Hillstream tank build?

[KansasSunfish]

Today at work I had to disassemble a glass shelving system. I ended up with seven pieces of 6 foot long by 12 inches wide by 3/8 glass… Does anyone think that I should turn these into a super long aquarium with flow coming into one end and going out the other to the sump, and Stockett with Hillstream loaches, gold mountain minnows, etc. ??? Would anyone be interested to see a build like that? Does anyone think it’s a good (or bad) idea? I think the total gallons end up around 40 not including sump.....

 

[KansasSunfish]

A pic of the glass I got. This build would also include a custom stand

 

[Deadliestviper7]

A pic of the glass I got. This build would also include a custom stand

View attachment 1335602

Would be awesome, would definitely put some wild caught natives like red shiners in it

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Or make a fish bridge

 

[KansasSunfish]

never kept red shiners. Might look into it. The shiners we have in Kansas are frightfully dull in looks. As far as a fish bridge goes, I was thinking of building two tanks and putting them front to back so that the back one sits just above the front one and the water circulates from the top tank to the bottom tank to the sump and then back to the top

 

[KansasSunfish]

Here is a quick drawing of what I had in mind. Not sure if you can tell or not I’m not great at drawing....

 

[the_deeb]

Looks like a great design. I would set up overflows on both tanks and use a sump so you can keep your water level consistent. Otherwise, with shallow tanks and high flow you’re at higher risk of spills during water changes.

Top tank would overflow to bottom, bottom to sump, sump return back to top.

I would also keep the overall flow turnover through the sump fairly moderate and supplement this with additional flow using internal powerheads.

 

[Joshomaru]

You have a very interesting idea. I love hill stream loaches; they are just so interesting! At our local Aquarium, they have a hill stream loach tank with bamboo shrimp and minnows. The shrimp and loaches love just sitting in that current.
I don't know- just asking here- what about bracing, being 6' long?

 

[KansasSunfish]

I’m not sure if I need bracing or not. It’s very thick glass considering how shallow the tank is (only 11 inches of water max). I think I will do the usual and build the tank, slowly water test it with a tape measure in the middle and if it starts to bow, remove water and put in a bracer. It is thicker glass than my 125 is made out of and only half the height. I’m not dead sure but I would bet I won’t need a brace.

 

[M1A1]

I would also bet you don't need bracing. For a (roughly) 72x12x12 dimension tank, 3/8" glass is a safety factor of 16 on the sides and 8 on the bottom; perfect for a rimless tank basically.