Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Haab

Junior Poster
Nov 20, 2005
13
0
1
Re: Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Hi Tom - my dreamtank is growing :eek:

A lot have happened during the last few months regarding the planning of my 4000 L tank in the basement. To make the story short, I have decided not to build it in my house. Since I live on a farm, I'm planning to use a part of the barn as my “tank” room. The room will be aprox. 10 m x 10 m, and the height will be 3-5 m. If possible I will make the setup “semi-commercial”. What I would like to do, is to have some projects that can generate some money to cover parts of the costs. But I will not quit my day-job :p

In stead of the 4000 L tank, I plan to build a mega tank. If I can find a way to finance it, and someone to build it, I'm planning to build a partly planted tank with the dimensions 8 m x 4 m x 2 m (!). As I said earlier, this will be a part of my business-plan, so it will not be a private tank.

Do you have any experience with that kind of tanks? I'm not able to find any setups like this on the net. Do you know of some public tanks with similar dimensions?

I will be really grateful for all the help I can get ;)
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
Re: Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Yes,
We build tanks up to 1,000,000 gallons or more if you need it.
Monterey Bay Aquarium engineers are at my disposal:)

you might think about having several smaller tanks that spill from one height into the next tank. This will allow you to keep more fish species together in one system and still have somewhat the feel of a huge tank, it'll also be easier to maintain.

If you need someone to build it, let me know, Tenji is the company that addresses large systems, we are working on a 6900 liter tank as we speak.

You can use Tenji as the contractor, or as consultants also for the tank.
I'll give you general ideas etc, but specific help would be another level and would require more communication and resource help.

Tanks at this size really become large investments and need to be done right to have things run smooth years down the road.

Tenji and myself have been called in to fix problems and there have been some good problems to say the least:)

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Haab

Junior Poster
Nov 20, 2005
13
0
1
Re: Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Tom Barr said:
Yes,
We build tanks up to 1,000,000 gallons or more if you need it.
Monterey Bay Aquarium engineers are at my disposal:)


Up to 1,000,000 gallons? That’s big enough :p

Tom Barr said:
you might think about having several smaller tanks that spill from one height into the next tank. This will allow you to keep more fish species together in one system and still have somewhat the feel of a huge tank, it'll also be easier to maintain.

Do you have any pictures/drawings of this kind of tank? I was planning to use scuba-diving gear when maintaining the tank.

Tom Barr said:
If you need someone to build it, let me know, Tenji is the company that addresses large systems, we are working on a 6900 liter tank as we speak. You can use Tenji as the contractor, or as consultants also for the tank. I'll give you general ideas etc, but specific help would be another level and would require more communication and resource help.

Since I live in Norway, I guess I need to find someone her to help me out. I guess it will be too expensive to bring you folks over her ;) But maybe it is possible to use them as consultants? I need to check out what kind of experience the local contractor have firs.

Is it possible to have parts of the tank planted, or is 2 m too deep for the MH to reach the bottom of the tank? What kind of lightning would be required?

Best regards

Hartvig
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
Re: Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Haab said:
Up to 1,000,000 gallons? That’s big enough :p

I'm serious actually.
We have the folks and the expertise to do anything you might have a budjet for.

"Do you have any pictures/drawings of this kind of tank? I was planning to use scuba-diving gear when maintaining the tank. "

You need to think more about the design if you think you are going to scuba in the tank.

Stay with 1-1.3 meters depth, think about those white sand type foregrounds that ADA does, now think about a huge deep tank and lots of wood, rocks to shore up the wood ferns, mosses, Crypts etc

Get some good long tools for pruning, trimming and grabbing.

I do ot have any pics of the total concept, but Monterey Bay Aquarium(Tenji is 4 of their aquarist as well as a curator that do private contract work on the side) You can go to their site a look.

Since I live in Norway, I guess I need to find someone her to help me out. I guess it will be too expensive to bring you folks over her ;) But maybe it is possible to use them as consultants? I need to check out what kind of experience the local contractor have firs.

Yes, that's understandable.
But when you get this big, the cost for consulting really make things worth while, I believe they know folks in your area(or a country away or so) also that do the work.

Is it possible to have parts of the tank planted, or is 2 m too deep for the MH to reach the bottom of the tank? What kind of lightning would be required?

Best regards

Hartvig

Well, there's a nice little trick: lots of driftwood, attack plants to that, that's mch closer and muc easier to deal with than trimming such a monster tank, and it's also much close to a lighting source, but 2 m is not a problem for the light, 400w MH's are pretty good and among the most efficient lights made.
A skylight would be advisable and also an open top design.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Haab

Junior Poster
Nov 20, 2005
13
0
1
Re: Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Hi Tom

I have checked out the Monterey Bay Aquarium web-page. They have an amazing setup. The question is if I can afford them… :eek:

What I would like to do with my setup, is to find a cheap (safe and with only one acryl front glass) way to build a rectangular tank with the dimensions of 8 m x 4 m x 1,5 – 2 m. It will be designed for large schools of discus, angels, tetras and some catfish’s. I would like to have large pieces of driftwood and roots in the back part of the tank, together with a lot of rocks and caves for my L’s. Regarding plants I would like a Amazon style with a lot of different kinds of swords ++++. My friends and I are planning to take turns when it comes to scuba in the tank (once a week) to trim the plants. The tank will not be a public tank where people have to pay to see it.

Before I can start to plan in details, I would need some figures about what kind of resources that are necessary to build and maintain the tank. I did make a budget for maintaining the 4000 L tank. Can I just multiply it with10? And what kind of money are needed to build the tank? Do any of you have a clue? What is my minimum budget?

And can you point me in the directions of someone in Norway / Sweden / Denmark / Germany / England capable of building the thank ?

Thanks,

Regards
Hartvig
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
Re: Planning to build a 4000 L tank

Top give you an idea of the cost for a large tank here, a 4m x 1.5m x1.5 m is going to be no less than 50-100K $, depends if you do all the work. Amano's tank ran 400K$, it's just another 1ft H and W more than the tank we are doing this summer.

Since it's going to be more like a pool than a tank in terms of contruction, adding a single panel will relatively easy.
But then you miss out on many views and angles, I'd add no less than 3 sides to such a tank, if it's more like a pond, then a single panel is fine since you get to view it from above.

I'll PM you some information here in a day or so.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Haab

Junior Poster
Nov 20, 2005
13
0
1
Tom Barr;7985 said:
Top give you an idea of the cost for a large tank here, a 4m x 1.5m x1.5 m is going to be no less than 50-100K $, depends if you do all the work. Amano's tank ran 400K$, it's just another 1ft H and W more than the tank we are doing this summer.

Since it's going to be more like a pool than a tank in terms of contruction, adding a single panel will relatively easy.
But then you miss out on many views and angles, I'd add no less than 3 sides to such a tank, if it's more like a pond, then a single panel is fine since you get to view it from above.

I'll PM you some information here in a day or so.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Hi Tom

I`m back with my big plans ;)

I have been bussy doing a new discus set-up and a with a complet IKS Aquastar system, totale automatic, with sms-alerts, wather-chages +++

The tread is in norwegian: (Tekno-reol for tekno-discus - Nettakvariet)

When it was completed, I got a new job, and had to travel a lot. Then i had to sell the fish, and take it all down.

My new project is a 1.000.000 gallond pond with Koi. The pond was completed in desember 2007. In two weeks my kois will arrive from Japan, and placed in a Q-tank.

My 1.000.000 gallon pond - Page 2 - Koiphen.com

Well - I have started to plan my next project. And what I want to do next, is to build a LARGE indoor "pool" with one singel panel. I might make a small panel on one of the other sides.

You said in your last post that you where about to send me an PM with some info on that kind of construction. I will be verey greatfull for any help or info you can give me on this kind of setup.

PS: Sorry for the spelling/gramar ;)
 

gomgom

Prolific Poster
Lifetime Member
Nov 8, 2011
46
0
6
FRANCE
Tom Barr;7985 said:
a 4m x 1.5m x1.5 m is going to be no less than 50-100K $
Regards,
Tom Barr

WTF ? As you know Tom, I'm actually building a 4200L tank ( 4.00M x 1.50m x 0.70m). I Quoted a lot of french's manufacturers and none asked me more than 10k€ for the "naked tank". Is there a big difference between our country ?

So with a 10k€ tank, I don't think I will get 40-90k for sump/ plants / hardscape etc ... It's scaring me
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
gomgom;86557 said:
WTF ? As you know Tom, I'm actually building a 4200L tank ( 4.00M x 1.50m x 0.70m). I Quoted a lot of french's manufacturers and none asked me more than 10k€ for the "naked tank". Is there a big difference between our country ?

So with a 10k€ tank, I don't think I will get 40-90k for sump/ plants / hardscape etc ... It's scaring me

So you have to move the tank, and make a stand for it, place it and hire people to tank, it's not a 100 Gal you and your brother can move and set up in one day, the tank itself does not cost that much depending(Glass vs Acrylic etc).
Then you need to include the labor.

If you do it all yourself, I want to see you move it into your home:)
20K in labor is easy to do.

But it depends on how much you plan on doing yourself.
I can do it cheaper by myself etc also, but if you pay someone to do it, it easily gets into this range for cost.

It also depends on the structure and if you need to make sure the foundation is suited for such a tank and weight in a home.
Call up the engineer and see how much that might run.

There's the electrical that needed redone to accommodate due to the light, temps and heaters, pumps and noise.
It is not like putting in a 100 gallon tank.

Plants, hardscape etc, fish, soil etc, that's small cost.
 

gomgom

Prolific Poster
Lifetime Member
Nov 8, 2011
46
0
6
FRANCE
Well for 10k€ , I have the tank, Its structure, the twin sumps and the instalation. The house is being built so everything was thought around the tank (floor resistance,electrical option, water (in & out) etc That I cannot estimate.

Btw the tank Alone cost me 4000€
 

gomgom

Prolific Poster
Lifetime Member
Nov 8, 2011
46
0
6
FRANCE
I got some "home made pics" from the manufacturer, but everything is not etablished as we are looking for overflow weir box. We wanted a very large one in one side but we are now looking if getting one on each side would not be better.

[attachment=1193:name]
[attachment=1194:name]
[attachment=1195:name]

CCF04082012_00004.jpg


CCF04082012_00006.jpg


4200L final 1.jpg