approx FW monster tank cost

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
location is fine if I'm able to get this. This is really helpful people, thanks a ton! Thanks to this I might actually be able to get a monster tank! I'll post more progress later today hopefully.
 
Derf;865716; said:
...I'm looking around 2,500-5,000 gallons...

Sit your parents down and tell them it is time to stop screwing around with your allowance and they have to get serious. Also tell them it wouldn't hurt if they both got second jobs. You are young only once and they shouldn't spoil it for you.
 
CHOMPERS;868887; said:
Sit your parents down and tell them it is time to stop screwing around with your allowance and they have to get serious. Also tell them it wouldn't hurt if they both got second jobs. You are young only once and they shouldn't spoil it for you.

Damm right thats what I did and the next day at 15 I had a job :(... earning 7.50/hour :D , but at 16 i was able to buy my first car and began haveing fun.


As long as your parents are into it thats all that maters, the rest it just gental nudges.
 
have you thought about doing a plywood and acrylic tank? i may be wrong but i think you can laminate the inside of the plywood with some 1/8" sheets of acrylic(very cheap) and just do a thicker plane of acrylic for the front window.
 
Is plywood and acrylic cheaper by any chance? My dad doesn't want it to cost much, even though he usually buys the most expensive things he's never going to use :confused: And for CHOMPERS's response, the first part might work, but not the part about second jobs. Both of them are doctors, so it'd be pretty hard for them to get a second job considering they aren't home that often. And if I do get this, anyone know a good place online or near Chicago to buy monster fish like an arapaima?
 
i belive good quality 3/4" plywood is about 25 bucks for a 4'x8' sheet here and usplastic had 4'x8' sheets of 1/16" acrylic for 54bucks or 1/8" for 60bucks. a 2'x4' sheet of 3/4" acrylic is 144 bucks. a 2'x4'x8' tank is approx. 478g. you would need:
(2) 4'x8'x3/4" sheet of plywood- $50
(2) 4'x8'x1/8" sheet of acrylic- $120
(2) 2'x8'x3/4" sheets pf acrylic- $288
(1) some thing to join together the (2) 3/4" acrylic sheets, maye a metal T bar
(1) center brace, maybe a peice of steel wielded to the top of the T bar
alot of wood glue, screws and silicon/acrylic wieldon.
total price of wood & acrylic:
$458 plus shipping, construction supplies, stand etc
all together it woud still probably be cheaper than buying a new tank 1/3 of the size.

disclaimer:
i have no idea if this would actually work or not, i've never built or seen a tank like this, only heard of it being done.
 
<And for CHOMPERS's response, the first part might work, but not the part about second jobs. Both of them are doctors, so it'd be pretty hard for them to get a second job considering they aren't home that often.>
i think he was joking around, eventually we all become aquaria addicts and wish we had a second or third job so we can afford that 'one' extra something that will make our tanks perfect and our lives worth living :D
<And if I do get this, anyone know a good place online or near Chicago to buy monster fish like an arapaima?>
i don't think an araprima would be a good fish for you, maybe some snakeheads or something a bit less "largest fw fish on this half of the world" size. personally a heavy planted tank with a school of pirhana or a community tank would be pretty cool to me, or a native semi-aggressive community tank w/ a school of baitfish, some sunfish, crayfish, bullhead, and small bass.
 
Unless you're REALLY spoiled, dont expect anything more than 100 gallons from your parents, let alone 5000.

And lets just say you did happen to get a tank of that size, I dont think you could maintain such a tank. You seem highly innexperienced.
 
Also, its impossible for a large tank NOT to cost much. Expect to pay $20000 if you want something in 2000-5000 range. And you cant forget running cost. Reality check: big fish eat big amounts of food. Thats going to be costly.
 
Derf;870545; said:
Is plywood and acrylic cheaper by any chance? My dad doesn't want it to cost much, even though he usually buys the most expensive things he's never going to use :confused: And for CHOMPERS's response, the first part might work, but not the part about second jobs. Both of them are doctors, so it'd be pretty hard for them to get a second job considering they aren't home that often. And if I do get this, anyone know a good place online or near Chicago to buy monster fish like an arapaima?


show them my web cam.......:)

also let them know my son, michael who is now sixteen does the serious maintenace and is working at a lfs with his experience...:)


if i can help or talk to them i would be happy to help.....just send me a pm and tell me what not to say ;)

john
 
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