Where to get a big ass fish tank?

[CBR Shadow]

For a 180 gallon tank I would definitely go with a wet/dry filter. They're much more stable than a canister and have much more capacity for the 'good bacteria' to find a home. They're also cleaner looking because you can have an overflow in the back of the tank instead of tubes running all over at the bank of the tank. A wet/dry filter has a sump under the tank which means you can put your heaters there too. That way you dont have cables and heaters showing in the tank above. Lastly, there is very little maintenance for a wet/dry.. change the mechanical substrate every once in a while and you're done.
I sold my 265 gallon last year

[Loki047]

Algae scrubbers ftw

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[spoil9]

Originally Posted by Loki047

Algae scrubbers ftw

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Your phone does this?

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by elroy121

i dont know if they make acry tanks that big, mine is glass and very thick at that, my 80 is acrylic and it is great when you have to move it cause it weighs less, but it bulges in the middle and the gravel scratches it easily

I have a 1340g acrylic. They go quite large.

+1 on Aquarium Adventures for fresh. Ken if you ping me on FB or whatever the GM of the place and I have been friends for 10-12 years. I might be able to help you out a bit

[CBR Shadow]

Iamnotgreg - is that Dave you're talking about?

[Chicago Performance]

Just saw this now. You have a 1300 gallon tank? All acrylic?

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by CBR Shadow

Iamnotgreg - is that Dave you're talking about?

It is a Dave, not Dave13.
Actually I haven't even been in there in a few years nor talked to him. I doubt the # I have for him is any good anymore. It seems he has a new cell phone # every other year. We are old friends, probably 10-15 years now. We will run into each other again sometime somewhere if not there. How it always works out.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by Chicago Performance

Just saw this now. You have a 1300 gallon tank? All acrylic?

Yep.

Unloaded from truck



Stand with my friend Bryan


Here is the sump tank that goes in the stand, it is 300 gallons. The lids are on top of it they are around 2" thick solid acrylic


They are quite heavy.


It takes up 2 storage units, tank on the left stand and canopy on the right.

[Chicago Performance]

Holy shit. I got a 400 gallon when I posted this up. Who made that tank for you? Do you have it up and running? What fish do you have in it? That is gangsta.

[Pilotx1]

hope those units dont see alot of freeze thaw, been my experience that acrylic doesnt like it much

[Lonely Raven]

Wow 1300 gallon acrylic.

[FiReBReTHa]

Fill it already!!

[Noodles]

Holy fuck.

I'd be afraid that thing would cause my house to form a sink hole. That tank is going to have over 5 tons of water alone, not including the weight of the tank/stand/overflow/decor.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by Noodles

Holy fuck.

I'd be afraid that thing would cause my house to form a sink hole. That tank is going to have over 5 tons of water alone, not including the weight of the tank/stand/overflow/decor.

Actually a fair bit more than that. The tank is 1340G, the sump is 300G. Water alone looking at approx 1740G @ 8.5 LB/G that's just shy of 15k LBS. Obviously adding live rock etc is more complex as it displaces yet weighs more than water it adds weight but it is impossible to determine exactly how much without knowing density of specific LR to be used. The acrylic main tank is approx 2" thick and weighs 2200lbs by itself, the sump is light and I would estimate the stand (wood with a solid steel frame) at somewhere around 1,000lbs (guesstimate, moved it with a forklift)

All told I have been planning for 25k lbs. It should be under that but better to plan over. Assuming I can spread the load rather evenly it shouldn't be too hard to place it. Most of the places I was looking at were old industrial lofts and thus had higher per foot load ratings. I think roughly I am looking at around 625lb per foot of load assuming I can displace the load evenly (ie not use the 4 or 6 feet posts alone) The loads go up considerably if I run a frame rather than a flat base material.

I used to work for some large arch/engineering firms so I am lucky enough to call some of the better structural engineers around old friends.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by FiReBReTHa

Fill it already!!

I hate you.

[Chicago Performance]

I'd lay down some quarter inch plywood to disperse the weight a bit. I would go nuts knowing I had that and had never set it up.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by Chicago Performance

I'd lay down some quarter inch plywood to disperse the weight a bit. I would go nuts knowing I had that and had never set it up.

If you only knew.
Life is so much different than it was when I bought it. I bought it shortly before I got engaged. I lived alone, had a big loft and was about to buy a large loft building. Made a lot more money and had no wife and kids. Logically I should have sold it a loooooong time ago but at this point setting the damn thing up is a personal goal that I refuse to give up.

There are some people from here who I am still friends with off of the site that I plan on asking for help as well as a # of other friends. Setting it up, automating it and all the other setup that will go along with it will be aquatic nerd porn to the nth degree.. I imagine the only way you'd get to play with this stuff other than coming over would be to get a job/volunteer at the Shedd and work up to the point where they let you, but even at that I imagine it would be more structured and less hands on

[Noodles]

Can I scuba dive in it?

[stkr]

That's one big-ass aquarium.

I got to dive in the aquarium at Epcot Center in Daytona once. That thing is huge.


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[Renner]

Originally Posted by Chicago Performance

Just saw this now. You have a 1300 gallon tank? All acrylic?

Thats not a tank its a freaking swimming pool!!!

I could give scuba lessons in that damn thing!!

[Chicago Performance]

Reviving this thread. Greg, are you getting any closer to setting that thing up yet? Mine has been going strong and I'm growing out some monsters now.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by Chicago Performance

Reviving this thread. Greg, are you getting any closer to setting that thing up yet? Mine has been going strong and I'm growing out some monsters now.

Not till we buy a house. Looking at a few places out in the burbs. I'll have you out some night once it is up. I will be setting up a guest room for Fire during the setup period I'm sure

I have almost stopped by your shop a few times this week. Ill probably stop by next week or the week after.

[Blade Runner]

I still have a 300 gallon acrylic marine tank with center overflows and oversized hood in storage if you are interested.

[Chicago Performance]

Originally Posted by iamnotgreg

Not till we buy a house. Looking at a few places out in the burbs. I'll have you out some night once it is up. I will be setting up a guest room for Fire during the setup period I'm sure

I have almost stopped by your shop a few times this week. Ill probably stop by next week or the week after.

Sounds good. I'd love to see it once it's up.

Originally Posted by Blade Runner

I still have a 300 gallon acrylic marine tank with center overflows and oversized hood in storage if you are interested.

Not right now. No cash, but eventually I'd love another decent sized tank. I will probably not be able to give you what you want out of it though, because there is stuff I don't really need, like all the salt stuff and stand/hood. I'd be mainly interested in just the tank, but you would do better by selling it all together I would imagine. I just happened to get a stupid smoking good deal on my setup I have now, so all the extra stuff I could just trash or sell cheap and it still made sense.

[Blade Runner]

I forgot. You wanted to go tropical. This isn't the tank for you.

[Trevdawg]

Salt is the way to go. I just placed everything together for mine over the weekend. Will fill next weekend.

Only 75 gallons. Low key to what u guys have.

Chicago performance. You should put a tank in the shop/store. Lol

[Chicago Performance]

Man I got bullet holes in my front windows, I can't have anything survive overnight here.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by Chicago Performance

Man I got bullet holes in my front windows, I can't have anything survive overnight here.

Get a bigger tank. Mine has 2" thick acrylic. Bullets just bounce off

[Chicago Performance]

Actually I've thought of it, but there is no room for one in the shop, plus I don't have time to do water changes while I'm there. Maybe next shop.

[iamnotgreg]

Originally Posted by Chicago Performance

Actually I've thought of it, but there is no room for one in the shop, plus I don't have time to do water changes while I'm there. Maybe next shop.

If I invest will you hook me up with free gixxers and mechanical "what the Hell is that thing called" know it all services?

So.. iPhones capitalize he'll when they don't put an apostrophe in it eh? I learned something new today