Karim's 1500gal dream reef

[anbosu]

I haven't personally done it but I think AGE uses PVC bottoms on their aquariums, so something along those lines should work for you.

[biecacka]

They do . MRC does as well. I looked into both when I was upgrading tanks.

Corey

[karimwassef]

Corey - did you go with either?

[McPuff]

Karim, following this thread as well. What's the time frame for moving? Any ideas on that yet?

[Elliott]

intriguing design, very nice

subscribed!

[karimwassef]

Time frame is controlled by the wife. I just get to veto property that doesn't work for this project, without talking about the project.

Probably later this year or early next year to start

[biecacka]

No. I had George of GEO's reef build mine. He is a personal friend and local to me. That's the reason. But a guy here has an AGE tank and its build quality is awesome.

Corey

[JonezNReef]

Here is your dream tank on a smaller scale.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2121728

[JonezNReef]

Here is another
http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/s...-reef-drop-off

[karimwassef]

Both were actually inspiration for my tank. A few differences are that my drop off is an illusion since the area below the reef floor is a cave network, and that the flow is multimodal and circulating.

[JonezNReef]

Cave network? Like a space where fish could swim or for some other idea?

[sfsuphysics]

3/4" glass for a 42" tall tank? You sure that is wise? I've seen much shorter tanks come standard with 3/4" glass. A quick look at a chart shows 1-1/8" is recommended for something that high (and of course over that span might want more).

That said I've built a PVC bottom aquarium before (well replaced the bottom with PVC), it worked out fine, it sat flat on the stand like an acrylic tank would. Granted it was MUCH smaller (80g) but it held up for a few years before I ended up selling the tank.

[karimwassef]

This tank is only 42" at one end. The rest is a shallow tank with a center platform that holds it together.

I'll do a breakdown view to show all the hidden sections.

[karimwassef]

Originally Posted by JonezNReef

Cave network? Like a space where fish could swim or for some other idea?

Yes and no. I'll share a visual outlay of the fish and non-fish regions.

[sfsuphysics]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

This tank is only 42" at one end. The rest is a shallow tank with a center platform that holds it together.

I'll do a breakdown view to show all the hidden sections.

It doesn't matter if it's only 42" at one end, while yeah that shallow portion MAY hold that part together, the parts that are 42" deep will feel a pressure against the walls as if the entire tank is 42" deep, it doesn't matter that it is a drop off. And even if you want to argue that the mid-joint will be sufficient that front pane is a solid 42" top to bottom.

I'm not trying to bring down your thread, but you have a mega-dream reef idea, and you're going to build the tank yourself from the sounds of it, just make sure you do it right so it doesn't become a mega-waste of money because there was a disaster a couple years later.

[karimwassef]

Sure. The 42" wall is likely 1" but the rest doesn't need to be.

Structure does matter - the rules of thumb apply to classic tank shapes. But remember that the eurobraced reduced the glass thickness necessary, etc...

When I considered a drop off tank, the stresses on the inner corner of the L sides was a real concern. A centrally braced tank had reduced stresses overall. The bottom being wood, concrete or plastic is certainly a realistic option.

The purpose of sharing this design is exactly to bring these issues out. It's not to bring the thread down, but it is to vet out and come up with a better design.

[dave.m]

Make sure you euro-brace around the bottom, especially of the drop-down section.

Dave.M

[karimwassef]

yup. already got that factored in.
☺

[karimwassef]

ok. I have a minute to share more about the design, so here come the details.

First, location location location.

1. The site needs to be SOUTH facing (since I'm in Dallas, TX).
2. There can be no tall trees or buildings within 100ft south, east or west.
3. The space allocated to the DT room is a fraction of the total space. The tank room and work room are substantially larger.

[karimwassef]

Ok. My current sunroom cost estimate is ~$15K depending on options and a lot of DIY (except the seals).

I haven't decided whether to go with a curved or slanted roof.





The roof extends a couple of feet over the tank room too.

[karimwassef]

The floor needs to slant slightly towards the outside (like a garage) and I would like a floor drain installed between the DT and the outside edge

[karimwassef]

Ok. Here's the rest of space needed:



The tank actually rests in both rooms - partially in the tank room and partially in the display room



Overall, the design needs about 1250 sqft, even though the display room (and the associated sunroom air conditioning need) is only about 300 sqft.

[karimwassef]

ok - with the site set, here's the build details.

some of this looks convoluted, but it's the result of balancing competing specifications desired.

First, the base



these are 2x4 or 2x6 studs. The skin is 3/4" plywood:



that covers the deep end bottom and separates the display room from the tank room under the stand.

the top is made of multiple sheets of 3/4" plywood



and yes, the tank extends a little beyond the edge in one corner but I think it's manageable.

There's a layer of 3/4" foam on top



Here's the tank "skin" - unfilled.



Next is the internal glass "skeleton" of the tank.



These two internal "false walls" with windows are the ends of display region and the bottom Eurobrace goes against the exposed bottom range holding the base and walls with a large internal separator.



and a large "false floor" completes the cave network:



with a second layer of Eurobrace again holding the sides and second bottom together.



On top of this is the overflow structure and the display tank separator

[karimwassef]

so finally, the tank structure looks like this:



There are two open spaces. One is underneath the "false floor" and the second is at the back end against the back "false wall". The space underneath is a cavern where fish can go.

The space behind the false wall is where the "flowtanks" go. I'll share more about the flowtanks in a bit.

[karimwassef]

ok - flowtanks. These are controlled acrylic boxes that seat inside the back cavity of the display tank. They're accessible from the tank room only (not the display room).



It's basically a large removable box that holds powerheads in a controlled configuration. The powerheads sit in a matrix of eggcrate.







and the front has double stacks of eggcrate to reduce attempts by life to impregnate the space.



The eggcrate also laminarizes the flow.