AbsolutelyGuaranteed

Thanks! I'll take a crawl and see which direction the floor joists are running, the separation, and how long they span. I'd like to see if there is any dry rot or decay, since the house was build in the 1930's, and how they were hung. Ideally I would place the tank across multiple joist and right up against the foundation wall. I would then probably add some blocking between those joists. If it looks like there is rotting I would probably think about the beam and screw jacks with the concrete blocks.

I did a little reading and it seems that blocking the joists together so that don't buckle due to lateral-torsional and then some form of beam and post underneath for extra support is a prudent measure. Also, apparently old homes were constructed with better quality hard woods than today's homes. So the joists are less likely to bend.

Hello seasoned reefers! I've been looking for housing in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area and they all have conventional crawlspace foundations. I'm concerned with the pressure from the weight of an aquarium, more specifically in an old house I am likely to move into. What are the types of things I need to determine before moving ahead with a 90 or 120 gallon aquarium with a decent size sump? Would it be wise to use some screw jacks for additional support? How would you go about doing this, would you span multiple joists with a header and then support that with the jacks? Any tips would be helpful here. Thanks guys.

I noticed that the sharks in the aquarium on the set were gone in tonights episode. Does anyone know about keeping sharks in aquariums, like do you keep them in very large tanks and then would you move them into a smaller display tank for like a party or in this case a TV shoot?

It was an exciting day today. I had my second interview this morning, five weeks after my first interview, and they unofficially give me a job offer. It's not for the "dream job" that I first interviewed for but it's a solid foot in the door. I hope the locals in town are as nice to transplants as you have been. This is really happening!

I'm still researching reefing and taking good notes. I'm tying to plan everything out so I only have to buy things once which should keep the cost down in the long run theoretically.. so i've spent nothing so far.

Nice work done on this. A good way to utilize the space there. What are the dimensions of the glass here?

Well yeah pricing out the glass is an issue. A lot of people, including me, enjoy constructing things just for the pride and ability to say "I made this" so that has some value added. I will weigh my options as I get closer down the line. A used tank would be a good choice too. The dimensions would have to follow what the glass shop can order in sheet glass. A standard 90 long is 48x18x24 Tall, so that would be my starting point. I'd prefer something slightly longer, say 52x19x20 Tall, but then I'd be looking at the throw of light from what ever light fixture I go with. I'd probably do a custom hanging canopy to fit the length either way. But do you know what I mean about the glass sheets, a front and side of the tank would lay up on a raw 6' by 3' sheet x2 and the bottom on a third sheet. This works if the length and width fit on a single sheet. Then you avoid having up buy a fourth piece of glass. The bottom could be slightly thicker thank the walls or all of it can be on the tick side if no braces. The thickness would have more to do with the surface area of the silicone bonds and less about the glass cracking. Still just a though, I was mostly wondering if anyone out there has had success with this.

Hey good afternoon PNWMAS, Have any of you guys had luck with building your own glass tank? I've been looking looking into tank options and am wondering how viable this is. I would be going for a rimless 90 long with black silicone. I understand hydrostatic force and its relationship to depth and the shear force that the silicone needs to hold. So clean surfaces and good surface area for the bond is essential. I feel like using temporary spacers between the glass and using injection of the silicone would be the best way to go, to eliminate all bubbles and give the most perfect and cleanest result. It would depend on the cost and availability of the glass. Having a glass shop order and cut the glass would be the only way to go on pieces this thick. I've worked with glass before but haven't had the cleanest cuts on the thicker stuff and they could sand the edges and polish or bevel the top better than I could. Thoughts?

Hello Pacific Northwest Marine Aquarium Society! What a name, I think I'll stick with PNWMAS. I'm a recent college graduate and soon to be Pacific Northwestern-er, awaiting job offer and relocation. We had a 55gal freshwater tank at my family home growing up and I've always associated aquariums with success. If I do land this dream job and move to the PNW I would like to start a reef aquarium and perhaps a propagation tank for corals. I've been watching youtube videos and reading about marine aquariums for not too long, but I have strong willpower and like challenges. I like that this hobby has a strong community and that experienced hobbyists seem to be very willing to help out the newcomers. As I browse the forums and continue to watch youtube series I hope to hone in on and my interests and make a plan. I hope to grow into the community with increased knowledge and activity and that I can contribute back. That seems to be it for now, I look forward to discussing equipment as I ramp my build in PDX!!