fish selections.... 10 gal, going to 55 gal soon.

[Frosty]

Wow, in 14 pages you've gone from a ten to a 55 to a custom made 200+ gallon aquarium. Welcome to the dark side!

 

[Caleb]

Ah, longest seam at 48", let's assume eurobracing to minimize flex, first calculator yielded 0.96" at 34" of useable water height and eurobracing. Second yielded the same. A true 36" height yields like 1.014, so factor in some safety overkill and yeah, probably 1.25"-1.5" should take care of it. I'm a worrywart, so I'd probably go overkill and do a straight-up 1.5" all-around.

1.5" thick acrylic?

 

[Caleb]

Wow, in 14 pages you've gone from a ten to a 55 to a custom made 200+ gallon aquarium. Welcome to the dark side!

I don't think I mentioned this, but it was actually my plans to begin with...it was all set in motion when I had access to a 55 gal tank and my betta died. I really wanted more fish, but betta's limited me to smaller less exciting fishes. So when he passed, it opened my options to semi-aggressive sharks(my oldest daughter likes sharks, oddly enough) and cichlids. The 55 gal is only temporary...

 

[HeadlessRoland]

Yeah Caleb, all out of wood, it's plenty strong, and honestly, it's easy to build, especially with pocket screws.

I had a friend of a friend fabricate my large stand from 3/32" square tubing. It actually didn't take too long to weld, we had it done in two days with generous breaks.
I am partial to wood myself, so I wound up buying some maple veneer sheets and marine plywood and using some neodymium magnets to skin it. It was beautiful.

 

[Frosty]

Here's my tank in the stand I built Caleb, if your interested I can build yours, very reasonably priced to. But I do have a day job so you'll have to be patient.

 

[Caleb]

I had a friend of a friend fabricate my large stand from 3/32" square tubing. It actually didn't take too long to weld, we had it done in two days with generous breaks.
I am partial to wood myself, so I wound up buying some maple veneer sheets and marine plywood and using some neodymium magnets to skin it. It was beautiful.

I was leaning towards welding up a metal frame and some brackets to mount some wood pieces to it. Beauty of that is you can add brackets for your pump and other lines, electrical cords, power strip, etc.

I'm open to wood as well if it can support 1500+ pounds.

 

[Caleb]

Here's my tank in the stand I built Caleb, if your interested I can build yours, very reasonably priced to. But I do have a day job so you'll have to be patient.

purdy! for kicks and giggles, mind sending me a quote based on my tank dimensions?

 

[HeadlessRoland]

1.5" thick acrylic?

Edited my earlier post to reflect my unnecessary overabundance of caution. You could do 1.5", but about a quarter inch of that would be completely unnecessary if you're eurobracing. Without bracing it comes back at a hair over 1.52" at 36" height. With, it's right at 1.014", but build in a margin and acts of God, and 1.25" should hold. I strongly advise double-checking my work via any of the acrylic calcs online just in case, but I would be totally comfortable with a eurobraced tank with center brace at 1.25" sitting in my living room. Especially if it's first floor. Are your floor joists 2' on center?

 

[Caleb]

Edited my earlier post to reflect my unnecessary overabundance of caution. You could do 1.5", but about a quarter inch of that would be completely unnecessary if you're eurobracing. Without bracing it comes back at a hair over 1.52" at 36" height. With, it's right at 1.014", but build in a margin and acts of God, and 1.25" should hold. I strongly advise double-checking my work via any of the acrylic calcs online just in case, but I would be totally comfortable with a eurobraced tank with center brace at 1.25" sitting in my living room. Especially if it's first floor. Are your floor joists 2' on center?

Concrete slab

 

[Frosty]

Concrete slab

Your golden with a slab!

 

[Frosty]

purdy! for kicks and giggles, mind sending me a quote based on my tank dimensions?

I'll work on one in a little bit, I gotta run to the store and get baby formula and cat food... Don't ask

 

[Caleb]

Your golden with a slab!

Indeed...I would most likely go with euro bracing as it may decrease the overall cost, however, I'd need to create some kind of lid as some fish are known to jump.

 

[Caleb]

I'll work on one in a little bit, I gotta run to the store and get baby formula and cat food... Don't ask

Ok, have fun shopping for "cat food"...

 

[MikeDVB]

I wast just talking to the wife about getting a tank once we move into our new house [on the 8th], tank would come a month later probably...

I've always had 10g tanks when I was younger - would love a 29 and for $10 heck - that's a great deal. I skimmed the last page so if those tanks are still for sale - even if you aren't getting one - so long as it's a good quality tank that holds water and doesn't leak I'd be interested in one.

I know my son would love a fish tank - he's 15 months old now and starting to say words and loves the fish when we go by them in the store .

That said - beautiful stand - I wish I had the skills to build something like that .

 

[Caleb]

I wast just talking to the wife about getting a tank once we move into our new house [on the 8th], tank would come a month later probably...

I've always had 10g tanks when I was younger - would love a 29 and for $10 heck - that's a great deal. I skimmed the last page so if those tanks are still for sale - even if you aren't getting one - so long as it's a good quality tank that holds water and doesn't leak I'd be interested in one.

I know my son would love a fish tank - he's 15 months old now and starting to say words and loves the fish when we go by them in the store .

That said - beautiful stand - I wish I had the skills to build something like that .

I'll pm you a number in a bit....

 

[HeadlessRoland]

Indeed...I would most likely go with euro bracing as it may decrease the overall cost, however, I'd need to create some kind of lid as some fish are known to jump.

Slab is perfect. Literally perfect, you'll get almost total load distribution. With water, sand, live rock, livestock, tank and stand, you're running somewhere between 1.5-2 psi exerted over the footprint. As for the lid, you can buy fine-screen plastic mesh and sandwich it between two sheets of a rim of acrylic, affixing it with screws if you'd like to make them disposable/replaceable.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

I wast just talking to the wife about getting a tank once we move into our new house [on the 8th], tank would come a month later probably...

I've always had 10g tanks when I was younger - would love a 29 and for $10 heck - that's a great deal. I skimmed the last page so if those tanks are still for sale - even if you aren't getting one - so long as it's a good quality tank that holds water and doesn't leak I'd be interested in one.

I know my son would love a fish tank - he's 15 months old now and starting to say words and loves the fish when we go by them in the store .

That said - beautiful stand - I wish I had the skills to build something like that .

Kids love fish. Adults love fish. You need fish.

 

[MikeDVB]

It's been years since I've had a tank - I was young and my father took care of the details [passed away now] so I'll need to do some research but no reason I can't snag a tank if it's a good deal and hold onto it while I research everything .

Then, of course, I always have the wonderful INGO for advice!

That said - any advice on things to look for in a tank - i.e. what to avoid or what to seek.

 

[Caleb]

It's been years since I've had a tank - I was young and my father took care of the details [passed away now] so I'll need to do some research but no reason I can't snag a tank if it's a good deal and hold onto it while I research everything .

Then, of course, I always have the wonderful INGO for advice!

That said - any advice on things to look for in a tank - i.e. what to avoid or what to seek.

I have some extra betta food if you end up with a betta...good easy fish for kids to take care of.

 

[MikeDVB]

He's a bit young to take care of the fish himself just yet .