I am thinking of building my own 300+ tank???
- Thread starter joshd123
- Start date
aquatics24
Member
oh nice do you work for the company or something?
aquatics24
Member
Originally Posted by Phixer
This is the design that my current project is based on. Mine is a little longer though 120". This particular tank is 96" in length if I remember correctly.
ahh nice...i was going to have them build my wall to wall tank, but they are way overpriced
This is the design that my current project is based on. Mine is a little longer though 120". This particular tank is 96" in length if I remember correctly.
ahh nice...i was going to have them build my wall to wall tank, but they are way overpriced
phixer
Active Member
Originally Posted by aquatics24
ahh nice...i was going to have them build my wall to wall tank, but they are way overpriced
I know it! :scared: thats what inspired me to take this on myself. That and the fact that I could never get it down my staircase assembled. Most places used material that was too thin and wanted too much money. After a few years it would bow and look distorted. I swear I must have called them all. The total cost of materials for me was about $3700 before oil prices went up (acrylic is a byproduct of oil) I ended up using 1.25" Polycast GP.
If your up to it Id try making a few smaller projects like the other guys said then work up to a larger one. I believe the success of every tank I have made was based on the quality of the edges and the time spent planning. They have to be exactly perfect. If you access to a CNC machine they will cut a near perfect edge consistently.
ahh nice...i was going to have them build my wall to wall tank, but they are way overpriced
I know it! :scared: thats what inspired me to take this on myself. That and the fact that I could never get it down my staircase assembled. Most places used material that was too thin and wanted too much money. After a few years it would bow and look distorted. I swear I must have called them all. The total cost of materials for me was about $3700 before oil prices went up (acrylic is a byproduct of oil) I ended up using 1.25" Polycast GP.
If your up to it Id try making a few smaller projects like the other guys said then work up to a larger one. I believe the success of every tank I have made was based on the quality of the edges and the time spent planning. They have to be exactly perfect. If you access to a CNC machine they will cut a near perfect edge consistently.
aquatics24
Member
Originally Posted by Phixer
I know it! thats what inspired me to take this on myself. That and the fact that I could never get it down my stairs assembled. Most places used material that was too thin. After a few years it would bow and look distorted. I ended up using 1.25".
If your up to it Id try making a few smaller projects like the other guys said then work up to a larger one. I believe the success of every tank I have made was based on the quality of the edges and the time spent planning. They have to be exactly perfect. If you access to a CNC machine they will cut a near perfect edge consistently.
ya i actually had a guy who specializes in acyrlic do my display tank and refugium/sump...he bonded everything to my dimensions, that way i know for sure i wont mess up..and im doing the stand and hood
I know it! thats what inspired me to take this on myself. That and the fact that I could never get it down my stairs assembled. Most places used material that was too thin. After a few years it would bow and look distorted. I ended up using 1.25".
If your up to it Id try making a few smaller projects like the other guys said then work up to a larger one. I believe the success of every tank I have made was based on the quality of the edges and the time spent planning. They have to be exactly perfect. If you access to a CNC machine they will cut a near perfect edge consistently.
ya i actually had a guy who specializes in acyrlic do my display tank and refugium/sump...he bonded everything to my dimensions, that way i know for sure i wont mess up..and im doing the stand and hood
phixer
Active Member
Originally Posted by aquatics24
ya i actually had a guy who specializes in acyrlic do my display tank and refugium/sump...he bonded everything to my dimensions, that way i know for sure i wont mess up..and im doing the stand and hood
Cool, in a few years I plan on building custom tanks for people. Working on a design portfolio now. I would like to offer some bow front and round designs also but this all takes time and forming tools. Have to start small at first. Do you have any pics of your tank?
ya i actually had a guy who specializes in acyrlic do my display tank and refugium/sump...he bonded everything to my dimensions, that way i know for sure i wont mess up..and im doing the stand and hood
Cool, in a few years I plan on building custom tanks for people. Working on a design portfolio now. I would like to offer some bow front and round designs also but this all takes time and forming tools. Have to start small at first. Do you have any pics of your tank?
aquatics24
Member
Originally Posted by Phixer
Cool, in a few years I plan on building custom tanks for people. Working on a design portfolio now. I would like to offer some bow front and round designs also but this all takes time and forming tools. Have to start small at first. Do you have any pics of your tank?
not yet...i pick it up monday...its been water testing for a week..i will post pics soon though its 144x48x48
Cool, in a few years I plan on building custom tanks for people. Working on a design portfolio now. I would like to offer some bow front and round designs also but this all takes time and forming tools. Have to start small at first. Do you have any pics of your tank?
not yet...i pick it up monday...its been water testing for a week..i will post pics soon though its 144x48x48
aquatics24
Member
Originally Posted by Joshd123
Wow that is crazy. Is that about 500 or 600 gallons?
1435
Wow that is crazy. Is that about 500 or 600 gallons?
1435
acrylic51
Active Member
Originally Posted by Phixer
)) Is she pretty supportive of the hobby? I have to compromise a lot, which usually involves a few trips to the scrapbook store,
now if I could only find a way to relate the next project to Scrapbooking :thinking:
Very supportive....No compromising, as long as my portion of the bills are paid, she doesn't blink and eye......
)) Is she pretty supportive of the hobby? I have to compromise a lot, which usually involves a few trips to the scrapbook store,
Very supportive....No compromising, as long as my portion of the bills are paid, she doesn't blink and eye......
phixer
Active Member
Originally Posted by aquatics24
not yet...i pick it up monday...its been water testing for a week..i will post pics soon though its 144x48x48
Wholly crap thats a big tank! If I didnt know better Id think you were trying to compensate for something :hilarious . Are the 144" panels seamed? How thick is the material? The longest seamless panels I could find were 120" and had to special order those. At 48" tall you are dealing with some serious pressure. Good thing you used acrylic.
not yet...i pick it up monday...its been water testing for a week..i will post pics soon though its 144x48x48
Wholly crap thats a big tank! If I didnt know better Id think you were trying to compensate for something :hilarious . Are the 144" panels seamed? How thick is the material? The longest seamless panels I could find were 120" and had to special order those. At 48" tall you are dealing with some serious pressure. Good thing you used acrylic.
aquatics24
Member
Originally Posted by Phixer
Wholly crap thats a big tank! If I didnt know better Id think you were trying to compensate for something :hilarious . Are the 144" panels seamed? How thick is the material? The longest seamless panels I could find were 120" and had to special order those. At 48" tall you are dealing with some serious pressure. Good thing you used acrylic.
not too sure, but its either 1/2" or 3/4"...one of those, yes seamed..yep thats why i went with acrylic too...lots of weight and lots of pressure
Wholly crap thats a big tank! If I didnt know better Id think you were trying to compensate for something :hilarious . Are the 144" panels seamed? How thick is the material? The longest seamless panels I could find were 120" and had to special order those. At 48" tall you are dealing with some serious pressure. Good thing you used acrylic.
not too sure, but its either 1/2" or 3/4"...one of those, yes seamed..yep thats why i went with acrylic too...lots of weight and lots of pressure
psusocr1
Active Member
its gotta be thicker than 1/2" i would say that acrylic is probably inch thick, because if i am corrct, which i think i am, the largest you can go pressure wise with 1/2" acrylic is 96" long and 30" high .....and your measurements blow them away, so i highly doubt its either of those but i could be wrong!
anyway i cant wait so see the pics!!
anyway i cant wait so see the pics!!
phixer
Active Member
Originally Posted by aquatics24
not too sure, but its either 1/2" or 3/4"...one of those, yes seamed..yep thats why i went with acrylic too...lots of weight and lots of pressure
Aquatics, please tell me its thicker than .75" also. This is WAY too thin for a tank 4 feet tall. You will need at least 1.50" if you want it to last. Yes it may hold for awhile and many MFGs use thinner material to reduce the costs but your looking at some serious deflection due to the pressure exerted by 4 FT of water. The life of the tank will be serverly limited. This will put an extreme amount of pressure on the seams (especially the top panel) and crazing from stress will develop not to mention the tank will bow like a fish bowl when filled.