TODD BUILDS HIS 2500 GALLON CEMENT AQUARIUM FOR STINGRAYS IN THE BASEMENT

[Anythingfish]

TODD BUILDS HIS 2500 GALLON CEMENT AQUARIUM FOR STINGRAYS IN THE BASEMENT


In the beginning the big question was, should the monster tropical fish aquarium be constructed out of plywood or cement? Ted voted for wood as he had finished his 2400 gallon plywood fish tank several years ago and it has been a great success. Carl would like to have gone with Acrylic but for an aquarium 16 feet long the cost of custom Acrylic sheets over 8 feet in length is prohibitive. Todd wanted to build his aquarium using cement. A business associate in the concrete forms and foundations business was ready to start yesterday.

Concrete was Todd’s choice for the new 2500 gallon aquarium; it just had to be 100 gallons larger than Ted’s 2400 gallon plywood fish tank. The engineering was next, for the aquarium construction project to be located in the basement of Todd’s house. The design called for walls 6” thick reinforced with 5/8” rebar running along the bottom, center and top and wired to the vertical rods on 18” centers. The 6” thick concrete walls cover all the reinforcing rods. The concrete wall thickness and size of rebar may have been slightly over engineered but as we began thinking about the Seattle Fault it seemed wiser to over engineer.

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Carl and Todd are looking over the site for the 2500 gallon concrete tropical fish aquarium in Todd’s basement on March 7, 2005. A near perfect concrete foundation for the aquarium came with the house; a slight modification added extra width to the aquarium. Notice the wooden shelf extension. Todd began clearing the area in early March 2005; the black ABS sewage drain pipes could not be moved. The laminated overhead beam limited the height of the concrete aquarium. The 160 gallon Plexiglas aquarium on the floor with the blue background will become the sump and housing for the bio tower filter.

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All construction materials must be carried down a narrow flight of steps and through this basement door. We got in the habit of singing out a warning before making the turn with an armload of lumber.

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On Friday March 11, 2005 the concrete contractor started building the forms and shaping the 5/8” rebar into place for the concrete aquarium. The final overall size of the concrete sting ray aquarium tank is approximately 17 feet long by 6.5 feet wide by 4.5 feet high.

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Construction of the forms continued throughout the day. Notice one of six white PVC 1” aquarium water return pipes is set in place to be sealed in the concrete back wall. Notice the blue shoulders on the snap ties; once the cement has hardened into concrete the wire ties holding the forms together can be snapped off and concealed.

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There are three 2” diameter pipes placed in the back wall to carry the aquarium overflow water back to the 160 gallon sump. The placement of these pipes is important as the water level will be maintained in the aquarium by adjusting the height of these pipes. Note the 1” holes drilled in the back wall for the water pipes which return filtered water from the sump to the 2500 gallon aquarium. The position of return water pipes is important as they will keep the aquarium water in motion; eventually the fish waste will be filtered out rather than accumulate on the bottom.

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Constructing the support forms above the open expanse of the window can be tricky. If you are good enough you can do it with your eyes closed.

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Although this is not a government job site, some construction work requires 3 supervisors for each person actually building the aquarium. The crew worked most of Saturday March 12, 2005 and completed the forms and positioning of the 5/8” reinforcing rods by the end of the day Monday March 14, 2005, in all, just 3 days time.

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Todd and I are in the Home Depot tool rental department to pick up two cement mixers. As usual, Todd is consulting over the phone helping a customer solve a computer problem.

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White Cap Contractors Supply delivers 200, sixty pound bags of “pre-mix” right to Todd’s front door.

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Oops! The loader can’t get close enough to the bank to put the pallet load of cement in Todd’s yard; we will have to carry it up from the street.

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We pull the crew away from the forms work to help us get the bags of ready-to-use cement up the steps and staged by the basement door. Is that Todd carrying cement? Why yes, but we had to take away his cell phone.

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With six of us packing cement up the steps, the 200 sacks get moved quickly. Every time I stop to take pictures someone has to double up and carry two bags at a time.

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We are all glad the cement moving job is finished; 45 minutes must be some kind of record.

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The construction crew takes a break; then it is back to finishing the forms. It is still Monday March 14, 2005 and we will be ready to pour cement tomorrow.

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This is the cement type we used. There are many kinds of ready-to-use cement, some fast drying, others with fiber threads; it is important to research and select the proper cement for your application.

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We get an early start Tuesday morning March 15, 2005 setting up two Home Depot rental cement mixers; the pour must be continuous and we will not go home until all the cement work is finished.

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In a few minutes we have it down to a system; two 60# bags of “ready-mix” in the hopper will create one cubic foot of cement in five minutes. All six of us have a job; mixing, carrying and pouring cement into the aquarium forms is non stop work.

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We try to have a batch of cement ready every three minutes; this is about all the bucket brigade can handle. At times we get a shout from the basement, “Too dry!” and sometimes “Too wet, cut back on the water!” The mix must be just the right consistency.

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As the day progresses some of us can trade our routine with others, otherwise the same people do all the carrying of the 5-gallon buckets which is the hardest work.

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The electric concrete vibrator is used to work out air bubbles and ensure a uniform distribution of the concrete settling into the forms...

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There is very little overhead clearance when pouring cement from the heavy 5-gallon buckets into the top of the forms.

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Pouring cement for the aquarium walls and floor must be continuous. As the form walls fill with concrete, the weight of the material pushes out the bottom of the form through the opening where it will join with the floor. The material must be contained in some way temporarily while the floor is poured. Competent concrete contractors know all the tricks for this kind of pour. If the floor was to be poured on another day there would likely be seepage at the intersection between the walls and the floor. Notice the wire mesh in the floor of the concrete aquarium tank.

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The fresh cement floor must be trowel led as smooth as possible. If the aggregate is too wet water forms at the surface which might cause the cement to develop surface cracks as it dries.

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There it is all tucked away in Todd’s basement; an aquarium built exclusively for fresh water Sting Rays. It is 5 pm Tuesday March 15, 2005 and we are headed home after a long exhausting day.

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Three days later on Friday March 18, 2005 the forms are removed, somewhat reluctantly at times. Removing concrete forms takes a lot longer than you might expect.

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Bending the snap-tie rod causes it to break at the predetermined weak point recessed in the concrete located just behind the blue plug.

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It takes a bit of skill to cleanly snap off the tie rod which held the forms together. A short section of the snap-tie rod remains in the concrete; the holes are plugged with fresh cement. Any possible leaking along the snap-tie rod will be eliminated when the Epoxy paint is applied to the inside of the aquarium. .

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The 12” wide center column must be well reinforced as it will support both 30” high aquarium windows.

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The weight of the water along the 17’ aquarium wall is supported with a built in concrete strap across the top to prevent a possible blow out.

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Each aquarium window is 6’ wide; the supporting concrete walls are 6” thick throughout.

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The concrete aquarium window viewing area is 30” high.

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The concrete forms removal and cleanup is almost complete Friday March 18, 2005. There is a bit of cosmetic touch-up work yet to do on the outside surfaces of the cement aquarium.

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When the concrete forms have been removed from your aquarium your yard may look something like this. It is hard to visualize how all that material could have been used in such a small space.

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On March 18, 2005, Todd’s 2500 gallon concrete aquarium is nearing completion. Will the fish tank windows be glass or plastic? Todd may also be thinking;

“Will the cement aquarium hold water?” Up to now this concrete fish tank project in Todd’s basement has moved along swiftly with virtually no hiccups. The aquarium site prep work took several days. The forms to contain the cement were erected in three working days. The cement was poured in one day. Now it is “wait a while time” for the cement to cure so the Epoxy paint / concrete sealer, can be applied.

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Two months later on May 17, 2005, Todd’s 2500 gallon cement tank has cured and has been painted with dark blue non-toxic Epoxy concrete sealer paint obtained from Aquatic Eco-Systems; http://www.aquaticeco.com. Three 2” diameter overflow drains and the six 1” diameter water return pipes are all plumbed in. Todd decided on ¾” Lucite for his aquarium windows which will be sealed with GE Silicone II.

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The aquarium window gasket seal between the concrete and the Acrylic is GE Silicone II available at Home Depot, generally costing under $5.00 a cartridge. Although the Silicone does not bond firmly with the Acrylic it makes a very good seal such that the windows will not fall inward when the water is drained out of the aquarium. The contact area between the Lucite window and the concrete is 1-1/2”; a 2” contact area would have been better. We used about 14 tubes of GE Silicone II per window; the bead was extra thick to ensure all nooks and crannies would be filled and sealed tight. For many years we have been using GE Silicone I and recently GE Silicone II which is labeled “Kitchen and Bath”. This product appears to be pure Silicone and once cured has never been any problem for our aquarium fish. Lately some of the GE Silicone II products have something new added to their labels: “Bio Seal Mildew and Mold Protection” and or other similar wording. At this time we are purchasing only Silicone II without the “anti-mildew” label as we have no experience with the potential toxicity in using the newly labeled product. In the picture the tube on the left has the “Bio Seal” label which we advise not using until more information is available. The two GE Silicone products on the right hand side of the photo appear to be unchanged and exactly the same material which we have used in past monster aquarium projects.

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Lifting the ¾” Acrylic panel into its recess in the concrete aquarium frame is a delicate maneuver. We had wood timber bracing with protective towels ready to wedge into place between the Lucite window panel and the back wall of the aquarium. We imbedded small shims in the Silicone II bead around all sides of the window, spaced every 4” or so. The ½” by ½” by ¼ “ thick plastic square shims were cut and made ready for this application to prevent the water pressure from squeezing the silicone out of the seam over time. In the past we have used neoprene rubber shims of a similar size which I think work better than the plastic.

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The first window is seated in place; notice the triangular braces and the woodworking clamps overhead used to hold the window securely while the silicone cures. You will need lots of paper towels and if you get Silicone on your “old” clothing, remove it as soon as possible. Pharmacy alcohol, 90% or better is adequate for silicone cleanup.

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It is Tuesday, May 17, 2005 9:08 in the evening and both windows are in place and braced. Two of us might have done the job but I advise anyone sealing windows as we did to have at least 4 people on hand. There is always a need for someone to press more Silicone into a gap which did not quite fill or position a clamp while the window is held in its frame. It looks messy now but cleanup is relatively easy when the silicone cures.

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The Silicone sealing the aquarium windows is quite thick in places and although the label indicates that it can cure in 24-48 hours we know better. During the week allotted for the Silicone to cure I delivered one ton – forty 50-lb. sacks of Monterey sand to Todd.

“I’m busy Ted” said Todd, “Would you please just stack it by the basement door.” It took me two hours to move the forty bags of aquarium sand up the stairs to the doorway.

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A few days later I said “Sorry Todd, I am busy this week, I hope you get the sand washed by the time you are ready to fill the tank.” Todd washed all the sand himself, so he said, and called to say the aquarium was full of water. I had to see this and rushed over to Todd’s house in Seattle. The aquarium water was a brown mess.

“I washed it before I put it into the tank, really I did!”

“Really? Just because the dealer said “pre-washed” doesn’t mean it is ready to go into the fish tank. Todd.”

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It took several days and frequent cleaning of the fiber filter pads before the aquarium water cleared up. Chunks of wood and other debris were filtered out in the fiber padded tray.

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The 160 gallon plastic aquarium was modified into a sump and housing for the bio tower. The main pump, a Performance Pro, 1/4 HP, 2.5 Amp model circulates close to 4,000 gallons per hour through the 2500 gallon aquarium. There are three 2" diameter pipe overflows feeding the sump and six 1" return pipes pushing water back in to the concrete aquarium. The total cost was about $8,500 US, including pump filter, Lucite windows, all concrete construction materials, labor, lights, covers and sand.

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You might be wondering why Todd went to all the trouble and expense to built this monster concrete aquarium in his basement. The two photos following will show you why. Todd’s Sting Rays have been living and getting larger in 300 gallon Rubber Maid tubs. If he wants to visit his Sting Ray friends, he must open the lid and view them from overhead.

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Todd is talking to his Sting Rays in their former Rubber Maid stock tank home.

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Finally on June 1st 2005, Todd’s new 2500 gallon concrete aquarium has clear water and fish!

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The following photos include some of Todd’s Sting Ray collection, taken on or about June 1, 2005. The Sting Rays and Todd’s monster Silver Arowana love their new 2500 gallon aquarium home in Todd’s basement office, as you can see.

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Assorted Sting Rays gathered together in Todd’s 2500 gallon concrete aquarium.

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Todd’s hand is dwarfed next to his monster fresh water Sting Ray and this one will continue to grow larger on his mostly shrimp diet.

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This fish is a monster fish in his own right and the only exception allowed living with the Sting Rays. This Silver Arowana has been in Todd’s family for many years. Jed, (The TRUST), says it is definitely the largest he has ever seen in person. The fish is about 9” deep and over 3 feet long


It is now April 15, 2006; looking back I realize we had much good fortune in completing this 2500 gallon aquarium. Planning was an important aspect as well as having someone on site at all times who had the experience to keep us on track and not making any costly mistakes. Would we do it differently next time? Not really, although it would have been nice to have a little more head room in the basement.

Disclaimer: Although this concrete aquarium construction project was a complete success; the pictures and text provided here are meant as a general guide only and are offered without any warrantee or guarantee of success. We advise you to hire your own cement contractor and have your concrete aquarium professionally engineered.

[rayman45]

:drool:

only on monsterfish keepers

[NuttyFish]

nice :)

[fishyboi]

DAMN, that must of cost a fortune

[ewurm]

Thats a great setup, you have quite a lot of bio-balls. Rays are some of the most beautiful fish.

[DeLgAdO]

I WANT THAT SILVER!!!!!:drool:

j/k i have my own big lady:D

how old is that silver?

[JardiniBoy]

Wow ... that's incredible! :headbang2

I'm planning to do something similar someday (in the not to near future unfortunately).

Thanks for the detailed writeup!:thumbsup:

JB

[Steve_89]

Damn....

10/10 for effort man, that is unreal.

Superb job :thumbsup:

[fishnthings]

:drool:... that was alot of work.. but god damn it was definatley worth it in the long run:thumbsup:


del... he said the silver was a lil over 3 ft

[M|L]

wow, very nice job!

must've been one hell of a project.

very impressive and thanks for sharing!

[Euge]

DAMN, that must of cost a fortune

$8500US to be exact.


That is a sweeeeeeeet setup.. For now i can only dream of having a beautiful setup like that.

[fishnthings]

$8500US to be exact.


That is a sweeeeeeeet setup.. For now i can only dream of having a beautiful setup like that.
think how happy all your beautiful SH's would be:hearts:

[scott g]

Very nice indeed!:thumbsup:

[Loubard]

I have red it on your site before, but I find this tank building proces very cool to read!

[Anythingfish]

I WANT THAT SILVER!!!!!:drool:

j/k i have my own big lady:D

how old is that silver?
The Silver Arowana is about 6 years old as he was acquired in 2000; when Todd got the fish he was about 6 inches long. Todd says “Kosh” has been one of the coolest fish he has ever had. The very large Arowana has been feed had a diet of shrimp and other fresh sea food for his entire life and most of the time he has been growing up in a 300 gallon aquarium. The monster Silver Arowana is about 9” deep by at least 3 feet long.

This is a link to Todd's Fresh Water Sting Ray collection and more pictures of his giant Silver Arowana. http://www.anythingfish.com/todds_rays.htm

[DanDanUK]

Very nice work mate !

[joel]

that is one nice set up.

[CichlidAddict]

Simply amazing. Well done!

[gomezladdams]

:clap I wish

[stotty]

:clap top job

[sour_girl]

All I can Say is "WOW" :WHOA:

[Honda12]

That is awsome, good work.

[USMCtanker]

wow i wanna do something like that but it will take me 10 years to save the money for it

[R1_Ridah]

WOW.... that is awsome. That's what I'm talking about....:thumbsup:

[DanDanUK]

Anythingfish

You got pic's of your other fish ?

[DarthLungFish]

Wow, a True Monster Fish Keeper! GREAT Display, I wish I had one!!:drool: :WHOA: :ROFL: :clap :headbang2

[blairsteelers]

probably one of the
coolest things i have
seen, in my life.

good job and nice rays!

[Nic]

thats amazing beautiful ]v[onster fish tank with ]v[onster fish amazing rays that silver arrow is WHOA an inspiration to me who does concrete and masonay work

[dovii88]

OMG THAT IS SO AWESOME THAT IS WAT I need for my rtc and my bichir and ****...

[oscar300]

Just awsome, props for the commitment!

[Roberto C. Wells]

If i built a tank like that i would prob drink New Belgium all night long

[Joefish]

And that is why i joined this site! AMAZEING!!! :D Its pretty sad when i can look at my 240gal and say ugh thats small. :ROFL:


Joe

[ChrisGray]

WOW!

[DiXoN]

thats a top quality job and those rays are fantastic

[dimfer]

awesome project

[Tank Predator]

WOW

[edotero]

Very very nice. Good luck.

[jenBLKAROWANA]

:WHOA: HOLY BALLS! What an amazing undertaking! I would love to build something like that!!!


Jen ;)

[tattoodaddy]

My hat is off to you. What an amazing feat of fulfilling the dream. Only a member of MFK would even dream of such an undertaking.:thumbsup:

[moxxommox]

holy :swear: that's very impressive. it's a shame about the silver though :( mine is about 27inches.. but it's an asian. Still a HOT tank! well done! congrats!


(I was refering to the drop eye)

[beex215]

wow i love diy

ur super kool

[Ash]

that is awesome!! They did a good job it looks really nice!!!=)

:drool: :drool: :drool:

[Lil_Stinker]

Now thats a tank. I can't wait to get started on mine...

You ROCK :thumbsup:

[jsfunk78]

good job~~
you must put so much time and effort

[davo]

wow mate. that thing is absolutely awesome. and for mainly rays... hero!

[Vivid]

Big fan of ray tanks. Looks great!

[rkc772]

wow! nice! that's what i call a monster tank! hope can have that kind of a tank someday.:) hopefully by that time stingrays are legal in california.;)

[tyson]

Very nice job indeed. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

It is always nice to see mega setup specially for rays.

May your rays start breeding soon.....well done.

[mcblack]

awesome tank! really pays off when you can see your rays swimming around

[pacpakkie]

Very great i like it!!:D :D

[strippy]

beautiful tank!

[Snake_Eyes]

Looks great.

[Redtail_Watcher]

dUde that is so sweat!

i wanted to do a 4 by 16feet tank made of 6x6inche and plywood. but i end up with a 4by12feet pond in my bed room over 1,300gallons with a 2200gallon water filter hopefully i have the budget to get somthin like that one day. How much was the weight of the glass? because i asked for 4by12foot long glass one inche thick, at a custom class shop they was saying it was at least 1200pounds. had to be moved by a big crane. People thought i crazzy planning in having somthing that massive. I think you guy are nuts or have a big imagination. but I do really like seeing what you have done!!! lol

[bluefire10]

thats really awesome. and thats a big arowana...

[JinxXx0085]

What an inspiration!!! You might have somebody following in your footsteps! :grinyes:

[Crash607]

thats a beatiful tank and inspiring

[cokemanmark]

that is just awsome


i plan on doing somthing like that in a year or so from now

[Raxing]

I am impressed!:jaw:

[doubleA]

:shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :jaw: :jaw: :jaw:

[hkfc]

YOu have inspired me !!!!!!!

[Roberto C. Wells]

Oh man

[aaronskwod]

Nice!:popcorn:

[ehsantejarat]

I have a question about a big tank
If you have time and you could help me please give me your email address
then I could send some pictures and ask my questions

[ehsantejarat]

my email is
ehsantejarat@yahoo.com
please email me

[Anythingfish]

my email is
ehsantejarat@yahoo.com
please email me
AND THE QUESTION ABOUT TODD'S CEMENT TANK IS?

[Anythingfish]

Questions about large tank construction from a Monster Fish Keeper member:

Note: I have edited the questions.
QUESTIONS:
How do you attach the glass/acrylic panels to the cement or metallic frame?
Is silicone the only sealant or is any other material used in addition to silicone?
Is using bolts and nuts necessary?
What is the process for securing the window panels in their frames; I need more details?
I want to make a custom plastic tank something like the one pictured below.

http://www.anythingfish.com/teds_posted_fish_photos/Plastic Bull Nose Aquarium.bmp

I would like information about how to do this.
Waiting to hear from you soon
Best regards

ANSWERS:
Silicone is easy to work with and adheres especially well to glass; however, it will bond adequately with most Acrylics and Plexiglas as well as cement and plywood. Select Silicone II as opposed to Silicone I. Recently GE has added an ingredient called “Bio Seal” which they claim helps prevent mildew. I have used this product with no ill effects; however to be safe use the “paint over” type, without Bio Seal, it is white in color and adheres quite well.

When an aquarium window mounted in a wood or cement frame, Silicone sealant is the only material needed to hold the window in place. There is no need for any other fasteners such as retainer bolts. In most cases and for anything above 24” in height I recommend inserting neoprene rubber shims. Press these small 1/4” thick circles or squares 3/8” or 1/2”wide into the Silicone bead spaced every 4” to 6”.

One or two days before you are ready to seal the window in place purchase the silicone and get lots of extra tubes. You want fresh Silicone with a long way out expiration date. It is hard to predict how many tubes of silicone you will need to seal the window in your aquarium. If your fish tank window is 6 feet, long by 30 inches tall and you plan to fill a 1-1/2” window retainer flange all around you might use as many as 12 tubes. There will be excess which squeezes out as you press the window into the frame but it is not reusable; get extra tubes and extra applicators. You are better off with several helpers. Return any unopened tubes to the store.

Constructing complex shaped plastic aquariums requires a great deal of knowledge and some specialized equipment. I am sure someone out there in fish hobbyist land can do it in their garage but it is not something I would recommend to anyone without an unlimited budget. I saw a 900-gallon bull nose aquarium for sale on Ebay last year. I do not know what it sold for but the starting price was $50,000. I think a little searching within the world of Google.com will turn up someone who will build you anything you want. The Seattle Aquarium just got a 40’ long by what appeared to be a 12’ high Acrylic window weighing many tons for one of their new exhibits. I would try asking public aquariums where they get their custom tanks.

[Aquatic Dreams]

Nice job, well done.
Cheers
Aquatic Dreams™

[JamieC77]

That is by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen, awsome stingrays. If you don't mind me asking how much did it all cost in the end?

[Anythingfish]

That is by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen, awsome stingrays. If you don't mind me asking how much did it all cost in the end?

The total cost of the 16 foot long 2500 gallon concrete aquarium tank was about $8,500 US, including pump filter, two 3/4" thick Lucite windows each with a 30" by 72" opening, all concrete construction materials, labor, lights, covers and sand.

A 160 gallon plastic aquarium was modified into a sump and housing for the bio tower. The main pump, a Performance Pro, 1/4 HP, 2.5 Amp model circulates close to 4,000 gallons per hour through the 2500 gallon aquarium. There are three 2" diameter pipe overflows feeding the sump and six 1" return pipes pushing water back in to the concrete aquarium.

We mixed all the cement by hand in 1 cubic foot mixers and built the tank in tight quarters. You might save on labor and materials if you build your monster aquarium outside where a truck can pour all the cement into the forms quickly.

[rhinoman]

I plan to replicate this feat. My intention is to build a 16' x 6' x 34" deep concrete tank with a 1-1/2 thick 8' x 32" (92" x 28" of visible acrylic) acrylic viewing window. The difference with my tank is that I also plan to make the actual tank 20' long and use the last 4' feet as the filter. The outside walls will be 4' high but the inside divider wall will only be 32" tall. This will be how high the water level is. My tank will use 4x1000w MH lights + 4x96w CF and will be planted. Why didn't you guys just use a 90 degree cut in the concrete to set the window in? You could have floated the window on something and siliconed the heck out of it. It seems that it would have been easier that way. Or am I missing something here?

[Anythingfish]

RHINOMAN: I estimate your monster size concrete fish tank will hold about 1500 gallons. With good lighting and plants, the aquarium will be a thing of beauty.

The 1-1/2” thick acrylic window you are considering for your aquarium may be more than you need. Todd’s 72” by 32” windows are ¾” acrylic and although only 6 feet long, the addition of two more feet in length will not materially change the pressure per square inch. I know of a large Plexiglas aquarium measuring 8’ by 4 feet by 4 feet tall using ¾” material, which bowed a bit in its original location with a 44” water level, but presented no problems. This same aquarium is now in my basement however cut down to 32" high in order to pass through the doorway. There is almost no bowing in this 18-year-old aquarium. I think 1” acrylic should be more than adequate however, you must check this out on your own. Many suppliers of both glass and acrylic material for large aquariums automatically recommend larger thickness than may be actually required in order to avoid damage claims due to breakage.

Your proposed very large 4 foot by 6-foot aquarium filter chamber should be more than adequate. Depending on how you engineer your fish tank filter it may be more difficult to service than you planned. Further once “set in concrete” it will be almost impossible to alter the design or add more piping through the aquarium walls. Carefully measure the overflows against the volume of water you plan to circulate. A slight increase in gallons per minute through the filter might result in a one or two inch rise in aquarium water level. For example: I pump 4,000 gallons per hour out of my 3500 gallon outdoor aquarium, through an Aquadyne 4.4 bead filter and back into the tank. The overflow from the aquarium tank into the pre filter sump is 4” in diameter. At this 4,000 GPH flow rate the aquarium water level drops 2” when I turn the pump off.

The installation of the acrylic windows in Todd’s jumbo aquarium was quite easy and we did use Silicone as the sealant. The ¾” thick acrylic aquarium window fit nicely into the 1” recesses in the concrete. This made a nearly perfect smooth edge; fish swimming along the front of the aquarium do not encounter any protruding acrylic. I recommend you allow plenty of time for the silicone to cure a week or more depending on how thick the silicone seal is. The label on the tube might give the impression that 24 hours is an adequate cure time but that is for a small thin bead along a shower stall for example.

Be sure to keep us monster fish keepers posted on your progress. What is the thickness of the acrylic you selected? Where did you purchase the aquarium window and what is today’s price per square foot for acrylic? As I recall Todd’s ¾” thick, acrylic aquarium windows cost about $20 per square foot when gasoline was $1.50 a gallon and oil was under $47 a barrel.

We all wish you the best of luck and success constructing your concrete aquarium.

This is a photo of my temporary 3500 gallon outdoor heated aquarium:

http://anythingfish.com/teds_posted_fish_photos/pacu 3500 9796.jpg

This orphan Pacu was 12" long 4 years ago and now is 40" long and weighs 45 pounds...

http://www.anythingfish.com/teds_posted_fish_photos/Pacu in 3500 34.jpg

Link to more heated outdoor aquarium construction pictures:
http://www.anythingfish.com/images/Ted/PhotoGallery/Ted's Outdoor 3500 Gallon Aquarium.htm

[rhinoman]

I'm still thinking about the window...My father is the right hand man for a concrete company. Concrete work is not an issue. It's the darn window I need help with. I have decided to go with a 10' x 32" acrylic window and figure 1" thick acrylic will be more than adequate. It's installation that I'm confused by. Did you just have the acrylic cut at a 45 degree angle and also do a 1" 45 degree angle on the concrete flange? Another words for my purposes I would have the edge of the 1" acrylic cut 45 degrees and the concrete with about a 1 1/2" 45 degree flange? Also how thick a bead did you leave in the acrylic? I'm sure with enough pressure one could squeeze most of the silicone out. I'm not so sure that is desirable though.

[rhinoman]

Here's are diagrams (never took drafting, OK) of what I intend to do:

URL=http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tankdesignqb7.png]http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8316/tankdesignqb7.th.png[/URL]

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3185/aquascapead6.th.png (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=aquascapead6.png)

[rhinoman]

That didn't work right and for some reason I can't edit it. Oh well.

[Hasi]

i have seen these pics over and over but i NEVER get enough.

Todd you are a true inspiration!

[Anythingfish]

I'm still thinking about the window...My father is the right hand man for a concrete company. Concrete work is not an issue. It's the darn window I need help with. I have decided to go with a 10' x 32" acrylic window and figure 1" thick acrylic will be more than adequate. It's installation that I'm confused by. Did you just have the acrylic cut at a 45 degree angle and also do a 1" 45 degree angle on the concrete flange? Another words for my purposes I would have the edge of the 1" acrylic cut 45 degrees and the concrete with about a 1 1/2" 45 degree flange? Also how thick a bead did you leave in the acrylic? I'm sure with enough pressure one could squeeze most of the silicone out. I'm not so sure that is desirable though.

Page 7 above contains information about sealing window with Silicone, be sure to use shims. If you glaze the window against the cement wall without a recess for the Acrylic, it will protrude into the tank, about 1-1/4 inches and become a hazard to the fish. If you leave a 1-1/4” recess in the 6” thick cement wall, for example, the window will fit nicely into the recess and be flush with the cement side of the aquarium. I suppose that you can bevel the edge of the Acrylic with a 45 degree cut to minimize damage to fish should they strike the windows protruding edge; however, a recess in the cement makes this un-necessary. I am not able to read your diagram as it is too small. Next time save it at a minimum size of 640 by 480, or larger.

[carl87gt]

Very impressive! Any plans to finish the exterior? Such as with a wall with trimmed in windows?

Have you ever hopped in the tank with the stringrays? That would be tempting!

[kk.shinsiri]

Wow,,I wish I can make one at home

[cichlidguy22]

what do you do about the humidity in you house???? what about mold due to the moister and is there a floor above the tank. what about the wood absorbing the moister and getting weaker?????

[Anythingfish]

Moisture does not appear to be a problem with the 2500-gallon aquarium located in the basement. The heated basement has good air circulation; two-inch Styrofoam insulation covers the entire aquarium. The basement has about 700 square feet of floor space with the cement tank occupying nearly 100 square feet. We are on the lookout for moisture and mold which might result from aquarium water evaporation; thanks for your very good question

[TipStylez]

Where in seattle are you?!

Im not gonna go swim in your tank while your away, im just curious since theres a monster tank in my backyard.

[no1lungy]

i love the tank wish i hade it

[drpez008]

congratulations,,, how old is your arowana and what do you feed it with, besides shrimp???

[chipopo]

Todd - it is amazing !!!

[candi]

Wow what a great tank!!

[halofishboy]

Nice collection of fish u have there .... nice tank too.. hope i can do that sum day.

[Raphael]

one of the nicest set ups i seen ever:)

[synapse989]

awesome.

[filiportela]

that's great:headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2

[Pumpkinate]

Congratulations on a job well done! I have a similar project coming up in about 6 months together with a new house. The plans are being looked at by a structural engineer now. There will be some minor differences (I’m using a single long piece of glass, I’m using a swimming pool sand filter as my tank will be mainly for plants with a low fish load) but I have decided on the same type of construction. I will be getting the concrete pumped (mixing it like you did and carrying it in would have been a marathon effort!) but will be doing my own formwork and overseeing the pour.
I have two questions which I’d greatly appreciate if you could answer regarding your 2500G tank:
1. How long do you have to wait after pouring the walls before the concrete has firmed up enough before you can take away the “barriers” and pour the floor?
2. Did you use mild steel or stainless steel snap ties (I’ve heard you can get them in stainless but very pricey)?

[carolinafishkeeper]

nice:headbang2

[Anythingfish]

Congratulations on a job well done! I have a similar project coming up in about 6 months together with a new house. The plans are being looked at by a structural engineer now. There will be some minor differences (I’m using a single long piece of glass, I’m using a swimming pool sand filter as my tank will be mainly for plants with a low fish load) but I have decided on the same type of construction. I will be getting the concrete pumped (mixing it like you did and carrying it in would have been a marathon effort!) but will be doing my own formwork and overseeing the pour.
I have two questions which I’d greatly appreciate if you could answer regarding your 2500G tank:
1. How long do you have to wait after pouring the walls before the concrete has firmed up enough before you can take away the “barriers” and pour the floor?
2. Did you use mild steel or stainless steel snap ties (I’ve heard you can get them in stainless but very pricey)?

Answers:

1. The pour was continuous, walls first then the floor. If you do it in two stages, you will most certainly have an opening between the walls and floor, which will be very difficult to seal. The cement must be just the right consistency, water and aggregate. If there is too much water it will pool on top of the floor and cause checking on the floor’s surface when curing. Concrete experts know all about these things.

2. We used mild steel snap ties. It might have been advisable to use stainless as over time moisture will creep into the cement and cause the mild steel to rust. The rust will cause expansion around the portion of the snap tie remaining in the wall. The cement will likely crack away from the snap tie rod; however, this could take years. If you went with stainless then it would be advisable to go with stainless or Monel rebar. In the early 1960’s the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco rebuilt many of their concrete aquariums as the expanding iron rebar caused large chunks of cement to break away. They replaced the old aquariums with new ones built out of cement but substituted Monel or stainless rebar.

We are fish keepers, not concrete experts; you should get a professional to advise you. I hope this helps.

[shround]

Nice one Todd!

Great to see the photos of the stingrays, I am a fellow fanatic.

I have a Tiger, flower and Motoro rays, 10 in all.

When I've got my head around the site I will post some pictures of my 4,000 gall tank or see me in practical fishkeeping UK mag, Dec issue.

[shround]

I'm glad to know that there are more bonkers and enthusiastic fihkeepers out there. My next plan will be to build a house aroung a tank......my girlfriend doesn't know yet!

[shround]

Great to see another stingray enthusiast doing the best to make a better space for their fish.

Love it!

[anythingfish.com]

Thanks, I am in the process of planning a 10-20, 000 gallon tank that will hold up my front porch, but it is slow going. The ray tank is one of the easiest tanks I have ever cared for, there are no surprises & the rays love it. I had to move most of my males to a friends because I was getting too many babies... Most of the rays are about 5-7yrs old & the arrowana is about 9 yrs old & is well over three feet long & close to 11 inches tall (without his fins elevated). Kosh the arrowana if a very mellow fish who loves human interaction, I can lift 3/4 of his body out of the water & he loves it. My black rays would also let you lift them out of the water with your bare hands when I had them in pools. I would NOT recommend this to any ray keeper....ever, in my case I have had almost all my rays since they were about three inches & I have spent a ton of time playing with them.

[jamespr]

I have been planning my own basement monster bin, but have been unable to find any hard data on thickness versus hieight and width and psi and all that for various materials. I'd love it if anyone could provide a pointer to this kind of data or formulas or whatever.

[anythingfish.com]

Yes, my friend has a thickness calculator, what are your dimensions or pm me & I will email you the calculator.

[johnptc]

see http://cyro.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cyro.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=133&p_created=979155189&p_sid=PSNBpiwi&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD03NTEmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N 2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfc GFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1


I have been planning my own basement monster bin, but have been unable to find any hard data on thickness versus hieight and width and psi and all that for various materials. I'd love it if anyone could provide a pointer to this kind of data or formulas or whatever.

[Pumpkinate]

Answers:

1. The pour was continuous, walls first then the floor. If you do it in two stages, you will most certainly have an opening between the walls and floor, which will be very difficult to seal. The cement must be just the right consistency, water and aggregate. If there is too much water it will pool on top of the floor and cause checking on the floor’s surface when curing. Concrete experts know all about these things.

2. We used mild steel snap ties. It might have been advisable to use stainless as over time moisture will creep into the cement and cause the mild steel to rust. The rust will cause expansion around the portion of the snap tie remaining in the wall. The cement will likely crack away from the snap tie rod; however, this could take years. If you went with stainless then it would be advisable to go with stainless or Monel rebar. In the early 1960’s the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco rebuilt many of their concrete aquariums as the expanding iron rebar caused large chunks of cement to break away. They replaced the old aquariums with new ones built out of cement but substituted Monel or stainless rebar.

We are fish keepers, not concrete experts; you should get a professional to advise you. I hope this helps.

Thanks very much for the info... trust me, it will definitely help. Steve

[Anythingfish]

I have been planning my own basement monster bin, but have been unable to find any hard data on thickness versus hieight and width and psi and all that for various materials. I'd love it if anyone could provide a pointer to this kind of data or formulas or whatever.

I have several formulas for calculating the thickness of Cell Cast Acrylic aquarium
Windows. Both formulas give similar results and in my opinion are quite conservative.

I will get the formulas posted to our www.anythingfish.com web site soon, meanwhile here are some basic window sizes run through the calculator.

18” by 72” 1/2” thick Acrylic Price estimate US, $ 7.00 sq ft.

24” by 72” ¾” thick Acrylic Price estimate US, $ 11.00 sq ft.

30” by 72” 1” thick Acrylic Price estimate US, $ 15.00 sq ft.

36” by 72” 1.23” thick Acrylic Price estimate US, $ 23.00 sq ft.

42” by 72” 1.55” thick Acrylic Price estimate US, $ 35.00 sq ft.

48” by 72” 1.89” thick Acrylic Price estimate US, $ 50.00 sq ft.

Add shipping to these prices. The length of the window is a factor but a minor one. These figures will get you in the ballpark but are not guaranteed to be correct.

[rhinoman]

So for a 9' 8" x 36" (viewable window) one should go with 1.23" (1.25"?) thickness acrylic? I had though 1" would be enough!

[Anythingfish]

So for a 9' 8" x 36" (viewable window) one should go with 1.23" (1.25"?) thickness acrylic? I had though 1" would be enough!

My un-professional opinion is that 1" might be thick enough. You may find Acrylic longer than 8 feet a bit harder to locate and somewhat more expensive per square foot.

For an Acrylic aquarium window 116 inches long by 36 inches high, the formula I have calls for 1.4529 inch thick material.

I have a 600-gallon Plexiglas aquarium in the basement measuring 96 inches by 48 inches by 31 inches high with a 3/4 inch thick plastic sides and ends. The top frame is rigid. There is a slight bowing about 1/2" - 3/4" over the 8 foot length.

I would like to hear from anyone else with large plastic aquarium window experience. I am presently building a new 8,000-gallon aquarium for my orphan fish collection. The tank measures 16’ by 12’ by 6 feet high and will have a 4’ by 8’ cell cast Acrylic window. Although the formula calls for 1.89-inch thick plastic, I am going with 1-1/2 thick cell cast Acrylic. I expect there will be some bowing, which I can live with considering the significant additional cost of 2” thick acrylic.

[rickson]

great job man.:drool:

[Fly River]

Nice job on the tank.

I wish I could have freshwater stingrays in San Diego...

[ALPHABET]

Very impressive project! Back on reply #66, the acrylic viewing pane for the Seattle Aquarium was over $250,000. I believe it was also 12" thick.

[rhinoman]

One thing I want to make sure is that I don't UNDERBUILD any part of this project. I'll go with 1-1/2" thick acrylic.

[Pumpkinate]

One more question about your 2500G tank, if you don't mind:
How happy were you with the epoxy sealer in terms of the amount of work to apply it and it's effectiveness? If you were doing the project again would you go with the same sealer?
For my own project I'm trying to decide between epoxy and Sanitred. Sanitred is a rubber sealer... I saw it used on wizzin's thread about his 1000G block tank. It's more expensive than epoxy.
Thanks, Steve

[padge]

I have been bitten by the aquarium bug. I all starts with a 54 gallon corner tank....but we all want bigger!!! One day...one day

[anythingfish.com]

One more question about your 2500G tank, if you don't mind:
How happy were you with the epoxy sealer in terms of the amount of work to apply it and it's effectiveness? If you were doing the project again would you go with the same sealer?
For my own project I'm trying to decide between epoxy and Sanitred. Sanitred is a rubber sealer... I saw it used on wizzin's thread about his 1000G block tank. It's more expensive than epoxy.
Thanks, Steve


I love how well the epoxy went on, it is a two part process & works very well. I can't see any issues aty all for leakage, etc. Even though we used the snap ties we filles the holes & I made sure to coat them very well with the epoxy. I would recommend two things, use a dark color, mine is too light, & make sure when you apply the epoxy that you have the best respirator you can get & make sure you have many many fans pulling the toxins out. If you do not use a good respirator & do not vent well while applying you will die very quickly. Once again please vent & use a respirator made for the type of epoxy you are applying, not just a gas mask, it needs to remove the correct toxins.

[rhinoman]

I was thinking about having polyurea spray-on lining applied professionally to my monster tank.

[Pumpkinate]

Thanks again for your advice. By the way, I looked into stainless steel rebar as you suggested. It costs 10 times more than normal rebar so although it is doable it will certainly hike up the costs. Steve

[rhinoman]

Pumpkinate, I have two options for my own monster tank: one is a 3150g tank in it's own room on ground level, the other is a 5070g tank in the basement. My father is a concrete salesman. He is looking into alternatives to stainless steel rebar. I will have an answer in a couple of weeks and I'll post it. Also, I can't help but wonder if the tanks that cracked up were SALTWATER tanks or not. Were they outdoor tanks? Moisture should be minimum inside the walls of a well construted indoor tank? I was thinking why not just paint the welded rebar cage with a good rust-resistant paint after all the welding is done? Maybe the coated stuff used for bridges would work well? Who knows, anyway I'm going to find out from the people who know.

[Pumpkinate]

Pumpkinate, I have two options for my own monster tank: one is a 3150g tank in it's own room on ground level, the other is a 5070g tank in the basement. My father is a concrete salesman. He is looking into alternatives to stainless steel rebar. I will have an answer in a couple of weeks and I'll post it. Also, I can't help but wonder if the tanks that cracked up were SALTWATER tanks or not. Were they outdoor tanks? Moisture should be minimum inside the walls of a well construted indoor tank? I was thinking why not just paint the welded rebar cage with a good rust-resistant paint after all the welding is done? Maybe the coated stuff used for bridges would work well? Who knows, anyway I'm going to find out from the people who know.

Rhinoman, I would certainly appreciate alternatives to stainless rebar. I have heard about epoxy-coated rebar but I'm not sure how much better it is than uncoated rebar in practice. I have never had a concrete tank crack because I have never had a concrete tank! I've got a large concrete tank coming up in 6 months with a new house, and it will be freshwater. Please
post your findings!

I think the sprayed on polyurea is another excellent option for sealing the inside of the tank. From my own perspective, I am trying to keep costs down and I also like doing things myself so I am leaning towards epoxy or sanitred. But I think that if you have the money and want an essentially guaranteed seal then the professinal job would be excellent. Steve.

[rhinoman]

My father says the biggest problem with mixing concrete and metal is not resolved with stainless steel: metal and concrete expand and contract at different temperatures, it's this constant expanding and contracting at different temperatures that causes the cracks. In our case the tanks will be kept at constant temperatures and this will not occur. I don't know what happened to the aquariums in San Francisco.

[Pumpkinate]

I love how well the epoxy went on, it is a two part process & works very well. I can't see any issues aty all for leakage, etc. Even though we used the snap ties we filles the holes & I made sure to coat them very well with the epoxy. I would recommend two things, use a dark color, mine is too light, & make sure when you apply the epoxy that you have the best respirator you can get & make sure you have many many fans pulling the toxins out. If you do not use a good respirator & do not vent well while applying you will die very quickly. Once again please vent & use a respirator made for the type of epoxy you are applying, not just a gas mask, it needs to remove the correct toxins.

OK, I'll make sure I won't die very quickly. I hope!

Where the PVC pipes came through the concrete did you sand the PVC then paint over the concrete-PVC boundary?

I will be using a swimming pool overflow, and want to be sure it won't leak around it, given the size of the overflow. Steve

[Pumpkinate]

Thanks again for your advice. By the way, I looked into stainless steel rebar as you suggested. It costs 10 times more than normal rebar so although it is doable it will certainly hike up the costs. Steve
I should have qualified this by saying that the stainless rebar that I was offered is 316 grade. That is marine grade as used fully exposed on boats. It is definitely overkill and is more expensive than lower grades of stainless. Presumably, if you can get a lower grade stainless rebar it won't be as much as 10 times more than standard rebar.
Also, stainless steel is stronger than mild steel, so if switching to stainless you could probably drop a size when ordering rebar.

[rhinoman]

Pumpkinate, just for an update: Noone I have spoken to so far believes that anything other than common carbon steel rebar is necessary for our application. The Steinhart Aquarium was built in the late 1920's a great deal has been learned about re-enforced concrete construction since than. The tanks in question were likely salt-water tanks. Salt water is very corosive. Also there's the earthquakes. Did the tanks develop small cracks that allowed salt water to creep in? That would wreak havoc on carbon steel rebar. A properly sealed carbon-steel-rebar-renforced-concrete fresh water tank located indoors should last as long as the house it sits in. Just make sure you contractors KNOW what they're doing.
If I find out anything different I'll let you know

[Pumpkinate]

Thanks for that, rhinoman

[anythingfish.com]

OK, I'll make sure I won't die very quickly. I hope!

Where the PVC pipes came through the concrete did you sand the PVC then paint over the concrete-PVC boundary?

I will be using a swimming pool overflow, and want to be sure it won't leak around it, given the size of the overflow. Steve


I was worried about my penetrations & wanted to add some expandable wrap to the pipes that expands when wet, but I never did... Basically the guys who laid the cement did such a great job espically with vibrating the cement the has never been any leakage & I dont beleive there ever will be.

[Pumpkinate]

I was worried about my penetrations & wanted to add some expandable wrap to the pipes that expands when wet, but I never did... Basically the guys who laid the cement did such a great job espically with vibrating the cement the has never been any leakage & I dont beleive there ever will be.

Thanks again for the info. This is an excellent thread you have for those building their own concrete tanks. The photos on page 1 are like a "how to" guide! Steve

[steigelman89]

i would like to build a tank like this for my red tail catfish to me it is one of the coolest tanks ive seen

[norma]

Hello my name is Norma, I like what you have done. It is very awesome. It really looks that you have an interest in fish. Just like i do. I love them. Well just wanted to tell you that is is very nice. Normamendoza529@hotmail.com

[norma]

It is very pretty.

[norma]

I have 2 red bellies and they are getting really big. I also have oscars. I have a rhyucin gold fish. I love him. And i have lots of algae eaters. I have 4 aquariums all different sizes. I love Them.

[norma]

I have 2 red bellies and they are getting really big. I also have oscars. I have a rhyucin gold fish. I love him. And i have lots of algae eaters. I have 4 aquariums all different sizes. I love Them.
What would you suggest for my red bellies? I would really like your help. thanks norma

[Pumpkinate]

Todd/Ted, one more question regarding concrete tanks (I'll try to make it my last). I noticed you did not appear to have included a drain in the tank. I had provisionally designed a drain low down in one of the walls for water changes/draining. Do you think having another pipe low down in the tank is just another opportunity for leaking? I guess I can always put a submersible pump in if it ever needed emptying. Do you advise having a drain put in during construction or not? Steve

[jamespr]

see http://cyro.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cyro.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=133&p_created=979155189&p_sid=PSNBpiwi&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD03NTEmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N 2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfc GFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1
Thanks to johnptc for his reply wiht this website:
http://cyro.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cyr...&p_ topview=1

I saved the spreadhseet and it's wonderful -- you just type in the length and height and it tells you the thickness. My initial reaction was to be somewhat surprised that width (front to back dimension of the tank) was not a factor, but I suppose that the deeper (front to back, not height) that the tank is, the weight is distributed evenly out to the longer side walls.

Also, I note that this is for Acrylic. My understandoing is that there are other forms of non-glass polymer sheets, like lucite and plxiglass and such. Are these all prettymuch just the same thing, or are the differences in strength, flexibility, scratch resistence, cost, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any help someone can provide.

[rhinoman]

Yes, there's a big difference with certain types of polymers. Lexan is much more expensive but MUCH stronger. One would not need as thick a sheet of lexan. Read "much more expensive". For our purpose acrylic is fine and more.

[jamespr]

I want to add that this a VERY well-written and photo-documented article. Reading some of the other articles is rewarding because they are doing such a cool thing, but frustrating, because clearly explaining some of these details is very difficult. In reading your article, I feel confident that I could copy what you've done, and I have adopted some of your ideas into my own planning.

[rhinoman]

I copied the article (in color) and have it in my tank planning notebook. It is the most informative article I have found to date on large concrete tank construction. when I build my monster tank I will keep an excellent journal so that others may benifit from what I learn. Anytime I dream about becoming rich my mansion plans always include a very large aquaurium. Until I read this article I never thought I could actually afford a monster tank. Now, I not only know I can afford a monster tank but know one way it can be done.

[black_monster]

truly amazing. those fish must be the happiest fish ever.

[asnatlas]

Your tank is AWESOME :)

What is the silver insulation you have around your 300gal rubbermaid stock tanks ?? Where did you get that at... I have a few 50gal and 150gal stock tanks that I would like to insulate...

[anythingfish.com]

I got it at Lowe's or I like to call it lowered expectations..... & I do not rember the name, but I can look it up if you need?

[anythingfish.com]

Also make sure to cover your load... a lid helps retain heat & your water from evaproating into your house.

[asnatlas]

I got it at Lowe's or I like to call it lowered expectations..... & I do not rember the name, but I can look it up if you need?

If you don't mind, so that I can look into it more... Does it have a sticky side that you just apply to side of the stock tank or did you need to use something else with...

[Hopliasman]

How hard and how expensive is it to maintain?
awesome!

[608004]

That is a very nice looking tank

[608004]

What kinds of rays do you have in there

[Sonny503]

when I hit the powerball.
Nice collection and setup/project.

[rhinoman]

$8500 US, You don't need to hit the lottery to build a monster tank just take the plunge!

[AliceInChains]

very nice

[BrtnBoy449]

i love that aro

[Angel51087]

insanely awesome!!! cant think of many more appropriate adjectives! Fantastic

[MDH]

I wan't one like that in my basement ;)

[pinda]

Hi did you acid etch the concrete before you painted with the epoxy?

[Mystix212]

$8500. Plus 20% = $10200 Australian. Bit too much for me. Though I know I'll save up for it. The magic of compounding.

[anythingfish.com]

Hi did you acid etch the concrete before you painted with the epoxy?


Yes I did acid etch, but I will say not very well... I dont really like working with acid... go figure

[anythingfish.com]

$8500 US, You don't need to hit the lottery to build a monster tank just take the plunge!


It comes in phases & it is really not that bad. The most expensive part was the cement guys $5000.00 after that it was cake!!

[timplit]

wow ur a hero man
and i thought maintaining catfish is hard

[mekoner]

thats sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheTomaj]

sweet tank, makes me want to have a stingray tank one day.

[mihir]

Congrats!! Really, OWESOME!!! What a tank!! What a fantastic sized aro!!WOW! What I woulden't give to see your Aro in person!!!WOW!

[Roofdawg]

awsome

[G PADRE]

SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!!!!!

very nice!!

[wally 666]

very nice . your fish look great

[John Doe]

Awsome !

[pirarucu319]

WOW :jaw:..like i'am gonna swimmin..:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2

[zipmaiflai]

that must be the most badass arowana to own. BIG OLD SILVERS > big reds

[SmokinCoCo]

That's insane!! What about evaporation issues with the floor boards above?

[anythingfish.com]

That's insane!! What about evaporation issues with the floor boards above?


There are 2" foam covers on top of the tank so there is little to no evaporation. All my filters are also covered to reduce evaporation.

[anythingfish.com]

that must be the most badass arowana to own. BIG OLD SILVERS > big reds

Kosh rules, he is the most relaxed Arow I have ever owned. He is 10 yrs old.

[stingray man]

THAT IS MY DREAMMMMM

[navygirl76]

i am so jealous--what a beautiful tank!!

i bet you have an expensive water bill..lol

[nwmountaintroll]

Nice tank!

[Salt Life]

nice sting ray
and the Silver Arowana
nice :nilly::nilly::nilly::headbang2:headbang2:headbang 2

[greeneyez]

:headbang2that's awsome man !me and my son love the tank u built!maybe one day i can do that in my house...

[greeneyez]

that's awsome !!me and my son love it ,maybe one day i can do that in my house...

[jayvee_austin]

i need more hobbyists around me! ahehehe. i love the set up!

[Opiate]

:drool:

only on monsterfish keepers

oh yeah!!!! :drool:

[Daffydanny]

Thats one heck of a long process to set-up and maintain plus its alot of money

[catfish hippy man (dylan)]

awsome man

[mattamin]

nice :)

[Ppuzas]

That is amazing, nicely done but the price tag must be enormous. I hope to build something similar in the future, for a caiman.

[tuaniee]

thats a huge tank

[FishJunkie3]

aswome

[GobyMaster]

Totally awesome tank, man!
Got any new pictures?
Cheers,
GobyMaster

[Supes13]

what do you use to heat the water? im looking for different methods to heat a large aquarium without having bulky heaters in the viewing area. im aware that some people have the heaters in with their filters but i was looking for some alternative methods.

[anythingfish.com]

Thats one heck of a long process to set-up and maintain plus its alot of money

Actually it is the easiest tank I have ever had... I was about 7k (Including all the filtration) but I don't have to do anything. I have UV, Auto water changing system, & a PH meter, so all I do is feed the fish & add sodium Bicarbonate when the ph lowers oh & clean the windows... I spend more time on my 13o gallon than I spend on the tank. It is very worth it to build your own monster tank, I would recommend it to anyone.

[anythingfish.com]

what do you use to heat the water? im looking for different methods to heat a large aquarium without having bulky heaters in the viewing area. im aware that some people have the heaters in with their filters but i was looking for some alternative methods.

I use 2 800 watt titanium heaters I got from Aquatic Eco. They work great! My friend Ted uses hot water heating elements & is able to build his own 2500 watt heaters for a fraction of the price. They are safe & work great

[artemis1]

Wow, awesome man. Love the aro and the lepoldis(or henleis, not sure which they are lol)

[josmoloco]

amazing job

[Kevaldo]

do you still own those Leopoldi's? if they havnt already they must be ready for breeding soon

Kev

[Rpeden18]

awsome tank

[flmatty]

good job!!

[jiapei]

!!! I love, love, love, and love it!!!

[sumthingfishy]

why:confused: didn't you have reddy-mix concrete delivered and a trailer pump pump it? instead of buying all those bags(cost?)having it delivered, huffing all those bags to its destination, renting the 2 mixers, all that labor...

:headbang2nice job in illustating your whole project. great step-by-step explaination...

i didn't see any info on the stand... at 1st i thought it was on the floor, then in a wide shot i saw the wood legs. how is the tank supported? 12tons of water, 2tons per cu.yard of concrete, :nilly:WOW!!!...

[anythingfish.com]

do you still own those Leopoldi's? if they havnt already they must be ready for breeding soon

Kev

Yup, I am sending two male pups out this week

[anythingfish.com]

why:confused: didn't you have reddy-mix concrete delivered and a trailer pump pump it? instead of buying all those bags(cost?)having it delivered, huffing all those bags to its destination, renting the 2 mixers, all that labor...

:headbang2nice job in illustating your whole project. great step-by-step explaination...

i didn't see any info on the stand... at 1st i thought it was on the floor, then in a wide shot i saw the wood legs. how is the tank supported? 12tons of water, 2tons per cu.yard of concrete, :nilly:WOW!!!...

We could not get the concrete hose in the basement so we had to do it manually.... what a bugger... but it turned out perfect, I have never had a better tank & now with the addes ayto water changer I only have to clean the glass..... sweet

As far as the wood under the tank... One of the reasons why I bought the house is because in the basement there was a 20ftX3ft tall concrete step but unfortunately it was too shallow for the whole tank to fit so I addes some 4X6 braces & a ledge in front of the step. Basically the tank overhangs off the step so I put those there to help support the front. the funny thing is those do not support anything anymore... thay are actually loose I just leave them their so if we have an earth quake the tank will not end up on its face.

[KuricX]

Nice Stingrays

[Brandon1976corvette]

I am looking into building a tank of this size in the future, while I'm building my house. Figure I could tack it in with the mortgage...lol... Your article helped me a lot about how I would like mine designed. I had a couple of questions for you. :1zhelp:

I would like to use glass instead of acrylic, did you research this?

How thick do you think I should get my glass?

What % and how often do you do water changes?

How much would you guess the tank costs you a month?

Have you had any problems with your filtration method?

How long have you had your pump running, and have you had any problem with it?

Is there anything you would have changed in designing your tank?

Sorry for all the questions, not a whole lot of info out there about big tanks like these... Your answers would be greatly apretiated...

Just like the others said, your tank kicks ass, hope to post mine up soon....

If any of you reading this have any info that might be useful, please drop me a line.........lol.....fish humor.

[Cichlid fanatic]

:drool: Love it! I'm going to bulid a 10'x5'x4' when I buy a house and thanks to your post I now have a guide to buliding mine!

[anythingfish.com]

I am looking into building a tank of this size in the future, while I'm building my house. Figure I could tack it in with the mortgage...lol... Your article helped me a lot about how I would like mine designed. I had a couple of questions for you. :1zhelp:

I would like to use glass instead of acrylic, did you research this?
I would use acrylic it is lighter & clearer & I always worry about cracks.
How thick do you think I should get my glass?
We have a calculator, it depends on the measurements
What % and how often do you do water changes?
I put an auto water change system, if youd like I can explain how it works. This was the best option because it's a pian to do a 40% water change on such a large tank
How much would you guess the tank costs you a month?
Probably $40.00 for the pump & the heaters, The UV probably add another $30-$50, & I go through about 3000 gallons of water a week so that is the most expensive.
Have you had any problems with your filtration method?
No my filtration has been solid from day 1

How long have you had your pump running, and have you had any problem with it?
No but I plan to buy a backup just in case....
Is there anything you would have changed in designing your tank?
Yes I wuold have had stainless window braces made & poured into the window frames.

Sorry for all the questions, not a whole lot of info out there about big tanks like these... Your answers would be greatly apretiated...

Just like the others said, your tank kicks ass, hope to post mine up soon....

If any of you reading this have any info that might be useful, please drop me a line.........lol.....fish humor.


PM me & I will give you my #

[Anythingfish]

Did you look into Glass for the window?
Plate or float glass is not as available as it once was as it mostly comes from China. Dealers stock a variety of sizes in ½” and a few dealers stock ¾” but above that is virtually all special order with very long delays. Try
our Aquarium Glass Thickness Calculator: http://www.anythingfish.com/Aquarium_glass_thickness_calculator.htm

Acrylic/Plastic: Readily available up to 2” thick and beyond. I paid $1,000 each for my 4’ by 8’ by 1-1/2” thick Acrylic windows in my 8000-gallon plywood aquarium. Each window weighed over 200 pounds and required four people to carry them. Acrylic 1-1/2” thick can take a 4-foot head of water across an 8 foot unsupported span; you will need 2” thick material to support more water depth. Although Acrylic will scratch, it takes a bit of effort. In most cases, shallow scratches can be buffed out.

Water Changes: Nitrates (NO3) are the big issue, we all try to keep Nitrates under 50 PPM, and Todd went to a continuous water change system.

[unlabledpack]

mad props on tank congrats

[sgriffin760]

dam the hell with sea world you can just go to this guys house how much are tickets

[wise175]

That totally kicks ass!

[plec master]

i lovelovelovelovelovelovelove stingrays

[koop171]

Damn that is amazing I would have loved to hate helping build something like this. I don't by any means want to carry concrete sacks but I would for a good casue like this. is the aro still around ?

[arihakan]

where can u purchase one of those rubbermaid tubs? that he kept the stingrays in

[Anythingfish]

where can u purchase one of those rubbermaid tubs? that he kept the stingrays in

Generally any farm store, grange or farmers Co-Op will cary the RubberMaid tubs. Some may also have or can order larger plastic tubs called "stock tanks" by farmers. The 300 gallon RubberMaid tub measures about 60" by 66" by 24" deep and were priced in the $250 range in the past.

[coltergeist]

cool setup dude what a great idea

[Illusia]

Wow you guys make it look so easy

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

Nice job
cant wait to build one for some gars and some rays mixed

[zerojquan85]

I dont know if thats overkill but man.. awesome..

I have a 500 gallon pound in my yard..but a 2500 fish tank..

A mini lake at home.. lol...

[xiahaolong168]

that is one monstrous project!!! I'm craving for a 300g rubbermaid bin, and you are using it as a filter!

[cnoel08]

wow, great tank and nice write up too!

[brandonp103]

wow omg thats huge. i just started owning fish i have 10 gallon and beta in 2 and a half gallon

[angelo21]

nice!

[catfishlover106]

Wow this was very well done...I remember when yu were still doing this awhile back...how's the tank doing now? and the fishes? any new updates on them?

[roadrunnermalwi]

now this is AWESOME!!!

[nznativefishkeeper]

that tanks, well um ,awsome,got to get me a bigger tank forsure,thanks

[2foottank]

cool nice tank :asianarow

[neoprodigy]

pix fix :)

[DRECA]

A tank with Stingrays is always wonderful!!!

Congratulations!!!

These Potamotrygon are beautiful!!!


What type of food you offer to the fish?

They accept only live food diet?

Please show more photos...

[mr.reef24]

nice DIY project the stingray's are happy as can be in that tank. Have they ever breed in there?

mr.reef24

[anythingfish.com]

They live on a diet of shrimp with a vitamin suppliment & earthworms mainly along with silversides other goodies

[anythingfish.com]

nice DIY project the stingray's are happy as can be in that tank. Have they ever breed in there?

mr.reef24

Yes thay have sucessfully breed hundreds of times if not more.

[mr.reef24]

Yes thay have sucessfully breed hundreds of times if not more.

not to be annoying with the question's but do you have any picture's of the babies and do you raise them for a profit for yourself?

mr.reef24

[anythingfish.com]

I think there are pics of some babies on our site anythingfish.com but I will post several batches of Leos, Motoro's & morph's when I get back from camping.

[imcrystal]

wow that is amazing. i really enjoyed reading about the tank being built!! congradulations & i hope you never have to move out of that house!!!!!

[Mario Molina]

wow, very nice job!

very impressive and thanks for sharing!

[hemundr]

What an incredable tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[VTfish]

Did you use anything to seal the concrete to itself (joints) besides the paint?

[marvhopak]

wow, very nice job!

must've been one hell of a project.

very impressive and thanks for sharing!

I bet this cost more than my home :D

[snowy]

how much did it cost? iam planing to get somthing similar soon(like 2-10 years:cry::(:rip

[ellioti's]

hi there i have a new tanks just over 4ft bowed, in my other two tanks i have some angle fish elliotis, red lined torpedo barbs and in another i have some yellow labs, and some moori would i be able to put all of these together in my new larger tank, there are plenty of hiding places and room to swim. thabk you for any help most appreciated.:)

[anythingfish.com]

Two stage, first is the sealent & the second is the epoxy. All can be bought from Aquatis Ecosystems

[anythingfish.com]

how much did it cost? iam planing to get somthing similar soon(like 2-10 years:cry::(:rip

Tank was about 4k & all the other stuff was about 2k. It actually cost as much as my 350 gallon tank with stand & lid... Much cheaper... I saw another 2500 that cost 100k & it was made out of wood & sat on the floor....

[anythingfish.com]

hi there i have a new tanks just over 4ft bowed, in my other two tanks i have some angle fish elliotis, red lined torpedo barbs and in another i have some yellow labs, and some moori would i be able to put all of these together in my new larger tank, there are plenty of hiding places and room to swim. thabk you for any help most appreciated.:)


It all depends on the fish... How big is the larger tank.

[j.eggleston]

Amazing! I love all the pictures you gave us to view. It showed every process in building this tank. I love the stingrays!

[ohgoshsex]

Ahh, that wedding ring is so discouraging. I hope one day I find a man like you! A house filled with fish, that's the dream.

[D7620]

*droool*