The new tank..fish only and full reef in 1

[reefscapeboy]

Hi,
Will be getting stuck into a new project soon and have started the pre work. I'll post as I do things...

What I'm doing:

Making a large tank 72'' long 48'' wide and 54'' deep. The tank will be inside a metal frame ( 316 stainless steel ) and will use instead of normal float glass, laminated 12mm toughened onto 12mm toughened.
The aquarium its self will be divided down its length with 10mm float so making 2 tanks with seperate overflows, one fish only and one full reef giving the impression of one tank ( so long as the divider is kept clean! )

The frame so far. The uprights are mirror polished and covered with white plastic at the mo...
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/tank frame 2.jpg
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/tank frame 1.jpg

I've also started the rock work which is sculpted concrete. There will be 4 main branches two 5 foot long and two 6 foot long. These slot into a base structure which its self is in sections.
The branches are made around st steel which is slotted inside PVC for saftey.

The design is based on thunder ball the bond movie where he's diving..:grin:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/james bond.jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/DSC00726 ur.jpg

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/new shop reef.jpg

I'm ordering the glass soon and will post as I do each section. :)

[Pauly]

Will be watching with intrest

[kevlo]

wow that rock structure is awesome. keep us posted :)

[clippo]

excellent - will be checking this one regularly.

[stan.the.man]

Looks great - I would love to have the space to do that. I have to make do with my measly little 1800 x 700 x 700.

My tank is viewable from both sides so quite a lot of glass to keep clean. Yours will be even more!!

Stan

[hairyduck]

good work on the sculpture, looks great!

[Wee-Man]

Wow, serious project mate, good luck

[MaidstoneMarine]

Having seen your other thread with the rock work this is definitely one to follow closely.

We need pictures, pictures and pictures and when you're down with those.... we'll need some more too!

[simon garratt]

This is going to be good.

Only one concern. are you sure about the toughened glass. ?

Even if laminated, the fact its toughend will mean one good crack with a piece of rock, (uncontroled child etc etc) and you stand the chance of a panel not just cracking but litterally crazing. whilst the laminate part may stop it from exploding, its unlikely imo that it will hold at the seems as it bows out against the pressure. It may just pop the whole lot out and split down the seam.

imo, id go for the float glass but do the veiwable panels in optiwhite.

regards

si.

[reefscapeboy]

Hi Si, I know what you mean but float at 25mm is not strong enough to hold at that depth due to its variable sheet strength.
I had the tank designed by a glass engineer for this reason. The frame is needed because silicon can only hold to 42'' depth ( shearing pressure )
12mm of toughened is all thats needed really the 2nd sheet is insurance incase of the worst. :eek:
The tank featured previous is toughend and laminated only without a full frame ( just top and bottom collars )


John :)

[kevlo]

any update on this project?

[kevlo]

any update mate?

what is optiwhite?

[Ross1]

Cool! Like the Elkhorn acropora look alike rock. :cool:

[reefscapeboy]

hey guys, patience, patience kevlo. :D
This is a big project and I have a fair bit to sort out first. The making of the aquarium is a job in its own right.
With the glass coming in at £2000+ I want to go slow with the final details and not mess it up at the last minute, well I carnt afford too :)
Each pane of glass is about 100kg so I have to be totally sure its placed just right before putting it all together as moving even when empty would be a bugg$r!
I estimate the frame 60kg and the rockwork 350kg+. :eek: :eek:

I have not made a reefscape quiet this big so this is another 'GO SLOW' area. The stag horn branches are 45kg each for the long 6 foot ones and 35kg for the smaller. Being only supported at one end means a lot of force on the connections. The last thing I want is them to break free! There is also special system to be made for water movement. This is built into the reef and uses props and vari speed motors to produce a back and forth current.

I will do a proper update with pics as soon as....

Cheers john ;)

[fire999]

Very Very Understanding Wife.. :D

Sounds great.... BTW where will the divider be ? are you going to have an unsightly end of glass siliconed to the front pane ? :o

Keep us posted......... rockwork looks awsome :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[reefscapeboy]

Hi Fire, Yeh the tank will be divided long ways so the 'short' 4 foot end will have a nasty dividing line. Its really a tank designed to be seen from the side.
I would have liked to have solved the problem of the dividing line but it wasnt to be....If only large triggerfish, butterflies and angles would change their diet I could do away with the thing.

Cheers John ;)

[fire999]

Hi Fire, Yeh the tank will be divided long ....If only large triggerfish, butterflies and angles would change their diet I could do away with the thing.

Cheers John ;)


:whistling: :whistling: they do like a bit of coral :whistling: :whistling: messy buggers too:laugh: :laugh:

[kevlo]

Sweet! Great Project John Sorry For The Impatience :)

[Ocean Corals]

I cant wait to see this come along! This is going to be something else!!

Good luck with it mate.

Paul

[reefscapeboy]

Ok, well heres a little bit about how the rockwork will look.

The main branch sections will not be remain bare as in the first photo but will have monti-like plates attached making the placing of larger coral such as leathers or bubbles a bit easier, and allowing good placement areas for dendros and other shade loving coral. ( this is never easy thou in a 54" deep tank! )
This one is smaller version but the same idea

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/rock work 4 ur.jpg

I also use coral and clam casts while making the 'reef' to add some realism. Living rock is composed of the dead hard coral grown over with corralline etc and I try to create this look using the cement versions.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2007Q2/coral casts copy ur.jpg

The rock looks much more realistic after 6 months or so after the white has faded.

Cheers John ;)

[Ocean Corals]

Anything to up date yet mate??

[Mickle]

You should sell that stuff!
Nice work
:)

[Nikolai]

You should sell that stuff!
Nice work
:)

my words exactly - if you ever do I would have some!!
This is going to be a cool project! :applause:

[M1ST]

Great aqua scaping! what are you using to bond your reef bones together?

[glock339]

Very nice rock work, have you got a link to your thread about it?:thanks:

[reefscapeboy]

Hi all, forgot about this tank untill today!

Unfortunatly it didnt go ahead :(
I did used the rock on other projects thou with one of the main branches on this one

The white rock is not reef bones but sculpted concrete. I did use a combo of reef bones and my sculpted rock on the one below.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2010Q1/DSCF0681_1.jpg