Building a House with a Large Fish Tank- Need your Advice

[Socaltoaz]

Hello folks,

Im a newbie here and would like to introduce myself and perhaps solicit some information from the community about my upcoming home build and integration of a large tank in the house.

I used to keep salt water tanks back in the college days and really enjoyed the hobby. Time, constant moving from apartment to apartment and obviously budget really limited what I was able to do.

Now that Im a bit older, a bit wiser and have a few more dollars in the pocket, we are in the process of building a custom home in Scottsdale. In the house we have a Great Room concept where the kitchen, family room and the bar area are all one long room. The large space (about 60 feet long by 25 feet wide) is separated by changes in ceiling height between the family room and kitchen.

A large two way fireplace separates the family room and the bar. Well, as I was reviewing the construction plans I realized that instead of a fireplace separating the family room and bar, what a great location for a large fish tank. So after consulting with the architect and builder, this is exactly what we are doing to do.

I have the ability to pipe and plumb the space so that all the mechanicals and filtration are in a storage room about 25 feet away. We will put the piping in the slab and incorporate the tank into the build of the house. We expect to break ground on the house in about 45 days.

The concept is that we do a large tank that essentially serves as a dividing wall between the two rooms. Im thinking about 6-7 feet wide. 4-5 feet high. 2-3 feet deep.

Now, here is where I kindly ask the community for some help. I know the general dimension of the space but the details Im foggy on. Obviously this will be a custom tank build and Im looking around for builders to get quotes on.

But is there a sweet spot in terms of size of the tank that I should be aiming for? Im thinking just a square acrylic tank with routered edges. The tank will be visible from all sides with cabinetry on the bottom and top. The top cabinetry will flow into the ceiling.

What kind of filtration should I be aiming for?

Id love to do a reef tank but with the size of the tank, it might be easier to maintain fish (triggers, angels etc)

While money is always an issue, I do have the funds to not skimp and I want to do this right so if there is anything special that is a must have, I dont mind spending the money to do this right.

Finally, any advice on LFS or a tank builder/ installer in the Scottsdale are you recommend?

Ive attached a schematic of where the tank would go and how it would fit into the room.

[Mark...]

You will need long arms...that's a really high tank...best of luck...should be a fun build..

[Sonicboom]

Wow, Welcome and grats on your decision, I am definitely tagging along for this one!

[Socaltoaz]

Im 6'4". Ive got long arms.

I want the tall tank to really create that wall effect. Unless you guys tell me there are huge pitfalls to doing so.

[Socaltoaz]

Thanks for the warm welcome Sonic. Ill post plenty of photos. I just want to lean on the community to make sure I build this proper.

[Mark...]

Originally Posted by Socaltoaz

Im 6'4". Ive got long arms.

I want the tall tank to really create that wall effect. Unless you guys tell me there are huge pitfalls to doing so.

Picture standing on a ladder reaching down 5 feet in the water to the bottom...

You may need to scuba train the kids...

[Sonicboom]

At least you will be able to learn from some of our mistakes;

If and when i build my next house i will definitely be focusing on;
Heating, Cooling tank (chiller or tied into Central Air)
humidity control
Drain for Water change/emergency
Quarantine and Hospital tank

[Pastey]

Any floorplan that has the word "vestibule" in it means I, immediately, can not afford it.

Not only does a really deep tank make things difficult to reach but it makes lighting difficult too. If you're doing a FO setup, you need not worry so much about that aspect.

When it comes to integrating your piping/setup into your foundation, I would take a step back and talk to someone who does this for a living. You don't get much in the way of "do-overs" when it comes to pouring concrete.

[dave.m]

At least make the tank as wide as it is tall. That will give you the room you need to set up some nice looking rockwork whether you go reef or fish only. The additional surface area will be better for gas exchange. The added depth of field will just make everything look that much better.

Dave.M

[SPotter]

Look up another members thread that lives in AZ. His name is danfeig and has done a very large tank. He's in Tucson but I'm sure he can help you out with some local contacts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Mark...]

Originally Posted by SPotter

Look up another members thread that lives in AZ. His name is danfeig and has done a very large tank. He's in Tucson but I'm sure he can help you out with some local contacts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Here is the thread SPotter is talking about...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2170869

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by Mark...

Here is the thread SPotter is talking about...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2170869

Thanks mark.....was having a hard time toggling back and forth on tapatalk.

Definitely reach out to Dan. His build is amazing and can definitely provide you with a lot of insight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Socaltoaz]

I will reach out to Dan. Thanks for the link. Actually just got off the phone with the company that Ive been talking to about building the tank. They also suggested a 48 inch tank. Ill be getting a proposal for a 84inch wide, 36inch deep and 48 inches high.

Some of the equipment we will place outside, other stuff will be in a dedicated area for filtration and such.

I still might go 60 inches- want to see the tank in person. I understand the concerns about maintainance but that will be someone else's problem. just kidding- good points with regards to the height.

[Socaltoaz]

So I have an initial quote for just the tank 84widex48highx36deep. What should something like this run? I dont know the rules of this community and whether we can discuss pricing or not.

I dont want to give the tank builders name or anything- just want to make sure Im in the ball park with regards to cost of the tank alone.

[anbosu]

I think if you don't say vendor you should be ok. I would expect that tank to be very expensive at 48" deep.

[Socaltoaz]

15k for tank and stand (roughly) for 84 inches wide, 48 inches high, 36 inches deep. filtration, lighting, coral insert extra

[Mark...]

Originally Posted by Socaltoaz

15k for tank and stand (roughly) for 84 inches wide, 48 inches high, 36 inches deep. filtration, lighting, coral insert extra

628.36 gallons...15k seems high...

[Socaltoaz]

So what should it be?

[theReefKing]

Steel frame stand could be $5000 by itself.
Exciting build. I will be tagging along as we will be building together.
My 450 gallon could be your sump, but I am looking to learn just like you.

Thanks for sharing.

[Newbie Aquarist]

If you have the room I would do 4-5 feet wide and 2-3 feet deep. Just my honest opinion.

[Socaltoaz]

4-5 feet wide is not big enough. Will look small in the space that I have

[Newbie Aquarist]

Originally Posted by Socaltoaz

4-5 feet wide is not big enough. Will look small in the space that I have

If an 8 ft long x 4-5ft wide x 2-3 ft tall is not big enough, then I would go longer or that space must be that big.

[bullitr]

Originally Posted by Mark...

628.36 gallons...15k seems high...

48 " tall means 2" acrylic
With metal stand and filtration seems to be good deal

[gcline87]

I have found the general rule of $50/gal total system cost to be fairly accurate for my tank. That brings your total close to $32,000 for all the equipment. Not sure if that rule translates well for large systems.

[danfeig]

Welcome to Reef Central!

Thank you for your message. It looks like you have the opportunity to really build something special!

I am biased, but I love big tanks! My main display is 8' wide x 4' high x 3.6' deep. Based upon what you wrote, I have several suggestions, thoughts and concerns. It is difficult for me to put them all in writing tonight. One concern is that your fish room will be so far away from the main display. It adds another level of potential issues, in the event something went wrong. IMO, you'd still want a sump beneath your tank and some filtration hidden in cabinetry.

The location of the tank looks fantastic. If you can create access to the tank from both sides, it will certainly help with maintenance. In the fish wall, as well as the fish room, I would make sure you have plenty of dedicated circuits "can't have too many", drains and if you can, perhaps an exhaust fan in the soffit above the tank. Another thing you might want to consider in the soffit is a mini split or separate a/c that cools the soffit and your tank. I chose to go this route for my fish room instead of a separate chiller.

You should try to decide upfront, fish only with live rock, or reef. With a tank of this depth, it will help you make decisions as to the type of lighting you will want to go with - given space requirements, coral requirements, heat, etc.

You'll get all sorts of opinions here about glass vs. acrylic. I chose to go with glass. It is more expensive and a lot heavier than acrylic. My main reasonings for going with glass was a fear of getting scratches. My tank is in my living room and I can't afford to have it dirty or scratched. It wasn't but a couple of years ago, I bid out my tank with a dozen companies, both glass and acrylic across the country. I will be able to share estimates with you.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and will think about other suggestions for you. If you and your wife wanted to take a drive down to Tucson, I'd also be happy to show you my system and go over the pros/cons with you in person. I could also have a couple of other knowledgeable hobbyists over to answer any questions or share with you there two cents. You'll probably find a lot of answers on my build thread. Like you, I waited to build this system until a time in my life where I would not have to cut corners and could afford quality components.

Good luck with everything and have fun with the process!