Home built setup all in one

[24eric.gabbard@gmail.com]

Hey! I am very curious about reef design, specifically the nano reef style. I have read a few books and would like to design my first tank given i cant have pets in my current apartment. I Figured I could start building my tank and subsequent materials without water or fish. I want an all in one tank, I Just have a few questions to start me off. 

 

1. Is there a thumb-rule for filtration to water quantity? 

2. Is a shelf tank rough for beginers?

3. I have allotted 4 chambers, all I know is the inlet, and the outlet...the other two I'm up in the air between Refugiums, Calcium RX, and Protein skimmers. Can you help me narrow them down? 

4. Glass or acrylic?

5.  is there a thumb-rule for tank thickness?

 

Any input or information would help out greatly. 

 

Thanks. 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitten_reef]

Let’s see some of your DIY skills before any of us should be telling you what’s hard/easy, or what you should or shouldn’t do. 
All I can say is, that draft does not look like a beginner’s project 😅, which is where this post is located. 

[Tired]

Wow. That's a lot you've got going on there, and I think you'd have some problems with the flow, given that dropoff area. 

 

Why not start with a smaller, simpler tank? Maybe a 20gal, store-bought. Have that for a good few months. Then, if you decide you want to build that tank, you can just transfer everything from the 20gal into it. If not, stick with the 20.

 

Somehow I feel like, if you've never built an aquarium before, weirdly-shaped ones are not the ones you want to start with. Where are you planning on getting supplies for it, anyway? Everywhere is either on lockdown or really should be.

[This guy is extra salty]

Acrylic is stronger than glass and lighter too

im curious about your build but I guess I would need some clarifications and what you’re trying to do and accomplish

[The Rainy Day Aquarium]

Working with glass can be pretty unforgiving. If you're set on making your own aquarium, I would look into using acrylic and making a more simple design like a small cube AIO or something of the sort (especially if you are new to reef keeping). 

[24eric.gabbard@gmail.com]

Thanks for the replies! 

 

I normally do woodworking, making furniture for the house or display cases. I feel very comfortable working with my hands, and constructing DIY projects.

Currently I do not intend to start until I finish my research, this forum is the last piece, so yes I am also in quarantine.  

 

For flow I want to place a jet head on the lower front and try to create a vortex in the drop-off area. Also I have no experience with actual tank flow movement, and am hoping someone can provide some insight. The upper portion I would like to achieve a raceway kind of tank. 

 

I really enjoy the vibrant colors corals produce. I would like to place emphasis on the colors and take a minimal approach regarding fish.  

[naothan]

my idea im a complete newb tho so dont take anything i put as  "works"  just spitballing all i have is paint and i dont know how to use it lol 

[naothan]

[Tired]

I would not be putting a pipe under your aquarium like that. It'll be impossible to get anything out of there if it gets sucked in, and it seems like structurally maybe not the best idea. You should probably practice building aquariums (that will live outside) for awhile before attempting anything like this. 

 

You should look into how people usually do shelf tanks. It's not by making the tank that shape- you take a normal rectangular tank, and add a raised 'floor' along much of it to give the appearance of a shelf. Like this. You should probably buy a premade tank in the length you want, and add in the AIO chambers and 'floor' area. Or, at the very least, make a rectangular tank with a built-in floor, instead of trying to make whatever that shape is. Smushed L. 

 

[naothan]

9 hours ago, Tired said:

I would not be putting a pipe under your aquarium like that. It'll be impossible to get anything out of there if it gets sucked in, and it seems like structurally maybe not the best idea. You should probably practice building aquariums (that will live outside) for awhile before attempting anything like this. 

 

You should look into how people usually do shelf tanks. It's not by making the tank that shape- you take a normal rectangular tank, and add a raised 'floor' along much of it to give the appearance of a shelf. Like this. You should probably buy a premade tank in the length you want, and add in the AIO chambers and 'floor' area. Or, at the very least, make a rectangular tank with a built-in floor, instead of trying to make whatever that shape is. Smushed L. 

 

i have no idea, i was just spit balling cause i was board .. however you used a word that i do not agree with " impossible"i dont know much, however it is raised off the bottom ,one would assume there would be some sort of mesh so nothing but water would enter  maby even a attachment that a sock goes inside >? in the rare event there was a blockage .... there is a tool called a snake ...unnoffical term .. one would also assume, that there is cabinetry work here for support and that every thing is hidden /accessible  " I normally do woodworking, making furniture for the house or display cases." he came here for help with his reef idea and other questions ,not to go the ways of the norm '  my two cents  

[mitten_reef]

39 minutes ago, naothan said:

i have no idea, i was just spit balling cause i was board .. however you used a word that i do not agree with " impossible"i dont know much, however it is raised off the bottom ,one would assume there would be some sort of mesh so nothing but water would enter  maby even a attachment that a sock goes inside >? in the rare event there was a blockage .... there is a tool called a snake ...unnoffical term .. one would also assume, that there is cabinetry work here for support and that every thing is hidden /accessible  " I normally do woodworking, making furniture for the house or display cases." he came here for help with his reef idea and other questions ,not to go the ways of the norm '  my two cents  

I think your idea was great and out-of-the-box actually, when it comes to a drop-off flow. Larger display tanks have what they called a “closed loop” system to keep water moving throughout, in additions to powerheads in the display. And yeah, an intake strainer will be needed, but you’ll likely also need an inline pump to keep the water moved thru that pipe, not relying just on the suction from the rear filtration chamber. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by mitten_reef
Fixed some typo

[Tired]

I'm not sure that "get a plumbing tool to get into the pipe" is a very good solution to potential issues. It wouldn't be literally impossible to get into (because, if nothing else, you could remove it entirely), but it'd sure be a pain. 

 

And I don't think "here's a likely easier way you could do this, that you might not have thought of" is an unreasonable thing to say. If someone is set on doing something a different way, that's all well and good, but it doesn't look like OP necessarily is. Just making sure OP knows there's an alternative that doesn't involve their first from-scratch aquarium build being a very weird shape. There are, I suspect, a number of physics reasons (not least the difficulty of building a stand) that aquariums tend to have flat bottoms. 

[naothan]

4 hours ago, Tired said:

I'm not sure that "get a plumbing tool to get into the pipe" is a very good solution to potential issues. It wouldn't be literally impossible to get into (because, if nothing else, you could remove it entirely), but it'd sure be a pain. 

 

And I don't think "here's a likely easier way you could do this, that you might not have thought of" is an unreasonable thing to say. If someone is set on doing something a different way, that's all well and good, but it doesn't look like OP necessarily is. Just making sure OP knows there's an alternative that doesn't involve their first from-scratch aquarium build being a very weird shape. There are, I suspect, a number of physics reasons (not least the difficulty of building a stand) that aquariums tend to have flat bottoms. 

here  is that super cheep plumbing tool https://www.amazon.ca/Vastar-Drain-Snake-Remover-Cleaning/dp/B01HMGV1MU/ref=sr_1_17?keywords=snake+plumbing+tool&qid=1585867560&sr=8-17  or a variation of.  "get a plumbing tool to get into the pipe" ...... 

It was not unreasonable to say. hey just go to pet co. get a basic aquarium throw a rock in there to make it look like a drop off your done. but thats not what he asked 

"Hey! I am very curious about reef design, specifically the nano reef style. I have read a few books and would like to design my first tank"

i am a wood worker . the stand would be the easy part  

 

“Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”  Elon Musk

[mitten_reef]

There are only two manufacturers that make drop off tanks, that I’m aware of. 
innovative marine - AIO 20 gallon, and 75 gallon sump system

and Mode Aquarium, which makes the sump system only. 
 

@24eric.gabbard@gmail.com you can look into those for some basic geometry, glass thickness. you could scope out their dimensional drawings, see where you think you could make improvements where you could improvise, etc. This also raises the question: will you go rimless or not?  The thickness of the glass for a tank beyond 4-ft will likely need to be 1/2in (12mm), if you’re going rimless. 

[Lypto]

I think If you're going for a drop off it might be super cool to make it even lower. Main issue with drop offs is precision between the hight of each section and what it rests on, otherwise the seams can fail. I would advise having a filter systems all in once place with the rest of the tank clear aside from a wavemaker or frag racks. Don't use a pipe to return the water back and just have it filter in once place with good flow around the tank with powerheads. Also, removable flexible tubing is preferable to hardline when it comes to outlets and sub 80 gallon tanks due to glass thickness. If making a tank I highly suggest making a miniature out of glass before you get so in depth with a complex build like this. It'll give you a feel for what you want.