Maximum Tank Length? (12 Feet)

[andrewsk]

When we move into a new house, I am going to be going with a larger tank than my current 240 Gallon. (72x30x24)

I will be going with a Height of 24 and a Depth of 36 but was "thinking about going 12 feet long. (540 Gallons).

Other than requiring this be built in my house (Can you imagine moving this?) is there any structural integrity I would need to worry about with a tank this long?

What would I need to think about?


Thanks!

[norfolkoi]

I have just build one 12ft x 30" x 36" tall, first thing is make sure your floor can take the weight! Think you will be lloking around 3 1/2 tonne in total! I made my stand with blocks then steel on top and then 1" ply make sure it is level if not it may crack the base, I went for 15mm with a double base.

[nyvp]

I have a 120x36x30. I would go wider not taller. I love my 30" tall I wish I could have done 36 but lighting changes at 30". 24" will be to short for 12' the tank will be very squat in my opinion. If it was my tank I would go 144Lx36-48Wx30H

[ruiny]

My tank is 30 tall and 34 wide. And the height is as much as I can reach and I still would like more width.
So I second nyvp size recomendation.

[dsandfort]

You could also consider 2, 6' tanks end-to-end. With proper 'scaping, it would look like 1 tank but would give you the option of housing different critters. Plus, the individual tank would be much easier to move.

[green_frogspawn]

if your looking at going a 12 ft i would agree on going 30-32" tall because it would look a bit weird being SOO much longer than it is tall

[norfolkoi]

Still not finished but heres my baby!

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/Picture444384.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/Newtank2.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/bb8.jpg

Skimmer
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/skimmer.jpg

[green_frogspawn]

lookin good norfolkoi, whats the demensions?

[bad badger 1]

now that sounds cool you could have some lovely rockwork/aquascaping! Having it only 24 but 36 deep will give it gate depth. only problem mite be flow your probably going to need lots of power heads/pump outlets all along the tank to get good even flow(instead of 2 big ones) how ever it dose mean that you could have high and lower flow parts for different corals.

[norfolkoi]

Dim's are 12ft x 30" x 36" tall, return pump is a sequence 15,000 with a Tunze TS 48 in the tank, I have returnd the sequence through a 1" pipe at the front of the glass with flexi connectors coming out so I can contril flow also this way!

Some more pics for you!
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/Picture444001.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/a1.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/b11.jpg

Filter
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/Filter-1.jpg

UV
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z288/a24udi/UV.jpg

[Wryknow]

It seems to me that a couple of Tunze waveboxes would be perfect on a 12' tank. Using the wave harmonics would probably give you nice movement of the whole water column for relatively little money. Heck, just one of them on my 6' tank gives better water movement than the 4 pumps it replaced and it should work even better on longer tanks.

Other things to worry about - evaporation. You'll need a plan to vent the air and prevent humidity problems I think.

[bad badger 1]

ye i fort some tunze wave boxes would work well to. id probably go with 2 wave boxes, 2 really big tunze streams at either end of the tank then, to big streams in the middle and 2 or more smaller streams in-between the others all on the Multicontroller and the return pump outlets angled all over the tank perhaps on a wave maker . this is more aimed at sps’s. its also a bit of money no object as its going to cost a lot.

[tattooreef]

i would not worry about the tank looking too squat i have a 130x24x25, and i absolutely love it plus light penetration is absolutely wonderful, and if your canopy is built right it looks great. as far as weight and moving the others on here are right 1st make sure your floor can handle the weight, and for moving yes it sucks but it really isnt that awful as i just moved my tank last sunday, and with enough help it can go rather smoothly. if you would like to see what a long tank looks like you can check out the thread labled almost 11 foot tank