Interested in building plans for my dream tank

orca t

orca t

Member
Greetings.
After reading some of these threads for some time and learning a few different things, I have come to realize there are some very talented on this site.
I am going to be building some things this winter for my drean 400+ Gallon tank. I hope to be able to have a shadow looking box as a background but have yet to find a site to assist me wit the build. If not able to do this, I plan on using a mirror for the back drop. The things I am mostly interested in are...
1. A stand. I would like it taller than the typical store bought stands so I can actually get in and out of it easily. And.... get things in it easily.
I plan on having it as a display refugium with built in lights and maybe mirrors
2. An ATS. With this I will need pump size and models and pvc sizes. I plan on using my old 240G tank as a DSB refugium.
If anyone can PM me a site where I can look this up that would be okay too.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Wow Seth now there two people calling you an expert.

One question why do you want the stand taller? I made my stand 30" high and now I wished I made it shorter. I have to use a step stool just to reach the bottom of the tank.
 
orca t

orca t

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///t/388663/interested-in-building-plans-for-my-dream-tank#post_3429056
Wow Seth now there two people calling you an expert.

One question why do you want the stand taller? I made my stand 30" high and now I wished I made it shorter. I have to use a step stool just to reach the bottom of the tank.
Sorry for the delay, currently sitting in the terminal, internet is real slow.
I would like, key words there, something I can get into easily. I'm 6 foot and learning that the floor is getting harder and harder for me to get up from hahaha.
And Seth is one of the experts as far as the ATS, as far as I know. :) Building a stand..... well I don't know that.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Same here the first stand was for a 30gal long I had me and my 2 brothers jumping up and down on it. Mother didn't want water all over the carpet and I didn't want my fish there either. No pictures that was along time ago. I also am 6' tall, tank is 24" high and stand 30", that put bottom about 6" out of reach, plus reaching the back is out of the question.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I like tanks that are short enough to sit down and watch. I get tired of standing around looking at my tank. Plus, short stands/tanks are good for the kiddies. :D
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
400+ sounds like a nice size dream tank. Do you have an idea yet for dimensions of the tank? I'm far from being one of the most talented folks on this site but there are some good folks around here with great ideas and the know how to make it happen. A 240g would make one heck of a refugium. Scrubber size you'll need to match screen size in square inches to the size of your display tank...20"x20" screen = 400 sq inches, etc...with a flow rate of 35gph per 1" width of screen. Those are the recommendations set forth on the scrubber site.
On the flip side of what the other guys prefer, I also like the idea of a taller stand. My current build I went with a height of 40" and am very happy with how it's turned out so far. Ofcorse I will need a small step stool/ladder to reach the bottom of the tank as I am only 5'11". But to me that is a fair trade for all of the room that I have underneath the stand for all of the equipment that is going inside of it. Not to mention I don't like bending down with my hands on my knees to look at the tank. Some shots of what I have so far for reference...

 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
I am all for tall stands as well I always wished I could drain my sump with a simple line and ball vave on the bottom. But because of building a stand before I knew a lttle bit about this hobby I made it too short. Good luck with your build - if you ever need some drawings I can put something together for you.
Al
 
travelerjp98

travelerjp98

Active Member
I always love having room under my tank to store stuff. I am also for tall stands.
And if you are going with a tank that size, make sure it is in a place that has chairs near it so when people come over you can show it off!
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I agree with the taller stand. I built mine taller than normal and my reasoning behind that was due to skimmer and I hate bending down to look at a tank. I'm a bit more fortunate that I have a fish room behind the tank and in the design stage of making a platform that can be connected to the stand when needed. This way I can get above the tank and work pretty easily. The only drawbacks of a taller stand is being able to access the bottom, but realistically how often are you reaching to the bottom? If its for cleaning/siphoning the bottom of the tank they do make long tubes for that purpose. Build the tank sturdy enough that you could theoretically lay across the bracing....,,
Another downside of a tall stand is light mounting. Depending on lighting style/choice you limit yourself on height/options to a degree.
What dimensions are you planning? Not sure what you mean by a "shadow box" effect??? As far as mirrors, I'd probably opt against. Depending on fish could/can cause issues. Backlighting a tank might be an idea option you might want to look at. I'd also suggest with a tank of this size using a coast to coast overflow and preferably external as well. Another good info thread is BeanAnimal overflow system. Quiet, efficient and if followed will handle all your flow needs.
As far as finishing!!!!!! Patience.....
 
cipher43

cipher43

Member
Dont let Corey fool ya, his tank and overall design is why I am going to start my stand build today. I also like a tall stand and am making mine 40" or 44" tall and im 6'3" but will still need a step to get in my tank and its only a 120 (4'X2'X2').
I also agree with Shawn about the lightning issues. My tank is going to have 25" above the top ring of the tank and like i said its only 2' tall.
As for the shadow box effect I have seen a thread about it and will try to find it for ya
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Shawn you haven't seen the shadow box thread over at you know where? I wish I had seen it back before I started working on my build. It looks nice. There is back lighting involved so maybe you have seen it.
 
cipher43

cipher43

Member
Do you guys think he can use wood or is he going to need a steel frame for that size tank? I haven't read much about that large of a tank
 
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