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  1. Bigger is Better or Swimming Pool w/a View
    by john0882-at-gold.tc.umn.edu (Corey R. Johnson) (Wed, 13 Apr 1994)
  2. Bigger is Better or Swimming Pool w/a View
    by ()

Bigger is Better or Swimming Pool w/a View

by john0882-at-gold.tc.umn.edu (Corey R. Johnson)
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria

In article <1994Apr11.023540.26211-at-vpnet.chi.il.us>, mox-at-vpnet.chi.il.us
(William Moxley) wrote:

>  
> I am interested in large tanks.  I currently have 3 tanks 120
> gallons or larger.  Their not big enough.  Looking for insight
> into custom built tanks on a grand scale.

I too am interested in large tanks. There r many companies which specialize
in custom tanks. I used to work 4 one. We designed/built/maintained tanks
up to 10,000 gal. locally and internationally. expect to pay some big
bucks. Here r some companies to contact: 

Clarity Plus 2851 Prarie SW, suite C, Grandville, MI 49418 - call or write
for a free color brochure, (616) 532-6228 

American Acrylics MFG. 3330 Market St. San Diego, CA 92102 (619) 685-5310
fax or 685-5317 -these guys have an impressive brochure with an excellent
client list with names like Spielberg, McDonalds, Hyatt etc... they build
some big ones. 

AquaArt 5837 Karric Square Dr.,Suite 126A Dublin, OH 43017 (614) 792-9425
or 1-800-969-1182.

Aquarium Designs, INC. 4240 west 76th st., Edina, MN 55435 (612) 831-8575
or fax (612) 831-8642

Metzger Aquatical Engineering 3529 Hennipin Ave. S. Mpls., MN 55408 (612)
824-2000 or fax (612) 822-4505 This company can build just about anything
you can think of.

Sorry if this became an ad spot. I do not represent or claim any bla...
bla.. to the companies aforementioned.

If you are looking into building your own tank (which I am) you should
check out prices of acrylics- typically an 8 x 4 ft sheet of 1" runs about
$380 although you may only need 3/4". Next draw up a plan (this is my plan
for a approx. 500 gallon.


  ________96.5"__________     _________96.5"_________
 |                       |   |                       |- 24.25"
 |                       |   |      3/4" Front       |
48.5" 3/4" or 1/2" Bottom|   |-----------------------|
 |                       |   |      3/4" Back        |- 24.25"
 |                       |   |                       |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 _________96.5____________
 |           |____________| - 12.25" support
 |3/4" R.side|            | - 12.25" support
 |-----------|------------| 
 |3/4" L.side|____________| - 12.25" support
 |           |            | - 12.25" support
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 First get someone to cut the pieces - possibly where u buy it. Next find
someone willing and professional that knows his polyester resins to put the
pieces together.- I've heard that a substance called bond 2000 would work.
The process is to soak the seam/edges in a trough of resin then put them
together and wait awhile. After you finish all that u buff the whole
bugger. At this point it looks great and hopefully holds water.
The design should look like this-

                           -Top view-
                ______________96.5"_______________
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
         48.5" | x |   | x |    |   |  x |   |  x |  x = supports
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
               |   |   |   |    |   |    |   |    |
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The point of this design is that it wastes no acrylic. unfortunately the
top holes aren't very big. One solution is to buy another sheet for the top
and cut out two or three large openings in it.

******************************warning******************************************
 I really don't know if this design, thickness, or any of the procedures
will or would work. Please do not try any of this without studying up
and/or contacting a professional. The reason I'm posting this is I want
peoples input. If you have an idea or comment please post it or mail me at
john0882-at-gold.tc.umn.edu 

 P.S. Another solution might be to get an outdoor pond or swimming pool.   


Bigger is Better or Swimming Pool w/a View

by krogers-at-canopus.sim.es.com (Keith Rogers)
Date: 19 Apr 1994 11:28:54 -0600

john0882-at-gold.tc.umn.edu (Corey R. Johnson) writes:

>In article <1994Apr11.023540.26211-at-vpnet.chi.il.us>, mox-at-vpnet.chi.il.us
>(William Moxley) wrote:
>
>> I am interested in large tanks.  I currently have 3 tanks 120
>> gallons or larger.  Their not big enough.  Looking for insight
>> into custom built tanks on a grand scale.
>
>I too am interested in large tanks. There r many companies which specialize
>in custom tanks. I used to work 4 one. We designed/built/maintained tanks
>up to 10,000 gal. locally and internationally. expect to pay some big
>bucks. Here r some companies to contact: 

>If you are looking into building your own tank (which I am) you should
>check out prices of acrylics- typically an 8 x 4 ft sheet of 1" runs about
>$380 although you may only need 3/4". Next draw up a plan (this is my plan
>for a approx. 500 gallon.

> First get someone to cut the pieces - possibly where u buy it. Next find
>someone willing and professional that knows his polyester resins to put the
>pieces together.- I've heard that a substance called bond 2000 would work.
>The process is to soak the seam/edges in a trough of resin then put them
>together and wait awhile. After you finish all that u buff the whole
>bugger.

> I really don't know if this design, thickness, or any of the procedures
>will or would work. Please do not try any of this without studying up
>and/or contacting a professional. The reason I'm posting this is I want
>peoples input. If you have an idea or comment please post it or mail me at
>john0882-at-gold.tc.umn.edu 
>
> P.S. Another solution might be to get an outdoor pond or swimming pool.   

The above is too costly and requires too much skilled professional
intervention and specialty tools for most of us.  The only practical
(i.e. inexpensive enough for typical working stiffs) home built
solution for tanks above a couple hundred gallons is epoxy coated
plywood with or without fiberglass cloth reinforcement.  The basic
idea is you build a plywood box to size, cut out a window slot or two,
coat the inside with epoxy (like that used for boats) and install the
glass panes with silicone.

Advantages are:

1) cheap
2) being wood, easy to build and custom modify
3) cheap
4) thermally insulating (wood is much better than glass or plexi)
5) cheap
6) is relatively flexible and forgiving of torsion

and finally,

7) it's inexpensive

You can build a 1000 gallon aquarium (4 sheets of plywood) with a 4x8'
front glass window for about $700.  More than half that cost is for
the 3/4" glass pane.

Before you start drooling too much about this, however, you better
give serious consideration to energy consumption to move the water,
light and heat the thing.  You're electricity bill alone will be at
least $500 a year and that's if you don't have any photosynthetic
organisms in it like live plants or corals which need serious light.
What about decorations?  Even a rock pile cichlid tank will cost.
Consider what 50-80 linear feet of livestock can run as will the food
they eat.  And what happens if you have to move?  Do you have
earthquakes?  You get the idea.  So while the cost of the tank itself
is well within the reach of many people the other items can soon cure
you of big-tank-itis in a hurry.

I've personally only built two wood tanks, one 15 gallons, now a sump,
and the other 120 gallons (cost me $85).  There are at least 2 people
who lurk the *.aquaria groups who have built good sized tanks.  One is
a 760 gallon plywood the other is 1000 gallon all glass (a truely
awesome project but considerably more cantankerous and expensive than
what I described).  They know who they are and may reply if they
desire to.  Keep in mind we get this kind of post every couple months
and after you've been on the Net a while (6 years for me) you get
tired of answering the same things over and over.  I normally wouldn't
have even made this cryptic posting if I weren't feeling generous
today...

Happy tank building,
-- 
Keith Rogers
krogers-at-sim.es.com


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