Your Dream Custom Tank.

[tosiek]

If cash wasn't an issue nor was space requirements and you had complete artistic freedom on building a tank what would it be? I'm trying to make this into more of a artistic design thread than which skimmer would be better for this tank.

So i've been thinking about tanks and idea's lately that are a little oddball compared to the norms seen on peoples tanks. Sorta artistic visions of tank setups to create a background story sorta into the layout of the rockwork or tank shape or someway of lighting the tank that goes beyond the norms of peoples tanks. Methodology behind different things and oddball concepts in design.

Like....

I went to the brooklyn aquarium a few months ago and for some reason the anemone cave they had set up (or was it starfish) got me thinking about different ways of presenting a rock setup. Or that there are different possibilities than just top lighting and placement according to that, where side lighting or smaller but more lights are used to highlight certain area's. The turning round tank that was posted on this site where the lights would create a cloud affect. Masterswimmers rock wall tank he made. Or the way jellyfish tanks turn, there is something about that turning thats interesting as a design concept. the bubble freshwater tank......

I'm sure i'm forgetting a few that have stuck a post it note on my brain. But anything that catches your eye has to have made some people think i can apply that to my tank somehow or something. Like the onramps and traffic flow made me think of ways of flow mechanics in my tank for some odd reason...which linked to a tank idea.

Things of that nature.

Anyways, my heads been turning for a while about presentation and setups that weren't "If i were to do a new custom tank it would have the most expensive stuff and be the best! and 1k gallons!"

What if you descided on the tank shape and size, lighting didn't come in standard lengths, the story behind the cave mattered instead of worrying how to place the corals there. Flow systems weren't standardized.....

Anyways, hope you guys get what i mean. Thought it would be a fun thing to do. Try to keep it realistic but fun and creative.

What do you all think?

 

[tosiek]

I went reading through the tank the guy made with the top coming out of the floor in his backyard utilizing direct sun as a lighting tool when this started to get my gears turning alot.

 

[drperetz]

Sea World

in Discovery cove, by the reef the park made miniature lagoons for their clams...

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Ok here is one of my design that never get materialized. I had small old club in the pass where at the side of the club, there are stairways to the basement which were abandoned long time before I took over. The stairways were covered with metal lift-up metal gates on the pavement.

I was thinking to replace the metal gate with lexan and seal the sides of the stair with acrylics or lexan to so that you can view it as a tank in the basement while on the pavement, you see a pond. I also think of setting up garden rails to block people from standing on the pond and provide extra views for the viewers in the basement.:fishhit:

I was thinking by opening the metal gates, the sunlight will lit thru the stairways into the basement as a means to save on daylight-kind of like some subway tunnels they have glass pavement patches for sunlight to shine thru.

 

[masterswimmer]

I've been wanting a Jellyfish kreisel for the longest time. If money and space were not a hindering factor, I'd go for a nice 500 gallon kreisel. Set it up as a background to my grotto ala Playboy mansion :biggrin:

swimmer

 

[lfsmarineguy]

big backyard, several million gallons (more than Georgia), natural sunlight on my personal island on the equator somewhere, lots of black tips, all SPS, no leathers (maybe some LPS),......might be easier just to throw some huge acrylic baffles with slots out in the ocean and box off a few miles with my own navy to guard it......oh yessssssssssss.

 

[bad coffee]

an L shaped tank. Two full walls of a room, and a viewing window in the floor above.

with an automatic algea scraper that kept the glass spotless all the time. In my dream world it would recycle the green algea into food for herbavores, and the coraline into calcium suppliments.

 

[Wes]

Well im going to talk about my dream tank but money IS an object because i want to make the dream a reality in a few years when we move to the burbs into a house. So i am already thinking it out in my head and I want to keep the budget under $30K.

At the moment my dream tank is a 60" x 60" x 30" tank (about 480 gallons) In wall/garage setup similar to the Steve Weast tank but a bit smaller. All top of the line equipment to keep it as fully automated as possible, including a Dialyseas.

Lighting will most likely be 4x400w MH. Flow not sure yet but if that wireless controller works out 10 vortechs would be cool. Not too crazy about closed loop ideas because i want to cut down energy consumption everywhere possible.

An emergency backup generator that starts up during loss of power.

It will probably be all SPS

 

[russianmd]

I really REALLY would love a little sanctuarry where the walls and the ceiling are acryllic - like one of those tunnels in an aquarium...

Who wants to build one for me in a rowhouse? :bagfish:

 

[cali_reef]

This would be one of my dream tank(s):

 

[madhouse]

das nice.. is that the 20ft tank..?

 

[meschaefer]

Come on Peirce, you know that Reef Central does not support image hot-linking.

 

[meech]

At the moment my dream tank is a 60" x 60" x 30" tank (about 480 gallons) In wall/garage setup similar to the Steve Weast tank but a bit smaller. All top of the line equipment to keep it as fully automated as possible, including a Dialyseas.

WES,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YOU'RE STEALING MY DREAM MAN !!!

I too want a tank with the exact same dimensions. I have been eyeing this cube for years but I've never had the space nor money for it.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I've been wanting a Jellyfish kreisel for the longest time. If money and space were not a hindering factor, I'd go for a nice 500 gallon kreisel. Set it up as a background to my grotto ala Playboy mansion :biggrin:

swimmer

How about a ~1000 Gallon race track(not a kreisel) type jelly fish tank that I designed. 4' x 8' on the widest side and rounded corners. The tank covers a pillar thus you can walk around the tank following the movement of the jelly fish. Too bad the project never materialized coz my friend suddenly has no more interest in it. To him, money is really no issue-the site is supposed to be in his third home in Manhattan for which just renovation alone is over 2 mil. (I wish to be the architect-I was told he's commission based-that's no need to invest money, just time and expertise) If the last tenant on the floor is willing to sell his last apartment, he would have gotten the whole floor, York Avenue area.

 

[bad coffee]

This would be one of my dream tank(s):

Reef Central is your dream tank?

What a wierdo.

B

 

[Wes]

WES,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YOU'RE STEALING MY DREAM MAN !!!

I too want a tank with the exact same dimensions. I have been eyeing this cube for years but I've never had the space nor money for it.

yeah someday...lol

i won't be for a few years when we move into a house but i'm already working on the wife...I gave her a choice of either a big ass tank or a harley and she hates motorcycles

 

[tosiek]

I was always big into the rock cliff tank patterns for rockwork for some reason. I always liked wall designs and interesting wall sculptures so it ties in with that. Grandeur and massiveness are design traits i like alot.

Only thing is you need it to be big for the effect. In wall installation to hide the lighting. Min size would be 6-8 foot tall with a 5' wide by 4' deep rough footprint and have just a rock face with crevices and mini overhangs (900+ gallons). Since it would be 6-8 foot tall you would need to jump in to do maintenance. As per lighting since its a rock face w/ overhangs it would have to be side lighted with pinpoint spots of light to certain areas. LPS, zoa, and softies with a backlit blue background to bring out highlights in holes/openings in the rock. Sorta as if you were in an underwater cave looking out with coral on the inside.

Sorta non-realistic as per capturing the natural habitat but if done right would have a nice look to it. Sorta like having that public aquarium feel but in your house and done up hobbyist style.

 

[meech]

iI gave her a choice of either a big ass tank or a harley and she hates motorcycles

NICE ONE !!!

at least you gave her a choice .:biglaugh:

 

[cali_reef]

Come on Peirce, you know that Reef Central does not support image hot-linking.

They suck!!

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/reefslides/images/B.jpg

 

[boozeman]

if all goes as planned, I will be getting my 'dream tank' in August. It is a 317 gal. (80Lx34Wx27H) trimless, braceless custom made tank from Elos. It will be set up as a peninsula style reef, dividing the front foyer and living room of my home.
:fishhit: