Hello everyone,
I am finally starting my first reef tank soon. I spent the better part of a year just soaking up knowledge and researching to start this hobby, and to my surprise I finally have the chance to spec out my first custom built tank which happens to also be my first tank. Friend of a friend builds tanks and he managed to get a good price for me. Where I live saltwater tanks aren't really common at all. This guy builds mostly freshwater tanks with much simpler plumbing. He straight up told me "I don't have much experience in saltwater just tell where to drill the holes." So I want to ask, what should the best custom built tank have? This is fully from scratch. Any Size, any type of overflow, any size sump etc..
I am extremely overwhelmed. So I am gonna regurgitate some thoughts and you guys let me know if I am in the wrong train of thought. Thanks in advance.
1- Tank Size: The basement where I can fit the tank in fits 7ft long maximum. I could go whatever height I want, but width is restricted to 24in as I want to stay inline with the cabinets on the right and left of the tank. I was thinking 6.6ft(200cm) x 24in x 24in. For the height I am thinking minimum 24in but also thinking swinging for 30in. Is that too tall? Tank stand will be 40in I decided. I had a freshwater tank with a 36in tall stand I did not like how much I needed to bend to see the tank. I could go for a full 7ft tank but see point 2 as I am trying to avoid the price jump of 15mm glass.
2- Will 1/2 (12mm glass) will good for a 200cm (6.6ft) x 24in x 24in tank be good? Online aquarium glass calculators with a safety margin of 3.8 pass the test with required thickness being 12.88mm. Tank builder guy said its fine buts the maximum hes willing to go for those dimension, he said any longer or taller I would need 3/5 or 15mm glass thickness. All options are braced. I think he will do center braces plus euro brace. Is that overkill? Should I just do euro braces? He also does traditional metal bracing option. Should I consider that? I am not thinking of rimless at all, since I am already kinda pushing it for the glass thickness I think?
3- What is the best overflow for this tank? I am so confused on this. I obviously don't want an internal overflow right? External? Should there be a box outside the tank? What if there is no space for an extra 3 inches for external overflow box? I want to have 24in width, does that mean I have to bring the tank further from the wall a couple of inches more? So the tank from the wall be 27 inches accounting the overflow box? That wont be inline with the cabinets.. I don't want to make the tank narrower. Should I consider internal? Aldo what type of "drain method" bean animal or Herbie? Is there a best one? I am liking the one with three drains, one siphon and 1 trickle and one emergency.
4- I am thinking of doing a big sump, 90 gallon If I can or bigger. I wanna be able to have a "frag" rack in there also if possible. I am accounting for everything, refugium, skimmer, filter roller (in future), space for bio media. I have no idea if I need reactors now or soon, but I will just make space for everything for the future. I might have a gigantic empty sump for now. That I will eventully populate with equipment as I progress through this hobby. Is that okay?
5- Tank stand will be made of metal and painted black. The tank will be 40inches high plus 24in of the reef. It might be too tall but I really like the height. Also plus a lot of space for fun activities in the refugium. In case I want to stick my head and work there, its tall enough. I will have to figure out to do matching cabinet for the stand later on, but it will have an exposed sump for now. Also is it okay for sump to sit on the floor with some type of foam or neoprene? The metal stand is a square with no "bottom" if that makes sense. I am thinking maybe I could ask to weld sheet metal to make it elevated from the ground but is that necessarily? Floor is basement level and its all concrete so all good in the weight department.
What are you guys thinking? I am going at this at he correct way? I still haven't made space for the ATO reservoir, so I will either make it fit in the sump (smaller sump). Or I am thinking of emptying the cabinet with junk on the right of tank and putting it in there and getting a bigger ATO (bigger sump.) This is all so overwhelming, because I have to think on EVERYTHING I NEED, like 5 years down the hobby. I didn't even begin to mention anything about plumbing? Do I need a manifold? Size of pipes? Size of bulkheads? Return location.. ugh so much stuff to plan.
I am finally starting my first reef tank soon. I spent the better part of a year just soaking up knowledge and researching to start this hobby, and to my surprise I finally have the chance to spec out my first custom built tank which happens to also be my first tank. Friend of a friend builds tanks and he managed to get a good price for me. Where I live saltwater tanks aren't really common at all. This guy builds mostly freshwater tanks with much simpler plumbing. He straight up told me "I don't have much experience in saltwater just tell where to drill the holes." So I want to ask, what should the best custom built tank have? This is fully from scratch. Any Size, any type of overflow, any size sump etc..
I am extremely overwhelmed. So I am gonna regurgitate some thoughts and you guys let me know if I am in the wrong train of thought. Thanks in advance.
1- Tank Size: The basement where I can fit the tank in fits 7ft long maximum. I could go whatever height I want, but width is restricted to 24in as I want to stay inline with the cabinets on the right and left of the tank. I was thinking 6.6ft(200cm) x 24in x 24in. For the height I am thinking minimum 24in but also thinking swinging for 30in. Is that too tall? Tank stand will be 40in I decided. I had a freshwater tank with a 36in tall stand I did not like how much I needed to bend to see the tank. I could go for a full 7ft tank but see point 2 as I am trying to avoid the price jump of 15mm glass.
2- Will 1/2 (12mm glass) will good for a 200cm (6.6ft) x 24in x 24in tank be good? Online aquarium glass calculators with a safety margin of 3.8 pass the test with required thickness being 12.88mm. Tank builder guy said its fine buts the maximum hes willing to go for those dimension, he said any longer or taller I would need 3/5 or 15mm glass thickness. All options are braced. I think he will do center braces plus euro brace. Is that overkill? Should I just do euro braces? He also does traditional metal bracing option. Should I consider that? I am not thinking of rimless at all, since I am already kinda pushing it for the glass thickness I think?
3- What is the best overflow for this tank? I am so confused on this. I obviously don't want an internal overflow right? External? Should there be a box outside the tank? What if there is no space for an extra 3 inches for external overflow box? I want to have 24in width, does that mean I have to bring the tank further from the wall a couple of inches more? So the tank from the wall be 27 inches accounting the overflow box? That wont be inline with the cabinets.. I don't want to make the tank narrower. Should I consider internal? Aldo what type of "drain method" bean animal or Herbie? Is there a best one? I am liking the one with three drains, one siphon and 1 trickle and one emergency.
4- I am thinking of doing a big sump, 90 gallon If I can or bigger. I wanna be able to have a "frag" rack in there also if possible. I am accounting for everything, refugium, skimmer, filter roller (in future), space for bio media. I have no idea if I need reactors now or soon, but I will just make space for everything for the future. I might have a gigantic empty sump for now. That I will eventully populate with equipment as I progress through this hobby. Is that okay?
5- Tank stand will be made of metal and painted black. The tank will be 40inches high plus 24in of the reef. It might be too tall but I really like the height. Also plus a lot of space for fun activities in the refugium. In case I want to stick my head and work there, its tall enough. I will have to figure out to do matching cabinet for the stand later on, but it will have an exposed sump for now. Also is it okay for sump to sit on the floor with some type of foam or neoprene? The metal stand is a square with no "bottom" if that makes sense. I am thinking maybe I could ask to weld sheet metal to make it elevated from the ground but is that necessarily? Floor is basement level and its all concrete so all good in the weight department.
What are you guys thinking? I am going at this at he correct way? I still haven't made space for the ATO reservoir, so I will either make it fit in the sump (smaller sump). Or I am thinking of emptying the cabinet with junk on the right of tank and putting it in there and getting a bigger ATO (bigger sump.) This is all so overwhelming, because I have to think on EVERYTHING I NEED, like 5 years down the hobby. I didn't even begin to mention anything about plumbing? Do I need a manifold? Size of pipes? Size of bulkheads? Return location.. ugh so much stuff to plan.