fish selections.... 10 gal, going to 55 gal soon.

[Caleb]

I'd rep you, but obama said I'd have to share with other's first

 

[HeadlessRoland]

deeper as in "width"...in drafting class, we were told to never say width or we'll get laughed at.

If I built my tank, I'm thinking:

Using the following input parameters

Tank Length = 48 inches
Tank Width = 30 inches
Tank Height = 36 inches

Tank volume is calculated as

Tank Volume = 224.4 Gallons

Excellent parameters. I'd switch height and depth just for a more solid base, but it should be fine with thick enough glass/acrylic. That will be rock-solid stable and it's of a size that you could keep pretty much anything in it save for rays or sharks or really big triggers. Cichlids will have no problem, and you can go pretty crazy - within reason - with stocking.

IT'S ALIVE!

 

[Caleb]

thats a big tank, but 36" tall is a reach if you need to get to the bottom to retrieve a dead fish or something.

nothing is final, just punching in some numbers. I think a 30" tall tank would put me close to 200 gal

EDIT: 187 gal

 

[Frosty]

I'd rep you, but obama said I'd have to share with other's first

That bastard (someone in a black suit and sunglasses just knocked on my door?)

 

[Caleb]

Excellent parameters. I'd switch height and depth just for a more solid base, but it should be fine with thick enough glass/acrylic. That will be rock-solid stable and it's of a size that you could keep pretty much anything in it save for rays or sharks or really big triggers. Cichlids will have no problem, and you can go pretty crazy - within reason - with stocking.

IT'S ALIVE!

Did your brother ever give you dirty looks while muttering something about you being a bad influence?

 

[Frosty]

nothing is final, just punching in some numbers. I think a 30" tall tank would put me close to 200 gal

EDIT: 187 gal

how do you feel about going 5' long, should put you north of 200 gallons.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

Did your brother ever give you dirty looks while muttering something about you being a bad influence?

Oh, fishkeepers are worse than drug dealers, because unlike drug dealers, what we're pushing won't kill you - you'll only wish it did.
Fish are the best. (Fishkeeping: not even once.)

 

[Caleb]

how do you feel about going 5' long, should put you north of 200 gallons.

Let me go get my measuring tape real quick...

 

[HeadlessRoland]

how do you feel about going 5' long, should put you north of 200 gallons.

Hey, if he goes with acrylic, we can get into some really fun shapes. Do you know anyone with an acrylic furnace?

 

[Frosty]

Oh, fishkeepers are worse than drug dealers, because unlike drug dealers, what we're pushing won't kill you - you'll only wish it did.
Fish are the best. (Fishkeeping: not even once.)

Wow, I just repped Caleb and said you were like a pleasent dealer!

 

[Frosty]

Hey, if he goes with acrylic, we can get into some really fun shapes. Do you know anyone with an acrylic furnace?

If he does I have all the tools to build it, tablesaw, router, he just needs to buy the glue

 

[HeadlessRoland]

If he does I have all the tools to build it, tablesaw, router, he just needs to buy the glue

And, it will be sturdier than glass with proper welding, and a little less heavy. Not that something that big wouldn't still be ridiculously heavy, but almost cut in half.
Easier to move when he moves into a house, like he mentioned doing in future.

 

[Frosty]

True, and I can build the stand, I built mine and it didn't turn out to bad. Hell Caleb sounds like your set, we just need the material.

 

[Caleb]

how do you feel about going 5' long, should put you north of 200 gallons.

The tank can't be any deeper then 30" or I can't get it in through my front door. 5' could be doable, just cutting into my dining area a bit but my table shrinks down a bit. I'm still leaning towards 48". 180 gal tank would fit perfectly in this spot that my desk is sitting, so that means the desk will have to be moved or sold. Good think I'm on the first floor, I doubt a second floor can hold 1500+ pounds of water and fish stuff.

 

[Frosty]

And, it will be sturdier than glass with proper welding, and a little less heavy. Not that something that big wouldn't still be ridiculously heavy, but almost cut in half.
Easier to move when he moves into a house, like he mentioned doing in future.

How thick does the acrylic need to be at that size? 1 1/4"? My 90 has 3/8" thick glass, so probably double or triple it?

 

[HeadlessRoland]

The tank can't be any deeper then 30" or I can't get it in through my front door. 5' could be doable, just cutting into my dining area a bit but my table shrinks down a bit. I'm still leaning towards 48". 180 gal tank would fit perfectly in this spot that my desk is sitting, so that means the desk will have to be moved or sold. Good think I'm on the first floor, I doubt a second floor can hold 1500+ pounds of water and fish stuff.

Could turn it on its side to get it through, if at least one dimension is no greater than 30", you could still do either 36" depth or height. All of this could be yours if -

 

[Caleb]

If he does I have all the tools to build it, tablesaw, router, he just needs to buy the glue

And, it will be sturdier than glass with proper welding, and a little less heavy. Not that something that big wouldn't still be ridiculously heavy, but almost cut in half.
Easier to move when he moves into a house, like he mentioned doing in future.

You guys built your own tanks?

True, and I can build the stand, I built mine and it didn't turn out to bad. Hell Caleb sounds like your set, we just need the material.

out of wood?

 

[Frosty]

Yeah Caleb, all out of wood, it's plenty strong, and honestly, it's easy to build, especially with pocket screws.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

How thick does the acrylic need to be at that size? 1 1/4"? My 90 has 3/8" thick glass, so probably double or triple it?

Ah, longest seam at 48", let's assume eurobracing to minimize flex, first calculator yielded 0.96" at 34" of useable water height and eurobracing. Second yielded the same. A true 36" height yields like 1.014, so factor in some safety overkill and yeah, probably 1.25"-1.5" should take care of it. I'm a worrywart, so I'd probably go overkill and do a straight-up 1.5" all-around.

Removing the eurobracing really tacks on thickness. I also went completely overkill with my first calculations, as I entered in a height of 60" and it's giving approx. 1.5" with eurobracing, 2.35" without, so 36 should be dandy at 1.25". No need to add on another quarter-inch's worth of weight if it's not absolutely necessary. I would be comfortable with it in the living room at that thickness. A full seam weld is going to literally bond the acrylic to itself to make it seamless, so with a center brace coupled with the eurobrace, I daresay it would outlast the pyramids at 1.25".

 

[Caleb]

I'll have to price out materials, from my researching last couple days and a few months ago, it can be done for less then that topfin tank.