used 344g shallow tank or new 360g deeper tank????

[JRChristiansen]

Ok so im thinking about ordering me a new custom 360g acrylic tank 8' long x 24'' tall x 36'' wide with a external overflow but thay want $2700 for the tank and delivery in my basemant and take my 150g tank away. Or I know a guy selling a used 344g tank 8' long x 18'' tall x 48'' wide with two center overflows for around $1000 with a 135g sump and home made stand. It has just a few scratches on out side of tank. What do u all think i would in joy more? I want a full out reef with lots of sps and lps and lots of tangs and all the lights diy LEDs.

[JRChristiansen]

http://http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=39966 ok here is the used shallow tank. what do u all think? any one have a 18" shallow reef?

[JRChristiansen]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=39966

[scarolina01]

Honestly, I think you could make a very nice reef tank out of the used 344g tank. Use the $1700 you'll save and invest that in your equiptment (skimmer, pumps, etc.).

[JRChristiansen]

thanks for the reply thats why im going back and forth on witch one i want. do u think 18'' tall that will be enuf room for say 5 good size tangs and lots of small fish?

[Reef264]

The used tank is what I would do, Because your Gunna Scratch the New Acrylic Tank anyways.

Not to Mention...Killer PAR Levels!

[gmate]

More than enough room for what you want. You'd be able to get away with 12" deep for tangs, possibly even 8" depending on how big the sand bed is. Go for the used shallow. it's cheaper and the design layout looks good.

[Mixed_Reef]

I have a 20" tank and I feel like that's too shallow. I would deff get the deeper 24" tank but for a way better price! The overflows look weird in the middle and will block a lot of viewing unless ur gonna put the tank in the middle of the room and still the shallow tank is gonna make it hard for viewing. Or make it rimless

[gmate]

I have a 20" tank and I feel like that's too shallow. I would deff get the deeper 24" tank but for a way better price! The overflows look weird in the middle and will block a lot of viewing unless ur gonna put the tank in the middle of the room and still the shallow tank is gonna make it hard for viewing. Or make it rimless

Can't go rimless with a tank of this size. It needs center braces.

[JRChristiansen]

I have a 20" tank and I feel like that's too shallow. I would deff get the deeper 24" tank but for a way better price! The overflows look weird in the middle and will block a lot of viewing unless ur gonna put the tank in the middle of the room and still the shallow tank is gonna make it hard for viewing. Or make it rimless

on the 24'' tank there are no other tank builders in my area. they want $2200 for the tank and and about $200 for the custom external over flow and about $200 to take it to my house and bring it down in my basment and add tax and then they are giving me $100 for my old 150g tank. = about $2700 is that really high?

[tkeracer619]

I have a 8x3x2H 360 and a 6x4x2H 360.

It really depends on how you plan on setting up the tank, how good the seams are, and how tall the stand is. You will also need to figure in polishing time ;).

Flow will be a challenge with the shorter tank. Anything that can move water those distances will disrupt the sand so you would need a coarse sand. I would figure out what you want for flow and how you would aquascape each tank before you make your decision. I use a gyre flow setup with 2x mp40w vortechs on my 6x4x2. It does a pretty good job moving the whole tank but I am not looking for sps numbers. It will be a fish only then a BTA species tank.

Lighting is roughly the same. Skimmer is the same. Tangs are distance swimmers so the shorter tank is better for them. SPS grows upwards so you will need to aquascape and plan ahead for vertical growth if you want long term success. 18" does not leave a lot of room for error.

4' front to back takes up a lot of floorspace but is awesome to look at. At 4' any color in the water is noticeable. Consider using ozone in a reactor.

[JRChristiansen]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=39975

[on the spot]

Honestly, I think you could make a very nice reef tank out of the used 344g tank. Use the $1700 you'll save and spend that in your equiptment (skimmer, pumps, etc.).

FTFY

I'd buy the used one.

[Mixed_Reef]

on the 24'' tank there are no other tank builders in my area. they want $2200 for the tank and and about $200 for the custom external over flow and about $200 to take it to my house and bring it down in my basment and add tax and then they are giving me $100 for my old 150g tank. = about $2700 is that really high?

I would just hold on to ur money and look around some more. The price is good for the used tank but just not a very good layout IMO. Like the previous poster said flow is going to be a challenge with a tank that wide and that shallow and especially a good point about corals if ur gonna grow sps that's gonna b a problem in a tank that shallow unless it's gonna be a FOWLR. And it may not be so much for the tank but when u start adding up all the equipment needed for a tank that large u might want to think abou it. Unless money isnt a very big issue for u...

[Dragon moray ki]

I would get the used I like the depth nice tank.

[JRChristiansen]

well i just went and looked at the used tank. i like it the sides are 3/4'' and bottom 5/8'' and top 1/2'' and i like the tank but think im going to take one overflow out. i will be picking it up saturday morning because the tank is still full and running!

[TheFishTeen]

well i just went and looked at the used tank. i like it the sides are 3/4'' and bottom 5/8'' and top 1/2'' and i like the tank but think im going to take one overflow out. i will be picking it up saturday morning because the tank is still full and running!

Nice! If it were me I would build a tall stand so the tank is eye level.

[BuckeyeTodd]

I'd do bare bottom so sand isn't an issue on the shallow, and you could then do two mp60's for flow

[JRChristiansen]

yeah stand eye level for sure. viewable from 3 sides the 2 8 foot sides and one 4 foot side or all 4 sides? i have alredy have 2 mp40s. and 2 6 foot diy LED lights 200 3 w LEDs total. i am for sure going to have some sort of sand bed.

[anbosu]

I'd do bare bottom so sand isn't an issue on the shallow, and you could then do two mp60's for flow

I agree with this. You would have the opportunity to create a really unique tank with the used tank.

[JRChristiansen]

what do u all think about cutting one of the overflows out?

[reefergeorge]

That beldts tank has sure made its rounds. :) It is a well made tank, but a little short imo.

[JRChristiansen]

That beldts tank has sure made its rounds. :) It is a well made tank, but a little short imo.

do you know about how old the tank is?

[geaux xman]

Sounds like you've made up your mind, but personally, I would go with the new tank for the 24" height.

That 18" tall tank, you will lose 1.5" for the waterline, maybe 5/8-3/4" for the bottom acrylic panel, then another 1" for the sand. You're down to a water column of about 15", which isnt much.

You have close to the same amount of water volume, but from the front, the shallow tank will look no where near as impressive IMO.

This is going to be the center piece of your home. Go with what you like and will look best..

Shallow tanks looks good too, but I think they're more for 4ft long tanks. Check out the Large Reef section for ideas..

[cbm369]

Used one.

Sell your 150g on Craigslist or Ebay. Heck, if I were closer I would give you more than $100 for it. :)

[didz04]

I would definitely go for the shallow as you would appreciate the 4ft depth. I think scaping your rocks around the middle will be a nice idea. Thats how I have scaped my shallow tank so that the fish can swim around the rock scape.

[Rploaded]

Deep tanks allow for realistic rock work......

Why not go xx-36x30???

[JRChristiansen]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone! But I messed up last night. i started building the stand for the used tank last night out of 2x8x8 weathertreated wood instead of pressure treated wood:(. so back to home depot when I get off work. I hope they will take back the non cut 2x8x8s. And by the way the used tank is really 360g I messed up on that 2 lol. But I will post some pics 2 night of the stand getting put together.

[JRChristiansen]

Deep tanks allow for realistic rock work......

Why not go xx-36x30???

Cuz my LEDs won't grow sps that deep. And I'm not made of money lol

[JRChristiansen]

Maybe in my next house I will have a 600g that is 30" deep:eek2:

[JRChristiansen]

ok here are the pics of the stand so far made out of 2''x8''s and 2''x6''s http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40060

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40059

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40063

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40061

[JRChristiansen]

and here are some pics of the tank when i went to look at it on sunday.http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40057

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40056

http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=4612&pictureid=40058

[Rploaded]

I would double up all the lumber... Ie glue 2x2x6 together with a piece of 3/4 ply in between.... Lots of weight to deal with.... Throw a wave maker in and you've got literally tons of force. Check out my build thread for some stand ideas......

Tank looks like its in good shape....

[Rploaded]

You also might want to just use regular lumber. Pressure treated wood has a large tendency to shrink, warp etc as it dries out. If you do some reading only non treated wood is recommended for these larger projects.. Lastly regular untreated wood is stronger... My .02

[widmer]

Congrats on the new tank. FYI-

Only non-treated wood is strongly recommended over in the DIY forum because as rploaded stated, treated wood is likely to twist etc over time. Also, the top frame should really be sitting on top of the pillars rather than screwed in around the sides, because the way it is now, you essentially would have the entire tank being supported by a handful of screws.

[JRChristiansen]

You also might want to just use regular lumber. Pressure treated wood has a large tendency to shrink, warp etc as it dries out. If you do some reading only non treated wood is recommended for these larger projects.. Lastly regular untreated wood is stronger... My .02

I mentioned befor that at first I started building it with treated wood but I took the wood back to homedepot and got regular 2x8s and 2x6s.:(

[JRChristiansen]

Congrats on the new tank. FYI-

Only non-treated wood is strongly recommended over in the DIY forum because as rploaded stated, treated wood is likely to twist etc over time. Also, the top frame should really be sitting on top of the pillars rather than screwed in around the sides, because the way it is now, you essentially would have the entire tank being supported by a handful of screws.
Stand is not done yet that is all I got done last night tho. Trust me my stand will be well over built when I get done.:beer:

[reefergeorge]

do you know about how old the tank is?


No, I just remember when Beldts was selling off all their large displays.. Have you checked out the SLASH forum?

[sage12177]

use your 150g as your sump.

[Mixed_Reef]

use your 150g as your sump.

That's a waste of a good tank! Sell it on Craigslist.

[tkeracer619]

That's a waste of a good tank! Sell it on Craigslist.

How so? Selling a used tank for a few bucks and buying another to be used as a sump?

This is my 150g that broke a seam. I had the tops of the panes cut down to make the eurobracing.

Tell me where one would find a sump like this for $50 ?
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/638/37tu4.jpg

[Mixed_Reef]

How so? Selling a used tank for a few bucks and buying another to be used as a sump?

This is my 150g that broke a seam. I had the tops of the panes cut down to make the eurobracing.

Tell me where one would find a sump like this for $50 ?

Its not a few buck but at least $200 and then buy an acrylic 100G or 75G i think would be enough. Its only a 350G tank not a 1350! If u need a sump that big to take care of excess nutrients than i think you have a bigger problem. No need to have a huge sump like that. Right? if not enlighten me :)

[tkeracer619]

Extra rock space and cooling capacity for my berlin setup. Good enough reason for me.

I have a heavy bio load but rarely see measurable nitrates. Most of the time they are around .5. I feed a small flat of mysis, small flat of roggers, and 2 boxes of frozen cubes per week. Could I do it with a smaller sump? Probably. Would I? Sure, my other 360 has a 50g long as a sump. Both sumps cost the same to me. The clear winner is the 6ft euro braced 120.

[Mixed_Reef]

How's the build coming along?

[JRChristiansen]

sorry every one the build is going great but bad case of diatoms but typical for a new tank. im thinking of building a LED atf to combat the algae. I will be finishing the bar around it soon with tile. and be making a canopy with a lot more leds so it will be all LEDs. lost a few fish to jumping:(

[Dragon moray ki]

Pictures?

[Salinity01]

I personaly like the shallow reef tanks and it would save you some money. The choice is yours. You need to get the one that you want or you will never be happy and you will end up spending more in the long run.

[LOU A VILLE]

I personaly like the shallow reef tanks and it would save you some money. The choice is yours. You need to get the one that you want or you will never be happy and you will end up spending more in the long run.

He already made his choice, None of the OPs pictures are showing up for me.?

[JRChristiansen]

http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg584/jrchristiansen/007.jpg

[JRChristiansen]

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[moshi1ry]

buy used sell the old one definitely dont give it away thats silly!

[JRChristiansen]

yes i will be selling the old 150 with stand and canopy

[TucanSam007]

go used, buy some cerium oxide and buff out the scratches on the outside if it really bothers you

[JRChristiansen]

go used, buy some cerium oxide and buff out the scratches on the outside if it really bothers you
I did buy the used tank.

[Bosco83]

Looks pretty sweet! Hurry up and get those tiles on so you can post more pictures :)

[JRChristiansen]

will do i will be at a coral swap 2mro so i will post more pics then

[flyguy1]

awsome tank

[indyjaco]

Looks awesome. I want!

[JRChristiansen]

updates
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg584/jrchristiansen/360g028.jpg

[JRChristiansen]

<a href="http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg584/jrchristiansen/?action=view&amp;current=360g031.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg584/jrchristiansen/360g031.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

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[JRChristiansen]

UPDATES

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[JRChristiansen]

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[Windirmere]

omg that looks amazing! So when you inviting us over for a potluck

[JRChristiansen]

omg that looks amazing! So when you inviting us over for a potluck

Thanks!:beer:. Now time for some updates I just got a tomini tang yesterday from the lfs:bounce1:. He looks great under my leds. My yellow eyed kole tang dont like him as of right now. So im up to 5 tangs in my tank now. I want a total of 10 tangs in my tank! I ordered my new apex from aquacave last week so I hope it will be here soon. I will be ordering the reef dynamics 1000g bio pellet reactor some time this month:bounce3:.

[screamingibis]

When that tank grows out, it'll be amazing. congrats