Smartinelli
Community Member
Hi everybody. I’ve been debating posting a build thread for my new tank build. I’m not normally one to post stuff. I mostly prefer lurking and reading about everybody else’s tanks. I figure it’s about time I contribute. Besides it will be good to be able to look back and remember all the fun I had building this tank.
I have been keeping fresh water fish aquariums for as long as I can remember. My first fish were a couple of goldfish my parents got me. I remember staring at that first tank thinking how cool it would be to be able swim like a fish swimming in and out of the rockwork. Those two fish started a lifelong passion. From then on I have always had an aquarium running.
I had only kept freshwater tanks up but had always wanted to make the leap into saltwater. Life and kids kept me from affording to make the switch to marine tanks. A little over a year ago I made the switch with a used 90 gallon tank I bought on offer up. This is a pretty good tank but it is smaller than I wanted. I always wanted a large tank with bigger fish.
My wife also enjoys fish keeping and we go to the local fish store together. It has been our together hobby for years. On one of these LFS trips she saw a a baby hippo tang and had to have “baby Dory”. I went ahead and bought it for her knowing full well that it would soon outgrow our small 90 gallon tank and we would need to upgrade. I used the excuse that we needed a bigger tank for her fish. She agreed. Big tank here we go!
I was torn on whether to go with a glass tank like or try an acrylic. I have always had glass tanks and I am comfortable with them but with a tank as large as I wanted the weight and cost of the tank had me leaning towards the acrylic. I was a bit afraid of acrylic because I have heard it scratches so easily. I eventually settled on an acrylic tank and placed my order a 96x 24x24 tank. I opted to build the stand myself in my shop at work to try to save some money. I ended up spending nearly as much as buying one from the aquarium supplier. When I factor in my time spent I would just buy a stand if I had it to do over.
I had the stand all built and in place where the new will be going. I was showing my wife what it would look like once the new tank arrived. I set a mocked up piece of cardboard to simulate the incoming tank on top of the stand. She was not impressed. I made the stand 36” tall to allow plenty of room for all the new gear I was planing. This tall stand height made the 24” tank look super short. She was right it did look very odd being asymmetrical like that. My setup was all stand and a tiny tank on top. She said I needed to go bigger and I was only getting one tank so might as well go big and get what I really want. I called the tank builder that afternoon and grew the tank. The tank then turned into a 400 gallon 96x30x36.
I have been keeping fresh water fish aquariums for as long as I can remember. My first fish were a couple of goldfish my parents got me. I remember staring at that first tank thinking how cool it would be to be able swim like a fish swimming in and out of the rockwork. Those two fish started a lifelong passion. From then on I have always had an aquarium running.
I had only kept freshwater tanks up but had always wanted to make the leap into saltwater. Life and kids kept me from affording to make the switch to marine tanks. A little over a year ago I made the switch with a used 90 gallon tank I bought on offer up. This is a pretty good tank but it is smaller than I wanted. I always wanted a large tank with bigger fish.
My wife also enjoys fish keeping and we go to the local fish store together. It has been our together hobby for years. On one of these LFS trips she saw a a baby hippo tang and had to have “baby Dory”. I went ahead and bought it for her knowing full well that it would soon outgrow our small 90 gallon tank and we would need to upgrade. I used the excuse that we needed a bigger tank for her fish. She agreed. Big tank here we go!
I was torn on whether to go with a glass tank like or try an acrylic. I have always had glass tanks and I am comfortable with them but with a tank as large as I wanted the weight and cost of the tank had me leaning towards the acrylic. I was a bit afraid of acrylic because I have heard it scratches so easily. I eventually settled on an acrylic tank and placed my order a 96x 24x24 tank. I opted to build the stand myself in my shop at work to try to save some money. I ended up spending nearly as much as buying one from the aquarium supplier. When I factor in my time spent I would just buy a stand if I had it to do over.
I had the stand all built and in place where the new will be going. I was showing my wife what it would look like once the new tank arrived. I set a mocked up piece of cardboard to simulate the incoming tank on top of the stand. She was not impressed. I made the stand 36” tall to allow plenty of room for all the new gear I was planing. This tall stand height made the 24” tank look super short. She was right it did look very odd being asymmetrical like that. My setup was all stand and a tiny tank on top. She said I needed to go bigger and I was only getting one tank so might as well go big and get what I really want. I called the tank builder that afternoon and grew the tank. The tank then turned into a 400 gallon 96x30x36.
Looking forward to seeing more (progress, not clamps)! Ha!
