can be fully insured for at the tank size.

We've built lots of huge tanks out of 10mm and 12mm but they have been turtle tanks and they are only filled to 1/3 height.

Even so we could build a 8x6x2.5 out of 15mm/19mm base for about 1500.

Anything over 12mm we can use Staphire glass on the front panels which is totally clear and is only about 5% more expensive these days.

Xtreme Aquariums ....

CFC · Post by **CFC** » 24 Sep 2007, 07:19

Do you have a UK branch as well then, when i was looking for a tank builder i came across the Extreme Aquariums website (along with many other tank building companies) but saw they were based in Australia which is a bit far to be asking for tank quotes from.

I'm after a few more custom built tanks, they are smaller than this one obviously but odd wide/shallow shapes.

taksan · Post by **taksan** » 09 Oct 2007, 07:41

CFC wrote:Do you have a UK branch as well then,

No we are Australian based can't ship a tank there unless it goes in with Aqua One's containers.