extra tall DIY tank question

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
K

koop171

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2008
3,623
8
68
40
ohio
if i were to try and build a extra tall DIY tank like 48"+ what would it take i'm thinking like 6to 8 feet long 30 deep and 48 or more tall so my question is how do you one go about building this and two how the hell would you move it b/c if i build it it will have to be drained and moved at least once


any help would be great
materials needed
dry weights after built
anyone ever attempt to do this before
anything at all that would be usefull
 
i think the glass thing will become a big weight issue b/c it will HAVE to be moved at least once so maybe the from panel only glass ?
 
how fars it going to move?
 
how soon is the move, if too soon I would wait to build it, if you really need the water volume go with a rubbermaid stock tank until the move then build it...
 
If you're worried about weight you could always make the back and bottom out of marine grade plywood with marine epoxy over it. That way you would remove a large and small pane of glass.

You might want to rethink using glass if the tank is going to be that tall. I've never made a solid glass tank, only the plywood with acrylic windows. But wouldn't a tank that tall have to be close to 3/4" thick glass with braces?
 
I would advise against building a tank 48" or more deep for several reasons...

1) Need Very thick glass. Would almost have to be acrylic for the weight savings, minumum 1", probably 1.25 or 1.5" ($)
2) Even in acrylic it will be very heavy and hard to move.
3) my tank is 3' tall, and I have to get my cheek wet to retrieve anything off the bottom of the tank. The only way to do maintenance in anything deeper would be to get in.
4) 4' of height won't really net you very much more fish capacity. you'd be far more practical to go 8 long by 3 high by 4 deep.

However, having said all that, if you are set on a tall tank, you'll have to plan moving it very carefully - as I said, even in acrylic it'll weigh in pretty damn heavy, and most doorways are only 30-32" wide. Any tank with more than two measurements over 2.5 feet will be a real pig to move unless you make it so it can be broken down.
 
as for how far it will end up moving lets just say miles it has to be set up at my parents house till me and my G/f buy a new house (ran out of room)

as for how long till it gets moved IDK could be years

i want to go 48"tall or more with 3ft. deep b/c unless i build it on site i won't be able to get it through anydoors and i want as big as possible

it doesn't need to be glass but it will have to have a large front pane of something either acrlyic of glass

i could built it in pieces then assemble on site but not sure yet this is all plannig for next year if i build thats when it will be

if anyone wonders if i'm cool with it being at my rents house and not mine trust me its cool my parents use to own a LFS when i was a kid so her taking care of it when i'm not around will be no problem
 
My pond wasnt suppose to be a pond. When I started it was supose to be a tank, but I screwed up cutting the wood, so ended up with a pond. I have a problem though, like you I know I have to move the thing in a few years so it has to move through a standard door frame. I made the base pond shape like midnight did in his thread, so it lifts easy out the house, but I want it deeper so am thinking of making a glass tank without a base then sealing it to the top of the pond giving 2ft pond plus 2ft glass. This way they'll easily break apart for the move and you can use thinner cheaper glass ie 6mm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom