Custom Size Tanks (Uk Only)

[Destination Doha]

very good point Davo if you are going for a deep tank then you want to go wide to .as for empty gaps in level where fish don't use my fish use all the tank but i guess its down to what fish you keep.

 

[Davo86]

as for empty gaps in level where fish don't use my fish use all the tank but i guess its down to what fish you keep.

In a four foot tall tank though he might not get the same results

 

[Geordie2011]

So how tall and wide should I get it?

I definitely want it 8ft, no doubt about that.

What sort of fish should I keep in this size of tank?

 

[Destination Doha]

well size is up to mate but if you keep it 2.5ft deep it will be a lot cheeper to buy as the glass wont have to be as thick as it whould for a deeper tank .as for what to keep in it . well if its going to be about 8x2x2 or bigger you could have a stuning malawi set up /or hundreds of small fish in a planted set up (tho lighting whould cost a fair bit for that) or you could go whith just a few big fish .loads of choice whith a big tank Geordie

 

[curlyriff]

Sounds like it should be a great tank for whatever you go for. If you are spending that amount on a tank you would probably be best checking out what kind of fish you are planning on keeping and match the tank to that first.

Since you are going for 8ft in length something like 3ft to 4ft deep and 2-3ft high would be ideal for allot of fish. You should look at getting the tank sumped rather than running canisters on that sort of size tank as it should mean better water control and also means you can hide all your equipment. If you get a tank that is around 3-4ft deep it also means there would be plenty of room to try a cool 3D background. At that size you may wish to go for DIY but I know ND Aquatics will make a 3D background to suit any tank size. I would also opt for opti-white glass on front and sides.

No point having such a large beutiful tank if you don't get it right first time. You should aim for a factor of safety of around 5 as a minimum for a tank of that size. So if you went for 3ft tall I would suggest 15/16mm thick glass and at 4ft tall around 19mm glass.

Cost for this will be high. I would have thought with stand, sump, lighting, tank, media, heating with that sort of spec you are looking at around 3k for planted and 2.5k for something like Cichlids.

I would also suggest if you go for a really tall tank maintance will be allot harder and more time consuming.

In regards to bricks. They will be fine but getting it level and secure will be a problem in that construction. Metal framed with marine ply top would be the best way to go for that sort of size aquarium.

Also where are you placing the tank as that is allot of weight and you may well need to reinforce the floor?

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[Geordie2011]

Sounds like it should be a great tank for whatever you go for. If you are spending that amount on a tank you would probably be best checking out what kind of fish you are planning on keeping and match the tank to that first.

Since you are going for 8ft in length something like 3ft to 4ft deep and 2-3ft high would be ideal for allot of fish. You should look at getting the tank sumped rather than running canisters on that sort of size tank as it should mean better water control and also means you can hide all your equipment. If you get a tank that is around 3-4ft deep it also means there would be plenty of room to try a cool 3D background. At that size you may wish to go for DIY but I know ND Aquatics will make a 3D background to suit any tank size. I would also opt for opti-white glass on front and sides.

No point having such a large beutiful tank if you don't get it right first time. You should aim for a factor of safety of around 5 as a minimum for a tank of that size. So if you went for 3ft tall I would suggest 15/16mm thick glass and at 4ft tall around 19mm glass.

Cost for this will be high. I would have thought with stand, sump, lighting, tank, media, heating with that sort of spec you are looking at around 3k for planted and 2.5k for something like Cichlids.

I would also suggest if you go for a really tall tank maintance will be allot harder and more time consuming.

In regards to bricks. They will be fine but getting it level and secure will be a problem in that construction. Metal framed with marine ply top would be the best way to go for that sort of size aquarium.

Also where are you placing the tank as that is allot of weight and you may well need to reinforce the floor?

Kind Regards,

Adam

The guy is coming around to check the floors but I definitely prefer the brick look to be honest in my opinion it looks better the local shop had a 10ft tank brick stand, would the floor have to be concrete in order to be bricked or would it be okay to use beamed floors?

I'm not sure what fish I want to keep to be honest but I really do like catfish and sharks.

Will I gain anything from having 4ft height and width instead of 2ft?

 

[curlyriff]

The guy is coming around to check the floors but I definitely prefer the brick look to be honest in my opinion it looks better the local shop had a 10ft tank brick stand, would the floor have to be concrete in order to be bricked or would it be okay to use beamed floors?

I'm not sure what fish I want to keep to be honest but I really do like catfish and sharks.

Will I gain anything from having 4ft height and width instead of 2ft?

If you are going for a tank that size then you should ideally have Reinforced Concrete Slab for the footprint of the tank plus say 300mm (12") toe all the way around for stability.

I can't tell you from here if beamed floor will be OK as it depends on span direction, spacing, depth and distance. I have a 350litre tank and that is already pushing the limits on 200mm concrete beam floors standard for UK housing.

The brick stand as said will be fine but you have to slowly build it up evenly and check that all of it is perfectly level on the floor which is why metal frame is easier as it could be pre-fabricated and bolted on site with shims to stack out or just weld on site as well. Use Marine Ply sheets to run across the top. It is expensive but at that tank size then making sure it is going to last the long haul means you shouldn't really be looking at anything else. Granite tops work too but also weigh allot more.

On the note of weight steel frame with 50mm square box sections or similar would be allot lighter that the amount of brick required but this would also be more expensive so you have options.

4ft height would be more ideal for stuff such as Altum Angels which grow they tall. If you are looking at catfish and sharks then I would have thought 3ft would be minimum as that would give a good amount for them to share the space.

You would defiantly gain in the width as this gives more surface area to oxygenate your water as well as a larger footprint for your fish to swim in. With the larger Catfish and Sharks they need bigger turning circles while swimming so the width would also be good for that. Again as I mentioned you would also have the ability to create an amazing 3D background that would lend itself in creating some great interaction for the fish.

Bare in mind stuff like the redtail catfish grow to 1.3m in length so make sure you research first as this would soon need a tank around 20x8x4ft to live in.

Hope that helps a little more and let us know if you have any other questions. I would love to get a tank like this but currently in a flat so will have to be a few years down the line.

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[Geordie2011]

Thanks very much for your information I'm also going to keep some sort of smaller catfish them things are bloody huge!

Instead of making new thread I'll just ask, in a 2ftby1ftby1ft fish tankis it okay to put a couple of goldfish in this size?