[CHBGator]

I've already planned on where the Aquarium will be placed in the basement and I have the dimensions drawn out including the Interior after framing, plywood and backer board, the interior dimensions will be 29 1/4x36"x87.5" with exterior dimensions of 96"x30x36. I plan on making a somewhat "mini" version of TFG's 800. I'll be able to get almost all the lumber from work. I'll also be ordering the glass from work which leaves me with the 1st big question Glass size. I figure I have 2 options:

1) A single Pane of glass 87"x25.75
2) 2 Pieces of glass 42.5x25.75 with a center beam.

The next question is can I use 1/2" tempered with both options or would it be best with option 1 being 3/4"? We have a lot of 1/4" tempered and some 3/8" tempered around the warehouse but I don't think either of those would be strong enough. SO opinions please

 

[yelgnid]

I'm still dreaming about my own diy tank so I can't speak from experience, but this site may help you with your decision http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/diytanksrefugiums/ss/diycustomtank.htm

 

[CHBGator]

HA! Good thing I didn't order anything yet.. like the glass..... The glass height should be 29" not 25.75"

 

[lomax]

1/2 tempered should be fine for the two pane plan, pushing it for the full lenght unless you have plenty of supports. i plan on using 2 8 foot 1/2 tempered glass thats 36 tall, for my next tank.

 

[CHBGator]

Supports where? Do you mean braces from front to back to stop any bowing?

Great news today tho, I had one of our salesmen get me a quote on the glass and for an 84"x29"x.5" piece of tempered glass it was just over $90 with 10% added on by my company. I did forget to tell him that I need the edges smoothed out but I'm guessing thats not going to be to expensive. Unfortunately this project cant even get started until august but that just gives me that much more time to gather the materials mainly lumber. I'm also considering going with the Sanitred and not the drylock. In which case would I even need to use the cement backer board if I used Sanitred?

 

[imusuallyuseless]

84"x29"x.5" piece of tempered glass it was just over $90 with 10% added on by my company.

That's an awesome price. $90 would only get me a 84x18x.25 piece of non-tempered

 

[lomax]

the mark up on glass is insane, if you can get it whole sale it so much cheaper.

 

[CHBGator]

So anyone have any ideas on weather or not Sanitred will work right on the plywood or is backer board still needed?

 

[98dak83cam]

1/2 tempered should be fine for the two pane plan, pushing it for the full lenght unless you have plenty of supports. i plan on using 2 8 foot 1/2 tempered glass thats 36 tall, for my next tank.

Agreed. From what calculations I have and word of mouth here you can go up to about 48" deep. On the length build a very stiff front frame (2x6's) and brace along the top every 2' with something rigid. I used aluminum flat stock for mine, lagged every two feet.

 

[imusuallyuseless]

I'm not informed about sanitred, but why not look into west systems???

 

[CHBGator]

Unfortunately since the aquarium is going to be constructed inside and down in the basement there isn't going to be enough ventilation for epoxy.

 

[BlackShark11k]

ooh... Hey, i'm planning a 400 gallon tank too- only i won't start it until late summer nexxt year, and i may only make it 305 gallons if i need more space. It seems like your off to a pertty good start. Is it going to be an african cichlid? SA or CA? Asian? GoodLuck :thumb:

 

[CHBGator]

African, Malawi to be Specific. The more color I get into it the more SHE will go along with the whole project from start to finish.

 

[BlackShark11k]

Oooh! I love malawi. Well, don't we all... dimidiocompressiseps, fulleborni's, crabro, greshaki's

 

[jem454]

You might want to pm TFG. I dont think he was to happy with the sanitred, neither was wizzen over at monster fish keepers. If I was building mine all over again I would still use drylok, but I dont recomend it directly on wood.

 

[CHBGator]

Slowly but surely I'm getting final specs done. So I have another question. How does having 2x Bulkheads draining into a large container that both prefilters the water, and acts as a sump area for 2 pumps pumping water through 2x large FBF's then back into the tank one pump supplying water to the UGJ and the other supplying water to a spray bar sound? Using this setup http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNfbf/bnfbf.htm saves lots of electricity and a lot of cost. I found 2x RIO 1700 pumps for $37 each that use 23W each. Compared to a $130+ single pump that draws around 300W.

 

[CHBGator]

Ok an update. Looks like the glass price was off, by how much I don't know yet but probably 2-3 times off the original $90. Seems that the salesman got a quote for two pieces of 1/4 inch Laminated (PVB) which TFG said I would prob have problems with and I also read that there is a very good chance that if water gets to the PVB laminate that it will start to seperate the 2 panes.

 

[BlackShark11k]

Sounds interesting. I wish glass was free... Then we'd all have bigger tanks. Anyways your bulkhead idea will definately save you some money.

 

[CHBGator]

I think I may have found my prefilter/sump tank.

Its from this water softener.

The Control board is bad in it and it came with the house (only because the previous homeowner was to lazy to remove it) unless someone knows how to take it apart then I can make 1 Giant canister filter :thumb:

Oh and here is part of the reason the whole project is on delay until probably the start of August

The Joys of Home ownership!

 

[CHBGator]

Updated price one the Glass. 84"x29"x.5 tempered is.... $135 !! then to smooth out the edges is .14 a linear inch. which is about $32, then add in what they call and energy charge which is what it costs to temper the glass which was 7.5% and add in my companies 10% employee charge the total comes to just over $200 which isn't bad at all. I also think I found what I'll use for braces. We sell grab bars for restrooms which are 100% Stainless Steel even the welds and flanges for the bolts to mount is stainless. The salesman said they are rated to hold 900lbs. They also come in the perfect length which was 45" from end to end and 42" is where the 5/16 holes for mounting are drilled into the flanges. The price for those is just under $20 a piece. I'm still debating on weather or not to use the Drylock or Sanitred I need to keep cost down as much as possible.