A ~19,000 Gallon Fish Tank

nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3248049
What are the six box like sections under the walkway in this picture for?

They are just support columns for the walkway above. The holes are the overflow from the tank to the fish farm..
 
slade1274

slade1274

Member
One thing that I didn't see mentioned so forgive me if I missed it, but don't forget what will be needed from a fresh water supply perspective when you go closed system during red tide.... I've got to believe at 115^F that evaporation will be significant. Thoughts on a closed loop type of "radiator" in the sea to keep tempratures under control during that closed loop time as well.
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by icebreaker
http:///forum/post/3252495
Vary nice build. can't wait to see how everything turns out .
Thank you for your kinds words. I can't wait either.. :)
Originally Posted by pimpNfish
http:///forum/post/3252825
I just wet my pants a little.
Sorry to hear that, maybe you can read the thread a bit at a time next time :D
Originally Posted by slade1274
http:///forum/post/3252934
One thing that I didn't see mentioned so forgive me if I missed it, but don't forget what will be needed from a fresh water supply perspective when you go closed system during red tide.... I've got to believe at 115^F that evaporation will be significant. Thoughts on a closed loop type of "radiator" in the sea to keep tempratures under control during that closed loop time as well.
You raise a very valid point. I also forgot to update this thread. We are currently drilling a saltwater well to provide the water. This will help control the temperature and quality of the water, even during a water problem at the sea. Think of it as a really big sand filter..
 
K

kidbachelor

Guest
Hi there... I been checking out the progress of the tank and have a couple of questions I trust you will answer for me . How did you determine the thickness of the glass panels ?Does the frame to it come in contact with the seawater inside the tank? and finally , what type of paint did you use inside the tank ? is it specially formulated for marine fish ? thanks very much for a quick reply
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by kidbachelor
http:///forum/post/3255491
Hi there... I been checking out the progress of the tank and have a couple of questions I trust you will answer for me . How did you determine the thickness of the glass panels ?
I didn't, the glass company people did. They created a couple of other projects around here and seem to know what they are doing.
Does the frame to it come in contact with the seawater inside the tank?
Yes it does. The concrete has a carving to allow the glass to sit it. This carving is covered by fiberglass and then glue is applied to hold the glass in place. You can look at the following images for a better understanding:


This is how this carving looks after the glass is installed (this is photo from inside the tank):

and finally , what type of paint did you use inside the tank ? is it specially formulated for marine fish ? thanks very much for a quick reply
The paint I used was an epoxy paint I was told was safe for marine life. I just painted it for aesthetic reasons though, the concrete is marine-grade which should hold for years and years to come.
I hope this answers your questions :)
 
K

kidbachelor

Guest
Hey, tanks for getting back to me so quickly with pictures too. The tank you're building is top draw !!! I am building a 18,000 ltr marine tank at the moment . I was wondering about painting the ******** , could you tell me who told you it was safe for a marine aquarium and what is the products reference? I am concerned about it polluting the water or even grassers and coral eaters digesting it when picking at the wall.
As for the glass , what is the thickness ? I'm using 20 mm thick panels as I keep the depth shallow ( approx 1m ) for the lighting to penetrate to the bottom. I have future projects in mind so it would be good to have an idea if I ever took a project on like yours!
The refugium is quality ... that should keep your display fish happy with plenty of little snack to munch on all day . 8-P
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by kidbachelor
http:///forum/post/3256771
Hey, tanks for getting back to me so quickly with pictures too. The tank you're building is top draw !!! I am building a 18,000 ltr marine tank at the moment . I was wondering about painting the ******** , could you tell me who told you it was safe for a marine aquarium and what is the products reference? I am concerned about it polluting the water or even grassers and coral eaters digesting it when picking at the wall.
I was advised by several knowledgeable people about the epoxy applicability to the marine aquarium, including the people the made me the glass since they are aquarium builders as well. Make sure you don't use the paint usually used to paint the underside of boats, aka antifouling paint; this will definitely not work and will probably be harmful to your fish, invertebrates, and corals.
As for the glass , what is the thickness ? I'm using 20 mm thick panels as I keep the depth shallow ( approx 1m ) for the lighting to penetrate to the bottom. I have future projects in mind so it would be good to have an idea if I ever took a project on like yours!
The refugium is quality ... that should keep your display fish happy with plenty of little snack to munch on all day . 8-P
The glass used on my tank is a 24mm (12mm+12mm) (~3m x 1m) pieces of glass. They are tempered and laminated. The dimensions of my tank is 11m x 5m x 1.2m so the height of our tanks are similar.
Why don't you start a thread regarding your build? It will be fun to watch :)
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by sean48183
http:///forum/post/3264296
any updates on this thing?
Hello,
I filled up the tank, a 'test-fill' if you like and everything is fine. Only minor problems here and there. The overflow holes needs to be lowered, and the submersible lights plugs needs to be close. I am thinking of another way to get lights without the wires showing. I didn't take any photos of the tank filled because the water was greenish and didn't look good. Here is a photo of the refugium filled:

Here is a picture of the sand going into the tank. I thought I haven't taken any pictures in a long time so this one is long overdo. I didn't want to take a photo with the tank full of water because it didn't look good (yet). Maybe after putting in layers among layers of filter media :).

Up next, live rock :).. Stay tuned..
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
I come to this thread looking for updates and I get sand with rocks coming. I leave totally satisfied for now. Can't wait to see the next updates.
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3264771
I come to this thread looking for updates and I get sand with rocks coming. I leave totally satisfied for now. Can't wait to see the next updates.
I forgot to mention that I went on a fishing trip and came back with a trigger fish and a red grouper. The trigger fish didn't make it but the grouper is still there. I had to move it to the refugium because of the work we are doing on the aquarium but I caught a couple of small fish to keep it company. :)
Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3264799
awesome! What was your source for sand? Is it building sand, or did you get beach sand from somewhere?
It is beach sand and it turns out to be good beach sand (calcium-based sand) which I'm told is better than silica sand.
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3266442
Hey is it still green??? LOL I'd love to see some pics of the tank :)
It is more brownish now :). I didn't want to post photos when the tank isn't looking good, but here you go anyways:

The top of the water. Does water movement affect the water quality? There is certainly not enough water movement at the moment and the water smells a bit. The props should be here soon (I hope). :)

The front of the aquarium. The children decided to play XO on the glass just as I was about the take the photos. You can see the current water quality. The water is more brownish than green now. I actually liked it more when it was green; looked more lively.

The refugium is 50cm of water. Rate, if you will, the water quality :).
I'm draining everything out and plan to thoroughly clean the sand.
 
nahham

nahham

Member
Filled the tank with water and let it set for 3 days. Here is how it looks:

Here are some shots from the top of the water:


Here is how the Fish Farm (aka Fish Spa). The water is a bit lower than it should be because of a small leak. Planning to fix it soon.


'Stuff' (meaning the green stuff) is growing on the side walls. Is is good/bad? Will it help with the water filtration with a mostly closed loop? Should I remove it?
 
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