This is a realistic build for a noobie ?

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Joeybsmooth

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Dec 21, 2008
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Location
South Carolina USA.
Material = Acrylic
Tank Height = 30"
Tank Width = 45"
Tank Length = 72 "
Acrylic Thickness = 1/2"
Approximate Gallons = 421

And do you know how much it would run? Or how to find out how much it would run ?

:thanks:
 
Looks pretty ambitious if this is your first build. I don't think I would want my first build to have 421 gallons of water to ruin my floors/walls/electronics, etc. Just something to think about.
 
I dont know much about acrylic just yet. However I would check diyfishkeepers.com forum and the site owner's username is uraujoey. He would be your best bet for acrylic knowledge that I know if. Good luck!
 
if you do it just keep an eye on your seams, and edges need to be smooth before you glue. bubbles are bad and weak spots. but you probably already know that. there are some good youtube vids about acrylic.

i personally wouldnt do a tank that big as my first time out of the gate

but fortune does favor the bold. and we do learn with every chance we take.
 
I personally don't think it is too much of a tank, but you REALLY need to know what you are getting into (just beyond building it yourself).

First, I think 30" is a bit deep IMO. You will have plenty of water volume going something like 24" deep but it will help with the lighting down the line.

Do you understand that weekly water changes with 400+ gallons is going to be around 40 or so gallons? That really is a lot. You need to have a place to make your RO/DI and mix up the salt. Salt will be running you a lot per month just to make up the PWC water.

Can the floor of your home support over 3400 lbs of weight? Not only will you have the weight of the water, but then you need to add in that tank which won't be light, plus the stand and all the equipment (plus a sump!).

Something to think about (seriously) is to make a sump first. You will need one for your tank anyway. See how that goes. You can even run it as a tank and put in some live stock even with sections and see how it goes. Then not only will you have some idea of the maintenance, but you'll also get experience building something that could eventually be out of sight so wouldn't need to be as perfect.

Just some thoughts...
 
DBrossman said:
I dont know much about acrylic just yet. However I would check diyfishkeepers.com forum and the site owner's username is uraujoey. He would be your best bet for acrylic knowledge that I know if. Good luck!

I've watched all his YouTube builds...very helpful u should check em out if u really do plan on building something that size cuz there r no room for mistakes with that project and something that size ud be better off getting a full inch because acrylic unlike glass will bow especially with 30 inches of water... it'll cost u a bit more but the finished product will be safer...better doing a little research and spending a couple extra bucks to keep from cleaning a 400+ gallon tank busting lmao
 
normally you would not use acrylic for that big a tank
I think you should not make your own tank if you want one that big
I hope you live in a house, as well
 
acrylic is safer, it doesnt shatter like glass
however, acrylic does scratch far easier
so you would find it like at sea world, numerous inches thick
but you can find them both for sale, but I think glass is more common
 
I think the term 'noobie' needs to be defined. If this is your first aquarium, in no way would I suggest you build a 400+ gallon tank. If this is the first tank you're building from scratch, but you already have a tank, I still think it's a bit big. Mistakes will be costly, compared to a 20g test build or something of that nature.
 
that's ignoring the cost of the acrylic to do it yourself. Me and the wife toyed with doing it for a custom design seventy five to ninety. Then we walked slowly away from the plastic and went on craigslist.

I kinda like the seventy we found, anyhow. Even if it's a heavy pig.
 
Thanks for the added input . Yes I am in a house, and this would be my first build. Something that big would be a way I could house my Fish ( in a 35) and my turtle ( in 65) with each other and lower the opportunity to for them getting eaten.
 
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