FREE CUSTOM ACRYLIC TANK CONTEST!

[arod2051]

Here's my 'almost-dream' nano-tank inspired by ABE's version. Essentially, it is a 40B but with a footprint of a 40L. Finding a nice 'furniture-style' stand to fit the 40B is a very hard task. Here are my pros-cons:

 

Pros:

 

1) Can find a standard stand at any aquarium shop

2) Standard 36" length of display allows for many different lighting setups

3) Standard 24" length of refugium allows for many different light setups

4) Standard 24" length of refugium is looong for a HOB, allowing for a nice macro garden

4) Using a 1" diameter hole on both ends allows for user to choose refugium flow

5) Most canopies have open back. So, the 'built-in HOB' won't need a custom canopy

6) All dimensions should make good use of acrylic sheets if they come in factors of 1-foot lengths

7) Design is not outrageous so it will have better mass appeal

8) No 36" all-in-one exists that I know of

9) Better energy consumption of return pump versus a 'real' sump in stand

10) Design is scalable down to 24" allowing for better production savings

 

Cons:

 

1) Although roughly the dimensions of a 40B, the nicest quality, front-to-back depth, is not there

2) Will need to calculate if the 'built-in HOB' is structurally sound from an engineering standpoint

3) Chambers 1 and 3 are too small to fit a nice in-sump skimmer

3a) I played with a 5" depth for the 'built-in HOB' but most in-sump skimmer's footprints were still too large

3b) Will an additional HOB skimmer make it structurally at-risk and require too much room in the back?

 

 

BTW, whoever recommended Google SketchUp: Thank you. I didn't have this much fun on my computer for a long time. My whole goal of this tank is to make the dimensions almost standard to avoid having to find any custom "anything." I also tried to keep from alienating the broader appeal customer but still have something different. You can get almost anything custom built but cost is still a constraint. Although I do like the deeper aquariums you will almost need a custom stand and canopy. Standard 36"x18" stands are fugly and anything deeper at 36" length or shorter means a custom stand is needed.

 

Wow this was fun!!

[rlf_racing]

Okay I will get in all the action. I don't have a drawing to help with the design. But its layout is simple. I would like to setup a somewhat mangrove swamp tank. I currently have five target fish that normally live in mangrove swamps. I was thinking dimensions something like this. Length 30", Depth 24", Height 18". I know its not nano but these guys get 6"-8" in length. This imo would be a cool tank cause you can have other animals in the tank that is native to those waters.

[jeffreyliu35953]

I'm not gonna draw it, but it's a simple idea.

 

There's a hole in the center of the tank. From the hole, a pipe, or something similar is attached to it, and the top side of the pipe rises to as high as the water level should be. The bottom side drops water down to the sump. From the sump, there is a pump that pumps water back into the tank. That way, during blackouts or whatever, your tank won't overflow because of gravity. The water in the tank will just stopped being sucked down after it drops down to a certain level.

 

It's probably been done before though. I just haven't seen it. I'm still a nub.

[zhubbell]

I'm not gonna draw it, but it's a simple idea.

 

There's a hole in the center of the tank. From the hole, a pipe, or something similar is attached to it, and the top side of the pipe rises to as high as the water level should be. The bottom side drops water down to the sump. From the sump, there is a pump that pumps water back into the tank. That way, during blackouts or whatever, your tank won't overflow because of gravity. The water in the tank will just stopped being sucked down after it drops down to a certain level.

 

It's probably been done before though. I just haven't seen it. I'm still a nub.

 

That was the design of my very first ever tank/refuge, but what you'll find is that lots of stuff will A. get sucked up in that, B. when a snail finds his way in the piping, which he always will, the pipe gets clogged, your filter is still running, but waters not draining fast enough, and then you have a problem.

 

This tank has that same idea, but by adding the extra buffer of an overflow, and not just solely relying on the pipe, and also a sponge on the pipe to prevent critters from crawling in, and you've got a pretty reliable system.

the overflow on the left is where water left the tank, and the overflow on the right, about 1/4" higher, is where it came back into the tank - this was all built into a book shelf, with a fuge on one level, and a sump on another.

heres it running

-early on

 

 

Ok - two more things:

1. Unfortunately, I like alot of the ideas with curved edges, etc, but it is farrrrrr too time consuming, and costly since I have very little experience in this particular aspect of it.

 

2. I need a Magdrive 3 pump bad!!!!!!

anyone with one they can offer up for trade will be HIGHLY considered as I need one in about, 4 days to get a new system I"m building up and running.

 

I had one arranged for the tank in a trade that fell through....

 

Someone help me out!!

I would also consider a mag drive 5

[abe]

Not to be discouraging, but heres that tank (different dimension) Its set up at my girlfreinds house, and btw - very good idea cuz its working amazingly, i have beautiful corals growing nicely, my BTA is very happy, and i have a dragon wrasse and a Yellow tang.

i know there should be alot of tanks the same as this. i was just thinking to go simple, but if you want unique i can do that too. i just don't have sketchup on the pc i am going to use for today. i'll get some more designs up for you.

 

okay, i just remembered i had a thread on another tank i drew up on another website. its an AIO with just about e4verything a tank shoud need

so i was bored and started to mess around with sketchup. just wanted to see if any1 like the design.

 

1st img is a fts

 

right side

 

left side, notice the ice probe sticking into the first chamber

 

plumbing, i was too lazy to put in a powerhead, so just imagine one at the end of the pvc tube

 

fans, which will run around the ice probe (air around the chiller needs to be kept circulated and cool)

there is also an empty spot in the lower right of the fans, for the ice probe's cord to go through, so the setup looks clean.

 

this is what the iceprobe should look like sticking through

 

this was just for fun, but the dims i put in were:

 

setup (whole thing)-24x28x16

tank (water)-24x20x12

sump-24x8x16

cabinet in front-24x10x4

cabinet for ice probe and fans-24x10x4

1st chamber-5 1/2"x8"x16"

2nd chamber-11 1/2"x8"x16"

3rd chamber-6"x8"x16"

 

 

hope you like reading.

 

oh yea, the other thing next to the pvc return is a vortech, so i could keep the display itself clean of wires. and the light... a sunpod...

 

ps i didnt even want to try drawing the vortech.

 

comments and criticism?? even to tell me i wasted my time drawing this..

[SaltWaterNewb]

One more idea to throw out there, nothing special but slightly different than the standard AIO. This idea plays off the idea of a double viewable fuge. The chambers would be at each end of the tank instead of the back, that way you could look in to the fuge from the side. Also by having intakes and returns positioned as they are in the picture it would hopefully promote a nice circular flow of water. The upper right chamber would house the skimmer and the lower left chamber would house chemical and/or mechanical media. The center sections are for macro and heaters and the remaining chamber on both sides has the return pump. I think this design is suited to a larger tank. I think 6" fuges on each end and 36" of display tank in between and 18" from front to back. 20" high.

 

[Weetabix7]

I would STRONGLY prefer to do the idea I mentioned earlier in this thread, but I do have one other idea for a pico, since you said you wanted more of those.

The concept for this is a windowsill pico tank, to be placed directly in a windowsill and using sunshine alone for the light source. Corals would be very simple, hardy softies such as mushrooms, ricordea, xenia, GSP, and possibly some zoas or palys. I would probably put a trio of sexy shrimp in it.

The total length for the tank would be 16". 12" of that length would be display, 4" on one end would be a built in sump for chemical and mechanical filtration, a heater, and a small PH for the return. There would be an overflow and one return built in, and the sump area would be constructed of black acrylic.

The width would be 4"

There is some wiggle room on height, but I was thinking 10". 8" would probably also work for this design.

So the total outside dimensions would be 16" x 4" x 8-10".

It would probably be a good idea to incorporate a clear acrylic lid/top into the design of this to control evaporation, given the small size of the system.

 

Although I would be using sunlight as a light source for this design, the length of this tank should lend itself well to lengths of currently manufactured lights since you get either a 12" light for the display alone or a 16" light if you wanted to cover the entire length and use the sump as a refugium.

 

Also, while I would be placing this in a windowsill, this would also lend itself well to a bookshelf pico.

[simplenough]

Why not do a combo tank for the best of all worlds?

 

This design incorporates the ideas of several contributors:

 

phiber_optikx's Isolated deep sand bed idea

showjry's waterfall idea

Weetabix's display fuge idea

sleepy's display staircase idea

and the AIO concept drawn by several nano-reefers

 

 

The pump is hidden under the stairs and can be accessed by a removable stair step held in place by weak magnets. This draws water through the drilled holes in the staircase so that the waterfall is continuously going. (or the removable step could be botched and the pump could be accessed by going in through the fuge)

 

The "false wall" is clear so that the "background" is actually a display fuge. The separated deep sand bed is there for growing sea grasses, and the very front of the tank is open for rock and corals. The staircase can be used to display clams, corals, or other tank show-pieces.

 

Just thought I'd try and put all these great ideas into one "super tank" Kudos to everyone that came up with the individual ideas for this design

 

Robert

 

I really like your idea robert, especially hidding the pump under the steps and the waterfall effect. I vote for this. I'd buy one of these for sure.

[animalrie]

i know there should be alot of tanks the same as this. i was just thinking to go simple, but if you want unique i can do that too. i just don't have sketchup on the pc i am going to use for today. i'll get some more designs up for you.

 

okay, i just remembered i had a thread on another tank i drew up on another website. its an AIO with just about e4verything a tank shoud need

so i was bored and started to mess around with sketchup. just wanted to see if any1 like the design.

 

1st img is a fts

 

right side

 

left side, notice the ice probe sticking into the first chamber

 

plumbing, i was too lazy to put in a powerhead, so just imagine one at the end of the pvc tube

 

fans, which will run around the ice probe (air around the chiller needs to be kept circulated and cool)

there is also an empty spot in the lower right of the fans, for the ice probe's cord to go through, so the setup looks clean.

 

this is what the iceprobe should look like sticking through

 

this was just for fun, but the dims i put in were:

 

setup (whole thing)-24x28x16

tank (water)-24x20x12

sump-24x8x16

cabinet in front-24x10x4

cabinet for ice probe and fans-24x10x4

1st chamber-5 1/2"x8"x16"

2nd chamber-11 1/2"x8"x16"

3rd chamber-6"x8"x16"

 

 

hope you like reading.

 

oh yea, the other thing next to the pvc return is a vortech, so i could keep the display itself clean of wires. and the light... a sunpod...

 

ps i didnt even want to try drawing the vortech.

 

comments and criticism?? even to tell me i wasted my time drawing this..

 

I really like this idea, but I think a larger tank would be great, too. 40 gallons maybe...

[zhubbell]

Thought I would chime in with one here. The dimensions could really be in the nano range or huge, depends on placement and stocking. The top tank would drain( only a few inch drop) into the lower tank via grates or a small weir box with a tiny acrylic ramp(inch or so) on the exiting side. I would go with an overflow tower at the far end of the lower tank, but not on the tank wall so it could be entirely hidden with rockwork. From there the water could drain into a sump and be pumped back up to either 1 or 2 returns in the upper tank. It would be fairly simple to build but would look like it took tons of planning and time. I always thought the small water fall effect and having one tank with two different levels would awesome. Below are just a couple quick sketches done in paint but I'm sure someone else could do much better.

 

Top down view:

 

Side view:

 

Alright - due to some fanagaling and the promise of a mag 3 this entry as been picked as the first, but dont worry guys - I hope to do around 5 in the next two weeks or so.

I will update this forum with picks of the tank within a few days.

 

Also - another thing to consider, I have the cut peices for a ZEROEDGE style tank taht I had built for a client in Chicago, but who hasn't returned my emails in a couple weeks, so, if I here from him, great, I'll cut him up another, otherwise for now, I'm putting this one up for grabs. Now I dont awnna build it before I have a taker, because A. I wanna build it to the specs of what return pump they're ganna be using, and B. cuz I can use the peices for other stuff if no one wants it. Anyway, everything but the walls of the display are made from black acrylic.

The stand/sump area is 16.75"x20"x10", making it 14.5G, and the display is 14x14x12, making it a 10.2 gallon display.

The only catch is, this is a HUGE amount of acrylic, and black none the less, as well as an extremely detail intense/labor intense process, so I unfortunatly dont have the means to just "give" this one away quite yet, but I will offer it at the nicely discounted price of $175 - which is a very good price - lower than what it'll cost me by the time I'm thru with it.

Anyway - let me know - I'd want someone who was definetly into the project for this one, cuz I really think it could be an amazing tank - also, someone who could arrange meeting me for a delivery, either from my home in sylvania, oh, or from where i go to school, in Ann arbor, mi, or somewhat close.

[zhubbell]

 

Oh ya - and this is that Dwarf seahorse tank btw

[cbort]

i have by far the best tank design for a nano-fan. 96x12x12T. Instead of only having a small nano average size usually around 12" wide 12" deep and 12" tall, This tank gives you the best of all worlds. Its like one really really really really long nano. It only uses one piece of acrylic (basically....1 full sheet is 96x48) also you then you could make the entire tank out of one sheet. All 5 sides and overflows. I think you could make it work just eurobracing it and still have enough for all the extra pieces.

 

If i were to design it, and have it made, i would have 2 external overflows. Then i would drill the back about 4 times(CL). I would only use 2 pumps for this tank. 1 return and 1 CL pump. I would probably use valves for each return of the CL just to get the flow perfect. I would light it with 4-8 T-5 bulbs, and would stock it with 3 nems (different species of clowns hosting in each). Lots and lots of shrimp gobies and dartfish. And maybe even a school of small reef chromis. Lots of Rics, zoos, and LPS.

 

If you wanted it to be a AIO tank, just imagine the refugium, and all the media you could stuff behind the tank.

 

Also, if i win......i will personally come and get the tank myself! I have family in Chicago and i know you said you deliver there!

 

Plus nobody has a tank like this at all. Not even close!

 

Let me know if i've won Zack!!

[rnewhou]

Alright - due to some fanagaling and the promise of a mag 3 this entry as been picked as the first, but dont worry guys - I hope to do around 5 in the next two weeks or so.

 

So it came down to bribes, eh? Should be an awesome tank, and I'm looking forward to its thread!

 

Have fun with the build!

 

Robert

[FateX9]

what else do you need?!

lol only kidding

actually that 8'long tank sounds awesome, i could do some awesome scaping with that!

[abe]

I really like this idea, but I think a larger tank would be great, too. 40 gallons maybe...

i guess... i inititially drew it up to be 35g... added the bottom drawer in it got cut down

[Shoot Me_I Explode]

Wow, what great timing.

 

I have been planning to upgrade my 12 gallon Aquapod this summer after graduation and have come up with this design that I really like from reading other members tanks threads and seeing how they build their tanks. The tank is about 22 gallons and is 30”x14”x12”high with 7” of one side behind a false wall containing the skimmer, refugium, and return pump sections plus a internal overflow box which is 3”x5”.

 

As for livestock I plan on stocking with my yellow watchman goby, clownfish, my torch and some of my mushrooms. In addition I would like to stock the tank as an aggressive lps tank with different color morphs or torch’s, frogspawns, hammers, bubble corals, and yellow and green star polyps as filler. More than anything I want movement in my tank, if it does not sway in the current it’s not going in my tank.

 

My bad first attempt with google sketch, enjoy.

[Growerguy]

Just an idea.. Crapy drawing allso. Ive wanted a tank like this though sence I worked at the zoo and constantly saw all there curved acrylic tanks.

The idea that you could put SPS and taller corals in the back section and then softies, things that dont need lots of light, get very big, or need alot of flow up front... Curved sides would let the current flow around the tank better...

My experiance in the saltwater relm is young but Ive had freshwater forever. Right now I have a 10g Decorator Crab and Sponge crab tank, 16g assorted saltwater tank, and a 75g planted freshwater tank.

[Uhuru]

Hey zhubbell, I'm moving out to Columbus in a couple months to go to vet school. I am going to be setting up a sick ass SPS tank.

 

The dimensions I want are 48x30x20, same as an Elos 120XL. I would like 3/4" acrylic with eurobracing. Coast to coast overflow. It must be flawless. I used to own an Envision tank, so I know what a perfect acrylic tank looks like.

 

Let me know if this is a project you'd like to do! I have lots of stuff I can trade for your services as well.

[zhubbell]

Wow, what great timing.

 

I have been planning to upgrade my 12 gallon Aquapod this summer after graduation and have come up with this design that I really like from reading other members tanks threads and seeing how they build their tanks. The tank is about 22 gallons and is 30”x14”x12”high with 7” of one side behind a false wall containing the skimmer, refugium, and return pump sections plus a internal overflow box which is 3”x5”.

 

As for livestock I plan on stocking with my yellow watchman goby, clownfish, my torch and some of my mushrooms. In addition I would like to stock the tank as an aggressive lps tank with different color morphs or torch’s, frogspawns, hammers, bubble corals, and yellow and green star polyps as filler. More than anything I want movement in my tank, if it does not sway in the current it’s not going in my tank.

 

My bad first attempt with google sketch, enjoy.

 

I have almost the EXACT tank but double tall - mines 36x14x30, with 12'' from the length black acrylic, housing refuge, etc!

I love the tank, and i set it up the way you have it drawn, like, jetting out from the wayll.

I'm actually looking at selling this one so that I can build a WAY bigger one.

Let me know what you think of this tank guys - I've never gotten much feedback, but I just LOVE the way it looks, like, a cross section from nature coming out from the wall....

 

 

Hey zhubbell, I'm moving out to Columbus in a couple months to go to vet school. I am going to be setting up a sick ass SPS tank.

 

The dimensions I want are 48x30x20, same as an Elos 120XL. I would like 3/4" acrylic with eurobracing. Coast to coast overflow. It must be flawless. I used to own an Envision tank, so I know what a perfect acrylic tank looks like.

 

Let me know if this is a project you'd like to do! I have lots of stuff I can trade for your services as well.

 

Definetly something I'd like to do! not sure I can afford to undertake that as a free project at the moment, but I'd absolutely LOVE to build it for you, and you could come over before I you wanted, check out some of my tanks, whatever - I also specialize in Sump/Fuges, and am partnered with a Co. in Cali designing some really awesome sumps with built in ATO resevoirs, dosing chambers, long thin fuges, ya know, we have it set up for split plumbing so the water that goes through the fuge travels slower than the whole turn over rate - the whole 9 yards. None of our models are really big enough for that right now, but Im sure wed be willing to redesign one along the same lines to your specs. I also know a guy whos building a stand for me REAL cheap, but REALLY nicely, I have a thread started, and as soon as I get pics, I"ll put them up, if You'd be interested in doing the whole thing.

[cbort]

"what else do you need?!

lol only kidding

actually that 8'long tank sounds awesome, i could do some awesome scaping with that! "

 

 

ya 8 feet of heaven! Flow would be no problem at all considering it only 12x12. It would be a goby heaven!

Your lighting wouldn't have to be intense at all considering only 12" deep. And on top of it all a little bit of rock would go a long long ways!

 

Ya what else do you need? I have a full R/O 6 stage unit 55g barrel ATO valve. Quietone 6000, and 4000. frags of purple/green rics, orange/green rics, eagle eye zoos, green bay packers! And i will pick it up in Chi town!

[Agua-man]

It has been always my dream to make something like this. I know many will argue that it simply not enough space to put any decent amount of corals. But how about 10 or more clown fish, that would be assume.

[elbowdonkey]

I've been designing this tank recently. It'll get built, one way or another, within the next few months.

 

The tank looks large, but the volume is actually only about 30G. It's designed to sit on a custom stand behind a couch. Access to the skimmer is from the left, and access to the entire sump/fuge/reactors is from the front, with the couch pulled away.

 

I'll probably also work up some attractive removable panels to keep noise down, but also so that the tank could stand alone with no couch required.

 

Notable features:

1" bulkheads all around

Returns will be plumbed outside of the overflow to be hidden in rock work.

Channel for lighting wires so the tank can be flush against a wall.

Perfectly sized for maximum light coverage from a 60" Aquaillumination LED fixture

 

I may also put those retractable castor wheels in the stand so the entire thing can be (carefully) rolled away from the wall for easy access.

[dewey1982]

I can't make all the fancy pictures but I would love to have a chance to win a tank. My idea is a proposed 55 gallon all in one, but instead of being tall, it is only 12" tall, but 48" long and 22" deep. The back compartment would consist of 6 compartments. Essentially, space for 2 sets of the typical 3 chambers. This would allow for 3 different areas to keep flow up (1st, third and last compartment). I would also allow room for a skimmer in one of the compartments, and then two refugium compartments (maybe an ATO in one of the compartments). This tank would give tons of swimming room for a sixline and some schooling fish, and you could grow tons of corals in this low height tank. Would be really neat. Essentially a glorified 40 gallon breeder, with more water for more stable conditions. Maybe even a couple of bulkheads outside the compartments to make it friendly for an outside fuge? Hope you like the idea.

[Oceanic 30g]

I like donkey's tank. I vote for him.

[zhubbell]

Wow - I love this tank, but its alotttt of materials, unfortunately I can't afford to give this one away, I do really wanna build it though.

if/when you're ready, I will build it for you at cost, and I also have a very experienced independent contractor who builds me custom stand for only 10% over the cost of the lumber...

let me know!

Again, love it

[

quote name=elbowdonkey' date='Apr 8 2008, 01:16 PM' post='1586456]

I've been designing this tank recently. It'll get built, one way or another, within the next few months.

 

The tank looks large, but the volume is actually only about 30G. It's designed to sit on a custom stand behind a couch. Access to the skimmer is from the left, and access to the entire sump/fuge/reactors is from the front, with the couch pulled away.

 

I'll probably also work up some attractive removable panels to keep noise down, but also so that the tank could stand alone with no couch required.

 

Notable features:

1" bulkheads all around

Returns will be plumbed outside of the overflow to be hidden in rock work.

Channel for lighting wires so the tank can be flush against a wall.

Perfectly sized for maximum light coverage from a 60" Aquaillumination LED fixture

 

I may also put those retractable castor wheels in the stand so the entire thing can be (carefully) rolled away from the wall for easy access.