If you're going to build...build big, right?

[Maj.Striker]

Okay, so it's been quite some time since I had my aquarium as a child. Recently I've been wanting to get another aquarium and relive the joy of caring for fish again. So I started looking at aquarium prices and decided that for what I wanted...it was too expensive and I was going to get what I wanted. So, I elected to build a tank. These are my initial dimensions:

12 foot long, 5 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide made out of tempered 1/2 inch glass.

Now I started thinking about it and realized I wouldn't need to use glass all the way around the tank since the way I intend to set it up...I'd only be able to really view from one side. So I could use an alternate material for the sides and back and bottom...I'm just not sure exactly what would be best. I want to make this a saltwater aquarium and although initially I would just start with a couple of very inexpensive fish to get myself in the practice and understanding of what to do, my eventual plan is to get a Bull Shark to inhabit this tank. (A Bull shark, from what I've been reading up on, appears to be fair tolerant of water conditions considering it seems to handle freshwater pretty well but controlling its salinity). I figure in a tank of this size the Bull shark would probably grow somewhere to 4 to 7 feet long. Anyway, anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[malkore]

Sounds awesome, but:
1. how will you light the tank that is 6 feet tall?
2. how will you maintain the substrate, which is 6 feet down?

The tank would still be too small for a 4-7" long shark. Heck it would barely be able to turn around.

 

[zacdl]

It would be fine for a 4-7" shark, but not a 4-7' shark

Get some scuba gear.

 

[Maj.Striker]

Hmm, I was told that the length of the aquarium would be more important than the width or height. Perhaps I should consider converting a pool into an aquarium?

 

[Milan]

You may also take into consideration the cost of the whole setup. Tank itself is just a fraction of it ... I.e. lights (for a 6' tall ..???), pumps, sump, skimmers, filters, live rocks, substrate, fish, not to mention maintanace ... and scuba gear (lol) as someone mentioned above ...

 

[zacdl]

It is more important. Exept lights will start to dim down trying to shine through 6' of water.

You can prolly get a little bamboo shark if you wanted, I think they stay less than 4'.


There was a BIG discussion about the conversion of a pool into an aquarium. What it narrowed down to is you have to be a millionaire to do it.

 

[zacdl]

For a tank that large you would need a huge skimmer.

As for the live rocks if you want to keep a shark and a few fish you really dont need many rocks, just enough to decorate the tank (maybe some in a sump to help with filtration) because sharks like swimming around the bottom of the tank and easier to cut themselves on sharp rocks.

 

[Maj.Striker]

Hmm, well as for the lighting...I'll admit I hadn't considered the lighting situation. My initial thought was a custom Fluorescent setup. I would think that would be enough light for a shark. I will quickly admit I don't know enough about lighting so please don't scream at me if that sounds stupid.

 

[zacdl]

Fish dont need high light but other things do. Just depends what else you want to keep in your tank (corals, etc)

 

[malkore]

If you have no intention of keeping corals or anemones, just a shark and rocks, then lighting is indeed not a big concern.

As for skimmers on something like that...you'd need to look at skimmers above and beyond 'consumer' level. We're talking about the skimmers that city aquariums, or Sea World, might use, because yes, to keep a 7' (not 7") shark, you would need a small pool..a 1,000 gallons or so. I'd anticipate the cost would be $10,000-$15,000 to setup something of this scale.

 

[zacdl]

Well just dont get a 7' shark stay with the smaller ones.


The lighting if you just are going to have a no-coral no-anemonae tank, you just need enough lighting to make it look good.

Ive seen skimmers like 6' tall, I dont imagine those are cheap either, maybe a few grand.


I dont know how hard sharks are to keep but do you really need a skimmer for a shark?

 

[Blazeherd2306]

How are you going to maintain the tank. Sure you could go in the tank, but bull sharks are the deadliest sharks in the world. I know a guy who has a saltwater pond in his backyard thats about 100x50 feet, but you would have to live in Florida to even consider that, because you would need saltwater groundwater.

 

[Skyrmir]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a skimmer basically just a pipe with a bubble flow through it and a catch at the top? The ones I've seen at the pet store obviously wouldn't work for that large of a tank, but could probably be scaled up using pvc pipe from home depot, like sewage return pipes should be big enough. Take a BIG water jet, put an air stone in the line for the input and fashion the top out of pvc fittings.

I'm just a lowly freshwater guy myself, so I could be way off base.

 

[zacdl]

Yep you could do one like that but it would be trickey to get the cone part made.

 

[Maj.Striker]

Hmm, well I've been doing more and more research. Here's a couple of things I've discovered that might save me a good bit in money. I could build the sides, base and back out of 2 inch thick plywood covered in epoxy glue. Obviously I would need a TON of support braces. If I placed a 2x4 support brace every 6 to 12 inches I would think that would be sufficient support. I could then order 1 inch thick plexiglass for the front (probably would still want to put at least 3 braces across the front for the plexiglass). Does that sound feasible to you all?

 

[zacdl]

Yea that sounds OK but how are you going to cover the plywood so you dont see it?

Also you will still need to put at least 1/4" of glass or something around the plywood for more water-proofness.

 

[Brenden]

Your acrylic needs to be thicker than 1/2". My tank is 1" and is not near that large. 1 piece of acrylic that large will probably cost you more than $2,000. Much cheaper if you buy it in 4X8 sheets

 

[Blazeherd2306]

I agree that you would need glass or something more waterproof to cover the plywood. With a sharks skin, I would think it could rub through the epoxy.

 

[ryan_2k5]

thats a big tank lol