Concrete Aquarium Questions

[pengu13]

Sounds like a great project. i would do the research for sure to see what you want in your access room. i'f your building this tank into your house you can plumb in everything like a over flow in the sump and a drip system for water changes. the tank water could drain to a garden if wanted. your option are wide open with building the space for this tank so i would say go big and if you plan it right your matencie will be minimal

 

[SpmnE9zero]

So how would I plumb something like this? Just have two holes (at the rear of the tank about 4 feet from one another) near the bottom of the tank, that run to a sump system with gate valves? How does the system actually filter out the water? Does the pump have its own filtering system or is that a separate entity?
How do you build a drip whatever you said thing to help with changing water out?

 

[frasertheking]

So how would I plumb something like this? Just have two holes (at the rear of the tank about 4 feet from one another) near the bottom of the tank, that run to a sump system with gate valves? How does the system actually filter out the water? Does the pump have its own filtering system or is that a separate entity?
How do you build a drip whatever you said thing to help with changing water out?

the filter system i showed you the pump would come at the end of the system and be gravity fed so the filter tanks would need to sit level with the water
gravity would force water into the vortex then the slow water flow would cause the crap to settles before draining to another tank filled with bio media of whatever type you want then to a 3rd chamber with your pump heater system

then the water would get pumped back to the tank

 

[SpmnE9zero]

the filter system i showed you the pump would come at the end of the system and be gravity fed so the filter tanks would need to sit level with the water
gravity would force water into the vortex then the slow water flow would cause the crap to settles before draining to another tank filled with bio media of whatever type you want then to a 3rd chamber with your pump heater system

then the water would get pumped back to the tank

hmmm very nice piece of information here.
I appreciate it.

 

[spiff]

IMO, the most important thing you can do is consult your home builders and get their advice.

Basically, there is a couple phenomena associated with creating something super heavy that could affect the rest of your home. The obvious thing is settling with such extreme weight presuming you'll commit the resources to do it "right" with adequate thickness and rebar reinforcements. Settling is normal, settling unevenly though could be a catastrophe.

The other is related to the settling in where it displaces ground around it. A structural engineer could give the proper name for this, but its what causes street corners to move from constant truck traffic. For you, this might mean possible movement of your foundations footers and/or causing your basement floors to buckle up.

 

[SpmnE9zero]

I was thinking the same thing. I am meeting with the developer tonight so I will consult with him and see about adding a few more inches of subbase under the concrete in this area and possibly even thickening the concrete as well.
I am a project manager for and excavation company so I know the term you are speaking of and it is called "differential settlement".

 

[TheCanuck]

I am LMAO at how wrong all of you are... I don't do water changes for months... Last water change was 4 months ago, and i am currently at..

0amon
0trite
0trate

ph 8.3

PERFECT salt params. If you really don't know anything about saltwater please keep your comments to yourself, because spreading false information is terrible. I understand if you where just a non experienced salt keeper and had issues with your tank, but i know people who have left their salt tanks for years, and are still successful. Salt is way easier and more complex than fresh. You can create your own ecosystem that will run itself. Yes reef is harder, but for just a community fish tank!? Please figure out your info first before you type..


Please join the real side of fish keeping.. Making such a large tank and putting catfish in there is . Atleast go for some exotic arowanas or something... i mean i can catch a catfish... Can you catch a 5ft green moray?

 

[spiff]

Other suggestions I have are just preferences and regrets with my own setup. If I was to do mine over again, I would have all the plumbing and filter outside my basement wall in something like a utility cubby with a cover. Hiding all the pumps and feeds, especially behind concrete walls like you're planning will have it super quiet, but still easily accessible.

Sound like a killer project however you wind up doing it.

 

[TheCanuck]

I plan a concrete build for my sharks

And my green moray


O and good luck with your build, i am sure it will be a GREAT tank no matter what. I just thought you should know people with freshwater tanks do 10x the maintenance i do. Just had to clear up some Terribly wrong information. Thanks

 

[TheCanuck]

Here are my concrete plans i am going to follow... Hope this helps, i have diagrams of the sump as well.