Custom aquarium design help

[Jessbo]

I am wanting to have a custom acrylic tank built for me. I want it to be 36l x36w x 24h. I got a quote for $1200 dollars. That includes one center overflow mounted on the outside, and the top being left open, no center brace. This quote seems a bit high to me, since I bought a 48l x 24w x 24h acrylic tank for $600.

But I am thinking about wether I should put two overflows, one in each back corner, or just one in the center. Any suggestions on which location would be better?

Is this "Euro brace" design, leaving the center support out worth the extra money? I am planning on using either 3 - 250w MHs or 2 250w MH & 1 - 400w MH. Again, any suggestions?

Anyone prefer the overflows mounted outside the aquarium? Not sure if it would be that big of a deal, guy on the phone suggested it. Oh yeah, this is planning on being a reef tank, but I am wanting to stray away from piling rocks against the back wall. I want more of a central mound appearance, so you can view the rock from all angles, more of an open water feel.

 

[Pikachu]

That's the thing about custom aquariums, you can do anything you want. Overflow placement is generally based on asthetics. I would personally not do a euro brace on an acrylic tank. Due to your large 3'x3' foot print and your preferance for the central mound you can easily do an overflow somewhere in the center of the tank, where you can place rocks around it.

 

[Jessbo]

Never have been fond of a central overflow. I am trying to create a small view of the ocean. So a overflow in the center to me would be a little unsightly.

 

[Reefdaddy1]

All of it covers in Coraline eventually, A center OF is allot more attractive to me then 2 corners. FOr a cube design I would love to try a dead center OF, Piling rock all around it to hide it and have flow tubes on the return snaking through the rock. That would be real cool. But that cost is over priced for what you want. Who quoted that price?

 

[LakeEd]

When special ordering an unusual size aquarium... you need to also look at the amount of sheets (4'X8') of acrylic it will take to build that particular size. This is what you will be paying for, not the gallons the end product will hold.

As for your overflow question. I have seen several very nice external "Coast to Coast" type overflows... which is the way I wish my tank was setup. No move overflow boxes in my tank taking up space... it is all behind the tank!

 

[fly guy]

If you are having a custom acrylci tank made...i HIGHLY encourage you to do a external coast to coast overflow. It cant be beat for surface skimming, and it allows for nothing in the tank itself but reef...no obtrusive overflow boxes in the way.

Take that a step farther and add an OM device on it and you can achieve sweet everywhere flow without having to look at a single pipe or overflow box.....again, nothing but reef in your reef

If interested i can dig up some pics of what im talking about. I have one on my 90 and my next project is to replace my 225 with the same thing.

 

[Jessbo]

What does OM mean? I wanted to remove the overflow from the tank. Always seems to get in the way when it is in the tank. Are you saying a coast to coast outside the tank, with an overflow in the center, all outside the tank?

 

[fly guy]

What does OM mean? I wanted to remove the overflow from the tank. Always seems to get in the way when it is in the tank. Are you saying a coast to coast outside the tank, with an overflow in the center, all outside the tank?

Oceans motions. oceansmotions.com

I am a huge fan of the 8 ways. You can achieve sweet everywhere random and variable flow without having to look at a bunch of powerheads in your tank doing so. You DO need to be farily competent at plumbing to fit them into your system.

As far as the overflow...yes i mean externally, but not overflowing out just the center...overflowing the entire length of the tank(coast to coast). The back wall of the tank is just an inch lower than the rest....thats where the water "overflows" Here is a couple of pics. the first of just the tank so you can see the overflow box and then ofter its all plumbed in with an OM 8way.

I also bring my sump returns up and over the top, down and across the left and right sides. The canopy hides the outlets so i have flow coming from 8 outlets and 2 spraybars in theis tank without a single piece of pipe visible.

You can get a 4 way OM device as well......it was kind of tough fitting the 8 way on this 90 gallon tank. I run a 8 way as well on my 225. If you are going to run spraybars with it i highly recommend the 8 way. I never have to siphon the bottom of this BB tank......everything gets into the water column and to the skimmer

 

[Jessbo]

I was planning on using a hayward 3 way valve, splitting my flow from right side, to left side and so on. I have been thinking about a coast to coast, but using just that without an overflow box worries me a little, especially with it being outside the tank. With an overflow inside the tank you have a little leeway if a clog develops before water starts overflowing the top of the tank. With just a coast to coast trench, you have little time to react if anything slows the drainage. One day my overflow had a small clog and was slow to drain. It nearly flooded my place, but I caught it just as the water was about to crest the top of the tank.

 

[Jessbo]

That is some crazy plumbing for sure fly guy! But the 8 different zones, it has to have some serious caotic water flow. Is that a flexible PVC you used? Haven't seen it before.

 

[fly guy]

There is no way that coast to coast could clog. It wouldnt clog if you threw a big plastic bag in it.

It flows out the back the entire length of the tank AND has 2 1.5" dursos in the overflow box itself. It can handle the flow i give it ten times over.

Yes its just flexible pvc. You can pick it up at most home depots but you can find it cheaper if you look a little online for it.

 

[dnjan]

Can't tell from the pictures - what is the modified euro-bracing attaching to on the back side of the tank?

 

[fly guy]

Can't tell from the pictures - what is the modified euro-bracing attaching to on the back side of the tank?

The bracing in back is attached to 2" on each side and for 6" where you see the two cls ports in the middle. Its a Envision Acrylics tank by James. It was my design as he hadnt built one quite like it before, but we talked about how exactly we were going to do that part quite a bit before he built it. There are teeth now in that open spot going across the tank you see in the pic. Im fairly competent working with acrylic...........so i made my own teeth and it saved me some money. Ive made a bunch of sumps but im not quite up to display quality stuff so I gladly paid someone else to make the tank who can make display quality stuff.

 

[dragoneggs]

Good luck on your project... I just put water in my 250gal island design. I debated about where to locate the overflow for weeks before I decided on a center overflow. I really wanted four sided viewing since I placed it in between my kitchen and living room. It really is a personal choice.

Here is the link to my thread just started. I will be posting a lot more photos shortly. http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=242451&posted=1#post242451

 

[Reefdaddy1]

Mark that is what iw as talking about. I love that design you have in that thread.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks Bob. I think the center overflow is going to be awesome once the coraline encrusts it. The trick part is the overflow box has two ribs on each of the four sides with holes from top to bottom to tie the live rock against the box.

 

[Jessbo]

What a beauty! Can't wait for my room seperator tank, but that is a few years away.

 

[IAP Brian]

Room seperator tanks can be very cool looking. I highly recommend making it as wide as you can ( at least 30" ) to allow for space the overflow is going to hog up.

 

[dnjan]

Out of curiosity, why does the center overflow box have to be so big? I would think that a 6" diameter tube would have more than enough rigidity/support. The top could be made larger for additional straining area, but I would think that all but the top 2" of the box could be smaller.

 

[IAP Brian]

The overflow box can be any size. It just depends on how much flow and things you want to include in the overflow box. If you want room for multiple drains, multiple returns and an electical race then you need more room and a larger foot print. If you only need room for a drain and a return and you only want to drain enough flow for your skimmer then a smaller box, tube, diamond or whatever shape you want would be fine.