DIY Concrete Aquarium 5,000 gallon - Anderson Family Reef

[dca22anderson]

Why’d you use them again? Weren’t they slow pokes last build too?!

Took me over a year last time to get all the gear I ordered with all the correct parts to put them into service. Bill and I talked last February when I started this build so I figured I had some time. He reassured me that he had the skimmer built already and he would get me the right stuff quicker and even offered a discounted rate for it so it seemed like it would work out. Figured as a repeat customer with some time to spare it would be a good fit.

The quality of the product build is very good. Once I got all the gear with the right parts it worked amazing. Once you get Bills attention he gets stuff done and it is GREAT GEAR! IMHO I think he is just way too busy to build all the gear with the custom options without a trusted team he can rely on. He means well and wants to help everyone but the workload in addition to his other responsibilities is too much.

I hope we can link up and get the gear going or that I can get the money back to order with another provider if he is too busy.

 

[dca22anderson]

We are FULL!! To the top (well 12” from the top) but all seams are under water and holding strong!! So stoked right now!!

 

[dca22anderson]

Filled up about 4” past the drains and it’s holding great!!

Just capped the drains to test the top seams!

 

[flagg37]

Have you gone swimming in it yet?

 

[dca22anderson]

Have you gone swimming in it yet?

Not yet but I need to!! LOL

 

[dca22anderson]

Sealed up tight!! Loving the view through the window and getting to look up to the surface! Also the water is covering the top of the rock work by a foot or more at the back. I’ll dial in the height of the rock stack after I get the overflow installed. Super excited to move on to building out the filtration

 

[dca22anderson]

diamond sturgeon taking some laps

 

[flagg37]

Have you noticed any change in the water clarity (better/worse). I know you don’t have any filtration yet. Do you have any flow in it right now?

 

[HPfunk]

I just binged this thread from the beginning. Started about 2hours ago.
The most inspirational part of this build is your confidence and optimism. Your ability to push forward with an “idea” of this size without a master plan is so boss. Obviously your DIY skills are impressive AF. I would imagine, all said and done, you will have “saved” close to 200k by doing this yourself. Engineering and design might cost 30k+ alone if using one of the museums quality contractors and professionals.
Keep up the good work and if you don’t mind I’m going to live vicariously through your reef while I wait for my wife to agree to 5k +

 

[dca22anderson]

Have you noticed any change in the water clarity (better/worse). I know you don’t have any filtration yet. Do you have any flow in it right now?

It’s getting a little murky now with all those fish in there and not being able to turn it over. Right now I have 2-Sicce 4000’s, 2- Mag 24’s and a giant air supply bubbler. I’ll most likely use that 150 gallon Rubbermaid for a temporary sump so I can skim, filter a little and return the water back to the tank. I did add a gallon of bacteria to help seed the biological side of the process. Man I wish I had my filtration gear!! If I did the Koi would not be in there. They are fun to watch in the meantime. Oh and I also added salt to a low therapeutic safe level for the koi.

I just binged this thread from the beginning. Started about 2hours ago.
The most inspirational part of this build is your confidence and optimism. Your ability to push forward with an “idea” of this size without a master plan is so boss. Obviously your DIY skills are impressive AF. I would imagine, all said and done, you will have “saved” close to 200k by doing this yourself. Engineering and design might cost 30k+ alone if using one of the museums quality contractors and professionals.
Keep up the good work and if you don’t mind I’m going to live vicariously through your reef while I wait for my wife to agree to 5k +

Thanks for the kind feedback and for checking out the build! I have learned a lot during this process and have saved a few bucks for sure muscling it out DIY style.

I do feel a little guilty sometimes with the investment in time and resources I put toward the tank with all the other stuff we have going on but I LOVE THIS STUFF!!

I work to include the family in all aspects of the hobby which helps me get their buy in and engagement. It’s something we all enjoy at this stage in the game (40 years with an aquarium, 19 married with children) so I don’t feel too bad. It’s also fun to hear from your 17 year old son that he showed some pictures of the build to his high school class and the teacher and class got super excited about it and spent tons of time asking him questions. My 19 year old at Utah State gets the same response when he talks about it in his engineering classes! Those experiences make them feel unique and special

There are many things that I should have considered in more detail but once the shovels hit the basement dirt it was on! Love the way it’s come together and I luckily and sometimes unluckilyhave NEVER suffered from analysis paralysis.

Super excited for what’s your come! Getting the big tangs and reef going is the BEST!!

I’ll try and get hold of Bill Wann this week again… also starting to consider other options which is a hard thing because he has a huge portion of this DIY budget.

Thanks for following along it’s going to get even better

 

[najer]

It’s getting a little murky now with all those fish in there and not being able to turn it over. Right now I have 2-Sicce 4000’s, 2- Mag 24’s and a giant air supply bubbler. I’ll most likely use that 150 gallon Rubbermaid for a temporary sump so I can skim, filter a little and return the water back to the tank. I did add a gallon of bacteria to help seed the biological side of the process. Man I wish I had my filtration gear!! If I did the Koi would not be in there. They are fun to watch in the meantime. Oh and I also added salt to a low therapeutic safe level for the koi.



Thanks for the kind feedback and for checking out the build! I have learned a lot during this process and have saved a few bucks for sure muscling it out DIY style.



I’ll try and get hold of Bill Wann this week again… also starting to consider other options which is a hard thing because he has a huge portion of this DIY budget.

Is he the one that stiffed Andrew?

 

[dca22anderson]

Is he the one that stiffed Andrew?

Sadly, yes.

 

[najer]

Sadly, yes.

I thought so as it was the first time you have mentioned looking at alternatives, good luck.

 

[HPfunk]

Love the fact that this home was built around the aquarium. My wife is threatening to move us out of our newly completed home, so I have been showing her the largest builds I can find in hopes that we don’t move, but more as a threat of the consequences of another move.
My first question is regarding the wall finish. You showed some colors selections that appear to be epoxy. But I also saw a reference to fiberglass work. Where does the fiberglass come into play? Did you consider a fiberglass tank with viewing panel? The reason I ask is because I came across these. https://www.aquaculturetanks.com/

What’s the consensus on fiberglass versus concrete with epoxy paint?

 

[dca22anderson]

Love the fact that this home was built around the aquarium. My wife is threatening to move us out of our newly completed home, so I have been showing her the largest builds I can find in hopes that we don’t move, but more as a threat of the consequences of another move.
My first question is regarding the wall finish. You showed some colors selections that appear to be epoxy. But I also saw a reference to fiberglass work. Where does the fiberglass come into play? Did you consider a fiberglass tank with viewing panel? The reason I ask is because I came across these. https://www.aquaculturetanks.com/

What’s the consensus on fiberglass versus concrete with epoxy paint?

Love those fiberglass tanks and I talked with them specifically about building me one but to get it into my current home I would have had to cut it in 2 or 3 pieces and reseam it together. The cost was higher than what I could build the concrete one for DIY and they are in FL so shipping cost to UT was up there too…

I found that there are two great options for the walls, epoxy and the other is fiberglass.

With mine being a concrete tank and a single pour all the strength is already built in so the epoxy worked well. I just needed to waterproof the concrete.

Many plywood tank builders use the fiberglass maybe to get the extra strength and transition the seams stronger.

Good questions!

 

[dca22anderson]

Tank is full to the active water height where I will run it once I have the overflow installed! All seams are great!!

 

[McPuff]

Where did you get the sturgeon? Definitely not something you see in a private tank very often.

 

[flagg37]

Tank is full to the active water height where I will run it once I have the overflow installed! All seams are great!!

I’m really glad that that earlier area where you had the separation isn’t an issue.

 

[flagg37]

Also, is that a load bearing portion of the wall that is still up? What are your plans for it?

 

[dca22anderson]

Also, is that a load bearing portion of the wall that is still up? What are your plans for it?

Yes it’s still there, need to get a structural engineer to put together some specs for the header… I’m going to get the tank turning over to filter a bit then work on the fish rooms