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Where to get a big ass fish tank?

12K views 94 replies 27 participants last post by  Blade Runner 
#1 ·
I am starting to get back into freshwater fish again, and out of the loop as far as equipment and places to go. My kid is loving it too, so I think for Christmas we will get a big ass fish tank instead of all the useless toy bullshit she always gets.

We have a 55 gallon right now, with two oscars, pleco, Midas cichlid, Jack Dempsey, and tinfoil barb. I want to add a few more cichlids like a managuense, frontosa, and flower horn, and an arowana too. BS hanging filter on the outside of the tank right now, which I hate.

I am looking for a 180 gallon + tank with hood and all that stuff. I am checking Craigslist for something along that size, but there aren't too many. Is new much more expensive?

Also, what is the hot setup for filters? Do they still make filters that go underneath the gravel and pull shit into the gravel with powerheads?

Thanks for the help, I got a few months to plan for this, but I have a timeline too because I don't want our current fish to get too big so we can't add other fish without being eaten.
 
#44 · (Edited)
There is a place in crestwood called Animal Island, the owner Jason is a great guy, knows his stuff. They carry tons of tanks, stands, and equipment. We got Dave's Piranna there, and all of our feeders came from them. I also bought a sugar glider there years ago. He used to have the best prices in town and if he didn't have what you needed he would get it for you. He's a few miles off 294 and cicero. It's a drive, but might be worth calling and getting prices. http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/36667961/midlothian_il/animal_island_pet_shop.html Tons of great reviews and the shops address and phone number are listed there. :)
 
#61 ·
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




 
#67 ·
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.
 
#68 ·
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.
 
#73 ·
Holy fuck. :mouth_water:

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.
 
#74 ·
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.
 
#77 ·
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
 
#78 ·
Can I scuba dive in it?
 
#79 ·
That's one big-ass aquarium. :eek

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#82 ·
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.
 
#83 ·
I still have a 300 gallon acrylic marine tank with center overflows and oversized hood in storage if you are interested.
 
#85 ·
I forgot. You wanted to go tropical. This isn't the tank for you.
 
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