Tank Size...Light req.

[JoeP]

There is a tank for sale on the site that seems to be a not so common size it is 58 long 41 tall and 30 wide....now my wife and myself love the idea of a tall tank...seems awesome in terms of viewing area..does anyone on here have a tank like this? what are your feelings on a tank like this? how much lighting do you need in a 41 inch deep tank??? do you need scuba gear to clean it? if anyone has any experiance let me know.

Thanks

Joe

[Mike]

Disclaimer...."that tank is almost as tall as me LOL"

my new tank is 36" wide and I can reach to the front from the back only because I designed the stand wide so I can stand on the back of it. Teh tank is only 24" deep to because I have short arms.

I think to light it for SPS 400's would be the only way to do it. I am not so sure on LPS abd will not give an opinion I cannot back with at least some experience.

The demisions are cool but I think a snorkel would be needed

[Fignewton]

I got ride of my last big tank because it was 30" tall, of course the stand was that tall as well. Add 15 inches for the canopy and it was scaffold heaven when cleaning.

To me that tank would be a nightmare to clean and to manuver things around in. The longest scrapers/tongs/syphon tubes I've seen are 36". So, you'd be getting wet.

Lighting would be a major problem if you wanted to keep corals. With a fish only you'd be fine with just about anything.

Of course it would work, but it's going to be some effort. Would you want to do a reef or fish only?

[JoeP]

Reef...definatly...

Wow I am talking about buying a 308 gallon tank...scary

Yea the dimensions seem like they would look cool...and be awesome for viewing...the 8 footers that are like 30/24/96 just don't do it for me...but I also don't feel like formulating a dive plan just to move a piece of rock...Lord knows I wouldn't be rescuing many astreas that ended up on their back

[Mike]

my new tank si 270 gallons. It is 72" long but it is also 36" wide. I wanted something apart from standard as well but had to be able to reach everything too.

My stand is 40" tall and with the aquarium on the stand the top is 65" (with the foam and all) which is exactly how tall I am

The middle of the reef will be eye level which is what I always wanted.

formulate a vision of what you want then plan it and do it!

[JoeP]

well I have always wanted a deep tank...but that was well before I knew a thing about keeping them...the idea of being able to look at it almost at the same dimensions of a large TV...rather then short but long...just sounds awesome to me....and the timing is right....but...but...but....getting down and dirty is one thing...I just don'r know...probally a bad idea

Joe

[Fignewton]

If your going reef, then you could do like a crazy 10 inch plenum or dsb. That would help! 400w or 1000w halides would probably do the trick as well.

[JoeP]

1000s halides...wow

[tekknoschtev]

I believe 1,000W halides would be necessary for only SPS corals if you wanted them everywhere.

But some experience before i get into it. Our 150gal tank is 26" tall. Thats fine and dandy, except for cleaning. I'm up to my armpits to get the bottom edge of the glass scaped (near the sand) and I'm not a short guy (not tall either, 5'11"). I do have to get on a step ladder to get in there though because of the 36" tall stand (and I semi-wish it was taller). 41" tall?! WOW! Thats insane. Realize that with a stand, it will be pushing 6' tall. I dont know about you, but our ceilings are 7 or 8 foot (depending on which room) and I most certainly would be very uncomfortable being 6' tall, with limited head room (factor in the canopy depending on the design). Then, factor in the fact that you'd be leaning over the tank to get in. Get a snorkel as well - it might be useful.

But - the trade off is that it IS a unique tank, and it would be awesome to see it with a reef. You could also opt to have some bigger free swimming fish that prefer to be in darker areas and only keep corals up higher in the tank. I think it'd look sweet with some SPS corals closer to the surface, and some LPS and softies a bit lower, with nothing at the bottom other than maybe some sun corals or something.

[Poseidon]

Sounds cool Joe, I think 3x400W would be plenty, as long as you are planning a DSB and LOTS of rocks. 400W should give plenty of light down to 36" so if you put in a DSB of 4-5" you are fine. PLus doing 3 bulbs to cover 5' will add intensity. I don't know about a 1000W, they are HUGE I think the one Dan has is close to 28-30" SQUARE fixture and they need to be pretty high off the water or you will cook your fish.

Do you have a basement? If so you will have to consider more then the usual fair to support that beasty. I think NaCl water is 8.3 pounds per gallon, plus sand, plus rock, plus the TANK! I'll bet it will be approaching 3500lbs + by the time you are done!

Don't forget humidity issues to, a tank that size may evaporate 4 gallons a day or more, you may want to vent it to the outside somehow.

As for you reaching the bottom, you are tall enough, just off with the shirt! You may need a good set of tongs, but that would be the least of my worries!

Is this glass or Acrylic? and how is it braced? 3 bulbs may not work if it is acrylic.

I don't want to discourage you, just show you some other concerns!

[JoeP]

Weight isn't really an issue....where it would be going is directly over a supporting concrete wall in the basement....the tank is acrylic which worries me more with the bracing that may be on the top....but having a tank shaped like this still intrigues me...so please guys keep the info coming

Thanks

Joe

[Fignewton]

How thick is the acrylic? With that heigth your going to get a pretty good bow. So just be prepared for that. The 30" tank I had (72X30x18). was 1/2 inch. And I'll never forget when I filled it, lol. Granted it was my first acrylic tank so I wasn't quite prepared for the bow. But once I got it full (168g) I almost emptied it after I turned white when I saw the bow (probably 2 1/2 inches from side to center). I just wonder if height affects acrylic bow more then length would? Just another point to ponder, lol.

In the end again, anything will work, provided you have the time and patience to deal with it. I got rid of that 168 just because for me, it was just too much tank. I didn't want this hobby to be "Work", granted I work very hard at it, but that one, with having to service it on a chair and not being able to reach the bottom, etc., just took up too much of my time.

Hopefully all of this discussion will help you in making your decision. Keep us posted.


--Another thought--

What about a barebottom with a huge amount of flow. Just a thought!

[Poseidon]

Yes the height will affect the bow!

Joe, do you know how long it has been set up? Is it a reef tank now? Lots of things to consider!

[JoeP]

Not sure if it was reef or fowlr...i know it come with 300+ pounds of live rock and the same in sand...along with a few fish (the add is in our selling forum)

Joe

[slapshot]

Picked up a nice acro and a huge 6 inch Dendrophyilla. Thanks again guys. Oh and the prices were extremely good for the quality stuff.