custom built 1200G acrylic tank dimensions help.

[NicolasFSS]

am having a custom tank built in acrylic that will be embedded in a wall but accessible from behind and front and I need help deciding on the sizing.
the initial dimensions 150" x 35" x 35" but I am afraid that a depth (width) of 35 will not provide enough room for coral growth over time and might make the tank look less mysterious. through this link you can look at a tank of those exact dimensions for reference:

unfortunately increasing depth (width) to 43 doubles the cost of the tank (something to do with the size of acrylic sheets). Instead I could have the tank be less long but deeper without a cost increase 110 x43 x35.
Since this is a considerable investment, I want to get it right.

what do you recommend and anything else I should consider?

 

[Lowell Lemon]

The deeper the tank the more difficult to clean and light.

I built a couple of tanks tanks for a customer that were 16' long x 3'wide x 4' tall. It required two people to clean the panels. One person placed their hand on the outside to guide me in locating the algae that needed to be cleaned. At the time of construction only metal halide lighting could produce the light levels necessary.

The wait for custom panels that size was two years plus then.

In the end the cost is related to the desired outcome of the display. Live corals demand lots of control over water quality, water movement, lighting, and monitoring. It will be almost a regular job for someone to make this successful.

You might be interested in Andrew Sandlers tank called Polo Reef. 17000 gallon tank you can find on YouTube or here on R2R. Lots of information for considering.

 

[NicolasFSS]

The deeper the tank the more difficult to clean and light.

I built a couple of tanks tanks for a customer that were 16' long x 3'wide x 4' tall. It required two people to clean the panels. One person placed their hand on the outside to guide me in locating the algae that needed to be cleaned. At the time of construction only metal halide lighting could produce the light levels necessary.

The wait for custom panels that size was two years plus then.

In the end the cost is related to the desired outcome of the display. Live corals demand lots of control over water quality, water movement, lighting, and monitoring. It will be almost a regular job for someone to make this successful.

maye I should clarify that by depth I mean width and not tallness. cleaning is still an issue but I believe less than If it were too tall for your hand to reach the bottom

 

[Lowell Lemon]

The wider tank front to back will give more coral placement options and create a greater depth of field visually. It will be necessary to access both front and back of the display to allow for maintenance with the wider depth front to back.

 

[NicolasFSS]

The wider tank front to back will give more coral placement options and create a greater depth of field visually. It will be necessary to access both front and back of the display to allow for maintenance with the wider depth front to back.

yes, I do have front and back access. so would you go for the wider rather than the longer one?

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I would if you desire more depth of field visually as I said. You are the customer who has to live with the final product. If cost is a factor you should make the decision on that basis. Aquariums are not investments they are for personal enjoyment and as such are a luxury. Very few people buy a home or business because it has an aquarium. In fact, you actually limit the number of potential buyers with such infrastructure in a home or business. This should be a consideration in your decision. The cost of this display does not stop once it is installed it continues until the decision to remove the cost and display.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

You are asking good questions and I am trying not to make decisions about this but give you some consideration for the long term commitment this takes to be successful. This is not something you should undertake if you think your interest or ability to fully support will wane in the near future. You are attempting to create a miniature ecosystem no just an aquarium.

 

[NicolasFSS]

I would if you desire more depth of field visually as I said. You are the customer who has to live with the final product. If cost is a factor you should make the decision on that basis. Aquariums are not investments they are for personal enjoyment and as such are a luxury. Very few people buy a home or business because it has an aquarium. In fact, you actually limit the number of potential buyers with such infrastructure in a home or business. This should be a consideration in your decision. The cost of this display does not stop once it is installed it continues until the decision to remove the cost and display.

thanks for your feedback. I ended up going for 43" depth in the end. since I want this to be my main and last large aquarium I want it to be perfect.. I am lucky enough to be able to hire someone to help with the tank, because realistically between my work, family and other hobbies I wouldn't have the time to maintain the tank properly.