Aquarium School? Taking it to the next level...

beer_baron1 · Post by **beer_baron1** » 12 Jan 2006, 17:33

I have been thinking about taking the next step in becoming an 'expert' at the aquarium hobby. I figure these big aquariums must have filtration experts, who design the systems and whatnot.

Thoughts of late have been of designing custom aquariums/filtration systems for higher end customers. Glass and Carpentry are my strong points... And I do love the fishes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 13 Jan 2006, 10:56

Might be worth checking if there are any companies in your state already doing this who might be interested in a skilled member of staff, help you to avoid any pitfalls in the early days while you learn more about the various aspects of getting larger systems up and running (particularly insurance!).
Following this you can then take a decision on whether the demand is there to set up a company yourself.
Pete

Phathead6669 · Post by **Phathead6669** » 13 Jan 2006, 16:04

coelacanth makes a good point. You could go to you LFSs and see if they have any large custom aquariums and find out who made it for them. Two of the LFS hear have a tank designed for a whitetip reef shark(i think thats the type of shark it was[he died a couple weeks ago

])

pictus_man_77 · Post by **pictus_man_77** » 13 Jan 2006, 19:56

wow, a white tip! thats cool
is it really suitable for aquariums though?

Phathead6669 · Post by **Phathead6669** » 13 Jan 2006, 20:06

White tips are actually probably one of the only sharks that can live in Custom home aquariums, unless you are extremly rich and can afford a huge custom aquarium and the people to maintain it.

The White tip is actually able to stop moving, unlike most sharks, and therefore is able to live within smaller confines than your average shark.

The store is getting a black tip one in, the only problem is that once it reaches it full size it will have to be shipped somewhere else. The black tip has to stay in constant motion otherwise it will sufficate itself.

pictus_man_77 · Post by **pictus_man_77** » 13 Jan 2006, 20:08

How big was the tank?
and how big was the shark?
the LFS had a Bamboo shark (a stripy Dogfish!!!), but thats no where near as cool as a white tip

Phathead6669 · Post by **Phathead6669** » 13 Jan 2006, 20:15

Umm. The shark was about 3.5-4ft.

The tank. I'm guessing here. The glass was about 4inchs think.

8ft/8ft/4ft

That is what I'm picturing in my head at least.

pictus_man_77 · Post by **pictus_man_77** » 13 Jan 2006, 20:17

Fantastic!!
i would love a tank that big, i would keep a shark like that!1 how cool would that be, your friends come over, and theyre like "ooooh whats in there,' and you could say ' A Shark' with an expression like this

beer_baron1 · Post by **beer_baron1** » 14 Jan 2006, 14:48

Hey, I'll make you a tank that size!

I'd love to find a place already building custom tanks, or a public aquarium would be a really neat place to learn some stuff, but alas, I live in North Dakota. I'll be ready to move in the spring tho, so I can go to the Job/School as long as it's in a slightly warmer climate than here. Which shouldn't be tough at all. In the meantime, there is a huge African Cichlid tank in the mall (about 10' x 8' x 5'... which is probably way off concidering i avoid the mall like the plague... it could be bigger) that may be worth investigating.

I located an 'Aquarium and Aquaculture Science' course in OR

Thanks for your replies!

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 14 Jan 2006, 20:37

beer_baron1 wrote:I located an 'Aquarium and Aquaculture Science' course in OR

I understand that course is well regarded as a route into the Public Aquarium industry over there, would be well worth further investigation.
Depending on the level of your budget etc., it's perfectly possible to build a tank out of ordinary plywood (well braced of course) and have it sealed with a pick-up bed liner such as Speedliner. Apparently you're better off with ordinary ply when using a truck bed liner as the resins in marine ply react with the polymers involved. All you need then in to seal in a viewing window using PU sealant.
Pete

beer_baron1 · Post by **beer_baron1** » 15 Jan 2006, 16:33

Thanks Coelacanth,

Actually, I'm working on designing a tank for my Columbian Cats that is basically plywood (with much added flare). Instead of using any standard sealant, my plan is to line the sides and back of the tank with 1/4" or lighter black plex, and get some good black silicon to finish the job. The idea is I'd like to stay away from chemicals whenever possible ( I had never heard that bed liner is aquarium safe before, very interesting ), plex also seems less likely to be scraped through or punctured by these skittish buggers. Initially, I had hoped to make the outter frame from powder coated steel, but upon review, as it is a saltwater tank, perhapse this isn't the greatest idea.

Filtration is where I'd really like to expand my knowledge, and working at a public aquarium would be a pretty amazing job.

If anyone knows of any custom aquarium outfits that may be worth contacting, I'd appreciate a heads-up. As I mentioned before, I am ready to move in the spring, so most any location would be worth mentioning.

Thanks again,
-c

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 15 Jan 2006, 23:05

beer_baron1 wrote:The idea is I'd like to stay away from chemicals whenever possible ( I had never heard that bed liner is aquarium safe before, very interesting ), plex also seems less likely to be scraped through or punctured by these skittish buggers.

Speedliner and other PU coatings once cured are non-toxic, non-reactive and are safe to use with a very wide range of chemicals. They are also structurally very resilient, and you virtually need a hammer and sharpened chisel to get through it. Plenty of Koi people are using this in preference to fibreglass or paints.
You'd need to decide though as it is incompatible with silicone sealants, so you need to use PU throughout. This is no great problem though, PU is easier to work with than traditional sealants, cures faster and also cures underwater should you need to make any running repairs in the future, and yes, you can leave the fish in place at the time, just don't let them eat it while you're applying it! I've used it on a 1000 gallon aquarium 2-3 years ago wearing a snorkel and mask, with the water level dropped by 18" or so and the fish coming to have a look at what I was doing, those fish are still happy and healthy and the leak was cured.
PU sealants are something the silicone sealant manufacturers don't want you to know about.

beer_baron1 · Post by **beer_baron1** » 16 Jan 2006, 01:36

Well, this is very interesting... I'm curious, does the PU sealant spray on? and if so, does it spray glossy, or is more of a 'non-skid' type that I would imagine would be benifitial in the back of truck? A bit of tecture wouldn't be bad, but, as it is black that I'm going for, I would imagine cleaning (algea) could be difficult. Thanks again for your help, Pete.

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 16 Jan 2006, 09:17

beer_baron1 wrote:Well, this is very interesting... I'm curious, does the PU sealant spray on? and if so, does it spray glossy, or is more of a 'non-skid' type that I would imagine would be benifitial in the back of truck? A bit of tecture wouldn't be bad, but, as it is black that I'm going for, I would imagine cleaning (algea) could be difficult. Thanks again for your help, Pete.

Most bed liners are applied through a spray, but it is possible to brush them on (although the "standard" forumlation starts to cure so quickly it would not be easy). Any joins, welds, corners etc. would usually be brush-coated and then sprayed over for extra strength.
Although somewhat glossy to start with, this quickly reduces to a fairly matt finish and it is non-skid so you can work inside the tank in safety. There are various choices, check around various company sites to see what they offer, I have only have Speedliner actually being applied.
Algae can usually be wiped off, it is non-fouling because of its structure not because of any toxicity. Should algae grow on it you can use fairly vigorous cleaning to remove it without fear of damaging the liner (it really is tough stuff!).
The PU sealant comes in standard mastic tubes and is applied using any decent mastic gun, it skins over within about 20 minutes and in a couple of hours will be touch-dry, using it to seal glass viewing windows in place is easier than using silicone sealants IMO. Doesn't make your eyes water in the way that several tubes of silicone sealant in a confined space would.

Phathead6669 · Post by **Phathead6669** » 16 Jan 2006, 13:29

If anyone knows of any custom aquarium outfits that may be worth contacting, I'd appreciate a heads-up. As I mentioned before, I am ready to move in the spring, so most any location would be worth mentioning.

Not quite a custin aquarium place but I was in Myrtle Beach this past summer and they have Ripley's Aquarium there right now. I think all the signs said it would be the last year it was there but I don't understand why they would destroy the building and tear down all the aquariums they have running. Plus shipping all the fish(which they have many large fish, ie. Bullsharks, Hammerheads, Sea Tortosis(sp?), octopusses, etc.

Anyways it might be worth checking into about your filtration interests. Also you can pet there Stingrays and Mantarays while they are feeding them. And if your lucky you might get to pet one of there younger Hammerheads that are in the ray tank.

I definetly would like to have some Manta Ray when I can afford my own house and a tank large enough for them. Their like have a dog in water. Their awesome.

troi · Post by **troi** » 16 Jan 2006, 20:01

coelacanth wrote: Speedliner and other PU coatings once cured are non-toxic, non-reactive and are safe to use with a very wide range of chemicals....PU sealants are something the silicone sealant manufacturers don't want you to know about.

Is this stuff good enuff to coat the bed of my pickup and use it for a pond for my adonis? I could put my CSG sticker on the bumper and drive around new mexico with a south american cat for company. :-0

Seriously, it does raise the possibility of using old truck beds, plentiful and cheap around here, for ponds if you can get the tailgate sealed properly.

troi

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 16 Jan 2006, 21:13

troi wrote:Is this stuff good enuff to coat the bed of my pickup and use it for a pond for my adonis? I could put my CSG sticker on the bumper and drive around new mexico with a south american cat for company.

Go for it, would certainly be better than having some ugly old hound dawg sat in the back drooling away. Perhaps you could set a new fashion for rednecks, they could take their latest noodling catch with them to show Maw, Paw and weird Uncle Jeb.

There are some companies who sell a high-end product, they basically say you dig the hole into any stable ground, they'll spray over it and by the next morning you can drop the hose in and start filling up. Quite a number of facilities with large aquatic mammals use this more expensive option.
For those who still insist on buying RTCs etc. (you listenin', Uncle Jeb?) this product can also be used to seal a concrete basement ready for flooding.

troi · Post by **troi** » 16 Jan 2006, 21:42

coelacanth wrote: Perhaps you could set a new fashion for rednecks, they could take their latest noodling catch with them to show Maw, Paw and weird Uncle Jeb.
...(you listenin', Uncle Jeb?) this product can also be used to seal a concrete basement ready for flooding.

Now wait a dang minnit, Unka 'Canth. We ain't got no basements in this here country. Slab floor on cold hard ground was good enuff for the homesteaders and it is good enuff for usuns.

Bobby Jo Troi

PS--dang slab floors are blinkin' cold! I have blankets on all the tanks and wear my long johns indoors.

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 16 Jan 2006, 23:27

Desperately looking for a way to keep this going while staying on-topic....
I suppose that both in New Mexico and North Dakota you don't actually have basements because you have 6 inches of wind-blown dust and then bedrock beneath you?
What's the tap water like? (bearing in mind that most of the aquifers have been ruined by "secure" waste storage).
This must be quite an issue when dealing with large aquaria and soft-water species?
Pete

troi · Post by **troi** » 17 Jan 2006, 03:53

coelacanth wrote:Desperately looking for a way to keep this going while staying on-topic....
I suppose that both in New Mexico and North Dakota you don't actually have basements because you have 6 inches of wind-blown dust and then bedrock beneath you?
What's the tap water like? (bearing in mind that most of the aquifers have been ruined by "secure" waste storage).
This must be quite an issue when dealing with large aquaria and soft-water species?
Pete

Yee Haw, Unk, let's just hijack the topic and have a beer on yonder mesa.

Uh, no, I mean the water is so awful we don't even try to drink it--hardest water I ever saw and heavy in iron (and probably uranium). All restaurants filter and many use RO as well. Most home owners at least soften adn some have RO. Some ppl collect what little rain water there is.

A lot of fish folks just let the fish adapt, but there are few ppl here who keep soft water fish. I don't know what the salt ppl do, probably can afford to put in RO units. I buy RO water by the gallon at the former health food/current burrito-sno cone-poetry and RO water place, and mix it 50/50 with the local water. THis is fine for the small tanks I have been keeping here, but that will be a strain if I try to get the plecs in the thiry gal. back to where they should be hardness wise--the LFS whose tank they stowed away in kept them in tap water.

I think we don't have basements here because the homes were thrown up in a hurry by miners in the last uranium boom. The slap floors are cheap.

We are on sand and clay and, I belive, volcanic under that, but it may be sand stone. Not much bedrock. What is underneath depends on which side of the road you are on and which geologic era is near the surface. The volcano out my window blew about 3 million years ago, but the stuff down the street erupted a matter of 1000's of years ago. Most of the area was built in layers by a series of inland seas--this is dinasour territory. The geology of the Colorado Plateau is fascinating and complex.

troi

beer_baron1 · Post by **beer_baron1** » 18 Jan 2006, 16:45

I spoke with someone from Rippley's, and they said that the aquarium was not moving, but the "Titanic" exibit was being replaced with a Mars exibit. I guess they are just swapping things up a bit. That being said, that place looks amazing! Thanks for your suggestion, everything helps!

Phathead6669 · Post by **Phathead6669** » 18 Jan 2006, 17:05

spoke with someone from Rippley's, and they said that the aquarium was not moving, but the "Titanic" exibit was being replaced with a Mars exibit. I guess they are just swapping things up a bit. That being said, that place looks amazing! Thanks for your suggestion, everything helps!

Yes that makes sense. I think my buddies and I came to that conclusion when we were there but it must of slipped my mind. They had huge billboards saying last year, but the first time we noticed it we didn't notice the Titanic part. The first time always leaves the longest impression.

Anyways if anybody gets the chance to go there before the close they Titanic exhibit. Time yourself to see how long you can hold you're hand in the Titanic Temp. water hole they have. I will tell you this it is extremely cold, I maybe keep my hand in for 5sec and thats a big maybe.

beer_baron1 · Post by **beer_baron1** » 29 Jan 2006, 00:53

Nobody out there has taken any Marine Science or Aquaculture studies? I'm still looking for suggestions/information

Thanks,
Chris