Need some help determining size of tank

[okapizebra]

Okay so yesterday I went and picked up someone's old supposedly 35 gallon hexagonal saltwater tank. Well I bring it home, and man that thing is massive. How can it only be 35 gallons?? So I've been trying to find a calculator online to determine the gallons but I'm getting two different answers... and I'm thinking I could be measuring incorrectly. How exactly do you measure a hex tank? What is the length? They have six sides. Is it the size of one side x 6?

Aquarium Volume Calculator

that site there is telling me the tank is 54 gallons... with the height being 29, the number of sides being 6, and the width of each panel being 12 inches.

Hexagon Aquarium Calculation Tools

This site says it's only 47 gallons. That being the width of one side being 12 inches. What does the width of one side mean? I thought width was like dept... but maybe I'm confused?? How do I measure the width? Could I be doing it wrong?

Either way, it doesn't seem as if those dimensions are of any standard tank... which leads me to believe how I measured it was not correct. Any advice would be well appreciated.

 

[fort384]

If the width of a side is 12" and the height is 29", the volume is roughly 46 gallons.

To calculate the volume, we need the length of 1 side (L) and the height of the tank (h).

First, we have to calculate the area of the base (A):

A = 1.5 * √3 * L²

Volume of hexagonal prism (V):

V = A * h = 1.5 * √3 * L² * h

So,

V= 1.5 * √3 * 12² * 29 = 10849.57 cubic inches

10849.57 cubic inches = 46 US Gallons

46 US Gallons is not far from 35 Imperial Gallons so maybe that is where that number came from?

 

[okapizebra]

Thank you! Yes, the length of one side is definitely 12 inches and the height is definitely 29 inches. Is there any reason why this tank is such a random size?

 

[fort384]

Not sure. Tanks are usually standard sizes but There are a lot of odd tanks out there.

 

[okapizebra]

Well the people I bought it from certainly didn't know what they were doing. They told me they haven't done any cleaning except scrub off algae in 5 years... and that "all you do is add salt"... Perhaps it was UK gallons. I know Pet supermarket sells tanks in UK gallons around here (I have no idea why) and they told me they got their stuff at local pet stores.

 

[okapizebra]

Turns out I did measure wrong. The tank is actually 31 inches tall, which makes it 50 gallons. That makes more sense, but I still have no idea where the people got 35 from. How can you have a tank for five years and not know how big it actually is? lol

 

[okapizebra]

Can anyone tell me what kind of bulb this is? I know it's a fluorescent tube but is it T4, T8... ? It is 17 inches long, if that helps.





Also, what is this thing?

 

[phishfriend]

Look like a standard t8 bulb and the Round thing is your starter for the light. You can find replacements at you hardware store if you need one.

 

[okapizebra]

Thanks! Does the round thing ever need to be changed? The bulb is definitely due for a replacement. I don't know how it is still working, it says the year 2008 on it...

 

[billsey420]

I don't have a saltwater tank but from what I've read on here one t8 bulb is not that much light. Especially on a tank that tall.

 

[okapizebra]

I'm not growing any corals. I just need it to light up the tank so I can see in.

It's supposed to have two fixtures, but one is missing sadly.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I don't have a saltwater tank but from what I've read on here one t8 bulb is not that much light. Especially on a tank that tall.

One t-8 would be fine for saltwater but it most likely would definitely not support coral.

 

[okapizebra]

This is just a FOWLR tank, so no need for anything too powerful. Just want to replace this old bulb so the tank is lit up a bit more.

 

[phishfriend]

The starter only needs to be replaced if when you turn the light on it takes more then 15 sec for the bulb to light. And when you replace the light get the best for lighting fish.

 

[billsey420]

Ok I just learned a little more tonight thank you. This is why I don't chime in to much I'd hate to give someone the wrong advice.

 

[okapizebra]

It takes about 5 seconds to fully turn on. It'll flicker then come on fully.

No worries. I'm glad you learned something.

 

[okapizebra]

Here's a pic since everyone loves pics... Stills needs a bit of work but this tank has come a long way from the condition it was in when I picked it up.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Lookin good! What are you gonna put in it?

 

[okapizebra]

Thanks! It came with a sergeant major, a skunk clownfish, and a pajama cardinalfish. As of now I plan on adding nothing to it. I'm leaving for college in june, so sadly I'll have to break down the tank then. It's a shame... But after I graduate college and I have my own place it will be set up again! It seems like forever from now, but I couldn't pass up the deal when I saw it on craigslist. I know I'll thank myself in the future lol