• We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

Cinderblock stand for 1200 gallon

Charney

Charney

The Fish Doctor
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
I have two 1200 gallon tanks coming with a 12 ft x 4.5 ft foot print a couple things
1) i will put a bulk head in the bottom of each to plump as a drain. If i do a two inch bulkhead how much clearance do i need under it to plump it?
2) i am going to use one layer of cinderblock blocks and plywood. How would you space the blocks? I want then in lines going from front to back
3) lastly i will have one of the 1200g drilled to over flow into the other. Think a 4 inch height difference is enough?
Thank you
 
All of these questions require more detail to answer accurately.

1) Depends on how much plumbing is after the bulkhead. If it's just an elbow right out of the bulkhead then measure the height of an elbow, pipe, and the bulkhead when installed. Or street elbow and bulkhead. And you'll need room to reach the bulkhead when the tank is installed unless you're hoping for perfection and miracles. So 6" minimum, 10" is better.
​
2) Depends on the design of the tank, bracing and trim, glass or acrylic. A single layer of plywood seems thin with tanks that size. You want that bottom supported as well as possible so none of the tank joints sag. Two layers of 3/4" plywood with blocks on 16" centers. Remember 1200 gallons is 9000 pounds, 4.5 tons.
​
3) Depends on how much flow you want and how large the overflow plumbing is. With 4 inches of water level difference, absolute maximum flow you can get is 600 gph out of a single 1" pipe, 1500 gph out of one 1.5", and 2700 gph out of one 2".
 
Thank you for your reply
1) I am only plumbing the bulkhead as a drain. it will have an elbow and a valve

2) They are both fiberglass tanks with the all panels bolted together. The front panel will have roughly a 10 ft x 2 ft viewing window

3) I was planning on using either 1.5 inch or 2 inch piping. One of the tanks will be a moderately to heavily stocked monster community tank and the second will house my aba aba. I want the two tanks to be on the same system to take advantage of a larger volume of water


M1A1 said:
All of these questions require more detail to answer accurately.

1) Depends on how much plumbing is after the bulkhead. If it's just an elbow right out of the bulkhead then measure the height of an elbow, pipe, and the bulkhead when installed. Or street elbow and bulkhead. And you'll need room to reach the bulkhead when the tank is installed unless you're hoping for perfection and miracles. So 6" minimum, 10" is better.
​
2) Depends on the design of the tank, bracing and trim, glass or acrylic. A single layer of plywood seems thin with tanks that size. You want that bottom supported as well as possible so none of the tank joints sag. Two layers of 3/4" plywood with blocks on 16" centers. Remember 1200 gallons is 9000 pounds, 4.5 tons.
​
3) Depends on how much flow you want and how large the overflow plumbing is. With 4 inches of water level difference, absolute maximum flow you can get is 600 gph out of a single 1" pipe, 1500 gph out of one 1.5", and 2700 gph out of one 2".
Click to expand...
 
also what does on 16" centers mean?
M1A1 said:
All of these questions require more detail to answer accurately.

1) Depends on how much plumbing is after the bulkhead. If it's just an elbow right out of the bulkhead then measure the height of an elbow, pipe, and the bulkhead when installed. Or street elbow and bulkhead. And you'll need room to reach the bulkhead when the tank is installed unless you're hoping for perfection and miracles. So 6" minimum, 10" is better.
​
2) Depends on the design of the tank, bracing and trim, glass or acrylic. A single layer of plywood seems thin with tanks that size. You want that bottom supported as well as possible so none of the tank joints sag. Two layers of 3/4" plywood with blocks on 16" centers. Remember 1200 gallons is 9000 pounds, 4.5 tons.
​
3) Depends on how much flow you want and how large the overflow plumbing is. With 4 inches of water level difference, absolute maximum flow you can get is 600 gph out of a single 1" pipe, 1500 gph out of one 1.5", and 2700 gph out of one 2".
Click to expand...
 
Charney said:
also what does on 16" centers mean?
Click to expand...

Typical wall construction… braces every 16” on center from the outside walls. If you need more room under the tank you can make a 2x4/2x6 frame to set on ur cinders. Make the wooden frame just as you would for any wooden stand. You can use less cinders this way also more so just like legs of a regular stand. I put up a 650g diy on cinders. 2 blocks high and completely supported/solid. Absolutely unnecessary 😂 and i wish i hadn’t. I used an entire pallet. I dread the day i ever have to move those blocks again. I was young and didnt know any better at the time.
 
CMU's are great for permanent installs! And if it ever becomes non-permanent then I hope you already lost my phone number!

So they're fiberglass tanks with the panels bolted together... That sounds like you'd want the wooden frame so that nothing tries to pull apart and put stress on the bolts? Might need to be even more heavy duty than a glass or acrylic tank platform if the fiberglass is thin. Never dealt with fiberglass tanks that aren't a single monolith piece.
 
M1A1 said:
CMU's are great for permanent installs! And if it ever becomes non-permanent then I hope you already lost my phone number!

So they're fiberglass tanks with the panels bolted together... That sounds like you'd want the wooden frame so that nothing tries to pull apart and put stress on the bolts? Might need to be even more heavy duty than a glass or acrylic tank platform if the fiberglass is thin. Never dealt with fiberglass tanks that aren't a single monolith piece.
Click to expand...
Thank you. What are CMUs?
the tanks should be solid. The company builds many large above ground pools this way
 
Charney said:
I have two 1200 gallon tanks coming with a 12 ft x 4.5 ft foot print a couple things
1) i will put a bulk head in the bottom of each to plump as a drain. If i do a two inch bulkhead how much clearance do i need under it to plump it?
2) i am going to use one layer of cinderblock blocks and plywood. How would you space the blocks? I want then in lines going from front to back
3) lastly i will have one of the 1200g drilled to over flow into the other. Think a 4 inch height difference is enough?
Thank you
Click to expand...

This may sound like a crazy question, but what if your bulkhead drain were on a back corner say 6 inches from the bottom instead of underneath? Would that make clearance/access less of an issue?

Also had you considered door blanks instead of plywood? I believe they're 1 3/8 inches thick standard.
 
I am in idiot when it comes to equipment, but stocking choice: one dog erm redtail catfish. or maybe I'm about 1,300 gallons short one sec.... yep one good boy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top