LadAShark Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I want to set one up, but I was thinking it would be more fun and more economical if I set everything up myself instead of buying every piece of equipment sold on the market. Anybody have some interesting ideas that I can use to make this 1k gallon happen? Filtration, skimming, lighting, everything is open to be DIY! I'm thinking of filtering it through this: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2551103 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) Plywood tank and skylights for lighting. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2157589http://www.solatube.com/residential/blog/5-reasons-daylight-your-aquarium http://www.solatube.com/residential/blog/5-reasons-daylight-your-aquarium Edited June 1, 2016 by Jorge 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matteo Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I just read your post about how you want sharks. Make your tank round. Also plywood seems MEH. if going to spend a lot call someone who makes custom tanks for a quote, you never now. considering the amount of lumber would be required it will add up quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 I just read your post about how you want sharks. Make your tank round. Also plywood seems MEH. if going to spend a lot call someone who makes custom tanks for a quote, you never now. considering the amount of lumber would be required it will add up quick. A round tank would indeed be best for sharks. What I am planning to get, however, are catsharks, that aren't free swimming, so I have heard it's actually OK to not have rounded corners as long as you place something at the corners so that they don't bump into them. A custom tankmaker is indeed a possibility, but I still wish to be rather frugal, so I might just watch around for glass panels and make the tank myself. I'm particularly looking around for starphire, though that's rather unlikely to just show up. I do want a big tank, but I am still quite frugal ;P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) Plywood tank and skylights for lighting. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2157589http://www.solatube.com/residential/blog/5-reasons-daylight-your-aquarium http://www.solatube.com/residential/blog/5-reasons-daylight-your-aquarium Hmm, plywood huh? I mean, I've considered it, but I'm somewhat worried about longevity and just how thick the plywood needs to be. I don't want a goliath hunk of plywood just for a 1000 gallon tank. And I also hear you can't have a plywood tank with glass over 3 feet tall :/ Edited June 1, 2016 by LadAShark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanareef Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) DIY Couple of these skimmers or one bigger one Edited June 1, 2016 by wanareef 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 DIY Couple of these skimmers or one bigger one Those look great! Wonder how I could set one of those up without making it too conspicuous... My aquariroom is going to be around 16'x16'x8'. Do you happen to have any guides or links handy to making one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 There's no such thing as a cheap 1000g tank. No matter what you do, this setup will run you several thousand dollars minimum. The only option that's relatively cheap is a pond build using a pool. But even then, you've still got a couple grand worth of equipment, rock and sand to get. Maybe by frugal you don't mean cheap. That might just have been my interpretation, because frugal and large tanks don't really go together. Lots of things to consider with a tank this size. Do you have a plan for evaporation? Have you fully considered the weight of this setup? The water alone for a tank this size will be 8,600 lbs. Where in your house will it go? What kind of water change plan do you have for this tank? Sharks produce a lot of waste and that will need to be managed through proper filtration and frequent large water changes. I am not intending to discourage you in the slightest, I am just trying to provide you with some knowledge based on my experience of trying to set up a 1500g pond. I ultimately pulled the plug on my project due to the stress involved in trying to pull it off and maintain a system this large. I did do a bunch of research on large custom tanks, fiberglass tanks, plywood tanks and various pond build methods. In the end I went with using a 10' Intex pool with a pond liner inside for several reasons. I also insulated the whole pool to decrease heat transfer. My plan was to use a large rubbermaid for my sump and have it elevated above the pool and drain back down in. This setup is the easiest and cheapest setup, for what you're trying to do, by a long shot. I still have my setup if you're interested in a ready to go option at a low cost. PM me and I'll be glad to help you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 Snip I understand your concerns, and I am by no means frustrated nor bothered by that. If it becomes unmanageable I am perhaps willing to downsize, though I would hate to do so. I am aware of what it takes to cleanup after sharks, for that I intend to (1) get a cleanup crew that can't be easily consumed by them, like queen conches. (2) run a sand filtration system that cleans the water by pumping it through sand. Once enough waste collects in the system, I turn off the flow through the system, and flush it with some fresh water straight into my sewers. (3) Protein skimmers, most likely DIY if I can find a really effective system for it. I mean "cheap" and "frugal" in relative terms. There's a lot of things that one pays for just because of shipping, human effort, and branding. I think the only real unavoidable cost of building the tank is the glass. As for your setup, I might be interested in the future, currently, I'm going to pursue this idea of mine for a while longer and see if it's feasible. My goal is to get it done for $5,000 dollars, not including fish stock. But I'm willing to tolerate up to and maybe a little above $10,000 dollars. So when I say "cheap," I mean it relative to the $100,000 one thousand gallon tank ;P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 I think I decided on a pump. Or rather, 4-8 of them, haha. https://www.amazon.com/Cobalt-Aquatics-Flow-Wave-Aquarium/dp/B00E4GB8I4 2500 or so gph from a single pump, for $67.44, it is 80 watts, which is very little compared to most of what is out there, and the reviews say it creates basically no noise. I think I will put somewhere between 4-8 of them (as I said before) into my tank along the back. The people who tested it say that it's good for up to 4 feet of aquarium, and, coindentally, my tank is going to be 8' long, 4' wide, 4' tall, so I can place them in a number of ways to maximize my flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltwater newbie Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 The tank alone will cost you over $5000 to be done right and safe so it will last. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 If you look here http://www.pnwmas.org/topic/37143-april-meeting-oregon-coast-aquariumhatfield-behind-the-scenes-tours/at post #22 you can see the large round tanks Sid uses at the Marine Science building. I don't know anything about cost or size but Sid might be able to answer those questions. They had windows like portholes in the sides for viewing and one contained sharks which seemed to be happy in them. Just a thought. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matteo Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 The tank alone will cost you over $5000 to be done right and safe so it will last. this^^^^^^^^ you can spend $5000 on new reef system fully equipped and it will only be 90 gallon setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 The tank alone will cost you over $5000 to be done right and safe so it will last. ^ This for sure Why 1000 gallons? Just because it sounds huge or do you need it for the animals? The skimmers pictured above are well over $1000 in raw materials, not including pump. Hope you have a machine shop or friend to finish the materials so they can be assembled as well LOL I'd say $10k is a more realistic estimate if not more. Everything is basically commercial grade with a tank that big and comes with the price tag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matteo Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 (edited) ^ This for sure Why 1000 gallons? Just because it sounds huge or do you need it for the animals? The skimmers pictured above are well over $1000 in raw materials, not including pump. Hope you have a machine shop or friend to finish the materials so they can be assembled as well LOL I'd say $10k is a more realistic estimate if not more. Everything is basically commercial grade with a tank that big and comes with the price tag. for a legit shark tank of 1000g I would say 15k people buying 1000g shark tanks have moneeeeeyyy and 6 figure jobs Edited June 2, 2016 by Matteo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 ^ This for sure Why 1000 gallons? Just because it sounds huge or do you need it for the animals? The skimmers pictured above are well over $1000 in raw materials, not including pump. Hope you have a machine shop or friend to finish the materials so they can be assembled as well LOL I'd say $10k is a more realistic estimate if not more. Everything is basically commercial grade with a tank that big and comes with the price tag. I'm not surprised, and 10k is a number I was expecting. Let's just say I'm plotting something atm, and I'll have to do some investigation to see if it will work. If it does I might even be able to get away with the tank for even cheaper than that, without comromising the quality of the tank whatsoever. for a legit shark tank of 1000g I would say 15k people buying 1000g shark tanks have moneeeeeyyy and 6 figure jobs I assure you money is not a problem. I'm just a cheapskate, I'd rather build it cheaper regardless. Saving money is part of the fun for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 If you look here http://www.pnwmas.org/topic/37143-april-meeting-oregon-coast-aquariumhatfield-behind-the-scenes-tours/at post #22 you can see the large round tanks Sid uses at the Marine Science building. I don't know anything about cost or size but Sid might be able to answer those questions. They had windows like portholes in the sides for viewing and one contained sharks which seemed to be happy in them. Just a thought. Huh, that's actually pretty cool. I'll take that into consideration. Note to all of you: this is NOT a short term project. I am NOT trying to have it up and started jn a week or two. This is a 1-2 year project in my opinion. I will start building the tank in 3-4 months after my house gets some rooms added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N70SJ Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Im with Jorge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Wonder how this build is going?? I know a guy who has lots of rock! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 Wonder how this build is going?? I know a guy who has lots of rock! I imagine reality may have set in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 I imagine reality may have set in. Seems like it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biochemrobyn Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Would love to see pics if it was moving along. ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N70SJ Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 I would use a say +\- 6 to 8 foot diameter steel pipe. Cut off a say 4' slice and cut out a big window and have a piece of plex or glass made for the window. Steel bottom also. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadAShark Posted April 12, 2017 Author Share Posted April 12, 2017 (edited) Some things happened, ended up not expanding my house as expected. Might end up moving to another house. Before that settles, I will be establishing a temporary 600 gallon pond. Will keep you guys updated. Edited April 12, 2017 by LadAShark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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