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No, thank you! Your structural design is just what I was looking for. The rocking horse would look really cool with some exotic wood (lucky you). I did a version in Mahogany, and it came out really nice. The only trick in the project is to use a 2x6 cut in a V shape (inverted, with the saddle...

I'd be worried that without the CO2 addition, your tank will be more conducive to algae growth than plant growth... Have you checked on Craig's list (etc) for used C02 systems? There was a guy in Florida giving one away some time ago... Also, for that "3D" effect, you might try to use some...

Yea, that's basically it. It's a pretty simple method. My feeling is that a Calcium Reactor is NOT the way to go. An inch or two of live sand will automatically give you the same benefits without the cost of the Calc Reactor, or having to "dial it in". A deep sand filter in a refugia between...

An idea for some of your wood (see pic). I made the plans using 1/4 ply for a template. It's easy to build and the kids go mad.

Got any photos? I'd like to see how you used the FRP. The reason I put plywood on the outside is to help with the force of the water depth (designed for up to 48"). Scaling the design would require heavier plywood with more depth, or less (none) for a shallower depth. Sounds like your right on...

By "current generation" I was thinking of doing a refugia with a Deep Sand Filter inside that portion of the setup. The reef tank itself would have only a shallow sand base (1"). Interesting idea about the spectrum. I haven't looked into that as yet. I would want the UV to go thru, but if I...

"Methods of controlling calcium and alkalinity levels include: Two-part supplements: These are easy to use and convenient, but may be quite expensive long-term in larger tanks. Kalkwasser: An excellent solution, though it requires more work from the reef aquarist. Calcium Reactors: Expensive...

You might want to do some research on the "berlin method" or "Jaubert method" and strip down one of your smaller tanks to test out how it works for you. As a note to anyone else looking to set up a reef tank, I suggest you do some reading/research on those two methods. Your main expense will...

How about adding a kitchen sink to your tank room? Seriously thou, seems like a bit of overkill on the filtration side. I'd definitely nix the sand filter and UV canisters. Not sure what you have for mechanical and chemical, but probably not necessary either. The setup I would recommend is...

Sorry, that first image was a duplicate.

Some screen shots of the filtration. The support structures (for the filters) are removed for clarity. This is basically a Berlin type setup (it will also have a plenum (sand bed)). So the focus is on water movement. The three columns above the tank are the tube skylights.

The bottom of the display glass is 32" off the ground. I suppose I could go a bit lower, but that's the height I prefer. The height is 48" (maximizes the use of the plywood dimensions). That puts the top around 6'6" or 7' with the top bracing. Fortunately it's in a room with a high ceiling...

I adjusted the width of the tank to utilize a 48" plywood sheet. New width is 35" (internal). Measurements are as follows: Internal dimentions: Length - (inches) 110 (cm) 279.4 Width - (inches) 35 (cm) 88.9 Height - (inches) 48 (cm) 121.92 Volume US...

As the plywood for the wall structure is outside grade plywood, I'm not too worried about mold. Mold is a problem in Hawaii that I've dealt with before, and it is easily deterred by not using materials that mold likes to feed on. I suppose I could paint the plywood or even cut ventilation holes...

A section view (cut away of the side).

First a quick shout out to everyone who has put their wood aquarium plans & pics for all to see. I think this a fantastic community, and I hope we can continue to help each other to build better and bigger tanks! That being said, there is a huge difference between a 600 gal tank and a 50,000...

Maybe some more details on how you plan to build this?

I've read somewhere that fish excrete a type of pheromone (thru their gills) that has a population control effect. It is also probably related to reduced size. I remember an interesting pond that I saw in Japan which had MASSIVE koi in it... the pond was constantly flushed by a fresh water...

Just a thought about the whole "canister filter" idea. For the most part, the limiting factor for bacterial processing of nitrogenous waste is O2. That's why a bio-ball type of drip filter works a lot better than an "under gravel" filter. There's plenty of bacteria in an under gravel filter...

Excellent thread. Thanks for the SketchUp tip. I've already downloaded it and am sure it will come in handy. I'm in the planning stages for a 10x3x4 marine tank. Plywood, very similar to your construction. A couple things I've planned differently. I'll use 2x4's on the top to keep the sides...