# 450 gallon tank



## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Who wants to know what I have been up too?

I have been planning a big project like this for about a year, and i have finally got around to doing it! After much debate, i decided to go acrylic. Dimensions came easy. 8X4X2. With all the bracing, on a 4X8 sheet, i wasted virtually no acrylic. These dimensions also allow me to get out an average doorway.

Anyways, on Christmas eve we finished the walls of the tank, the only thing left is to install the bracing. We decided to go ahead and finish the trim before hand, so it would give a little protection while moving the tank.

Cost for the project was relitivly low, I thought it would be much, much more.

$2,000 - Acrylic, pint of weld-on 4, tube of weld-on 16, All supplied by EM Plastics 
$500 - Stand. This included frame work (roughly 20 8' 2X4's) plywood (three sheets of 3/4) Prime and paint, purchased from Windsor plywood 
$70 - Frame work for tank

Luckily we already had a router, and had connections for large wood working clamps. Without this, we could have added another $500 easily

But everyone knows cost doesn't stop there. Equipment comes into play too. I haven't totaled all this up.

Fx5 - X4
Ebo jager 300 watt heater - X3 
Glo 54 watt balist (dual Bulb) X6
Power glo 46" Bulb X6
Life glo 46" bulb X6 
Glo reflector X12 
3 mm quartz tan and brown 250 lbs +
Das fertilizer trays 
Uv sterilizer 
Hosing, HOB over flow, etc, for trickle system 
Etc, etc, etc.

In time i will likely add a sump in time.

A project like this is nothing without pictures! Here are a few pictures of construction earlier this week.









Home made rigging. This one was fun.... the first is always the worst. 








All 4 walls up 








Trim on








Off with the paper!

We have already rotated the tank into its final resting place. This would not have been possible with out those little moving pucks, best 20 bucks ever spent. After we install the euro-bracing, we will Test fill! Hopefully by January 7th! I will update again when the bracing is installed.

Alex


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

That is awesome .... looking good thus far Alex! Looking forward to seeing the progress!


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Nice size. 

No top reinforcing or euro-brace ! ?


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

gklaw said:


> Nice size.
> 
> No top reinforcing or euro-brace ! ?


Relax, Euro brace! Ahaha just not installed. You didnt read the whole thread :lol:


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Diztrbd1 said:


> That is awesome .... looking good thus far Alex! Looking forward to seeing the progress!


Thanks john, Can't wait for it to be done!


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

That's a 'sic' tank. The footprint is like a pleco's paradise playground! Great project you have going Alex. Look forward to seeing this project filled


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## m_class2g (Apr 21, 2010)

awesome!!!!!!!!! breed some rays! great footprint and great project! you should have considered running a big sump! depending on your bioload, 4 fx5s may not be enough. whats going in there!?


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

How thick is the acrylic? For long term acrylic is a must. Awesome build Alex. Your vertical trim really blocking the acrylic view.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

jobber604 said:


> That's a 'sic' tank. The footprint is like a pleco's paradise playground! Great project you have going Alex. Look forward to seeing this project filled


Thanks ming! not for Pecos though 



m_class2g said:


> awesome!!!!!!!!! breed some rays! great footprint and great project! you should have considered running a big sump! depending on your bioload, 4 fx5s may not be enough. whats going in there!?


I know. Sump may be added later. The inside dimension of my stand was only 22" high, and for servicing ill probably get pissed at the lack of space. I do have room behind to add a sump in the future if i want too. We will see how the Fx5's do to start and change things later.

As for stocking, I have my cichlids from upstairs, and definitely some rays as well.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

hondas3000 said:


> How thick is the acrylic? For long term acrylic is a must. Awesome build Alex. Your vertical trim really blocking the acrylic view.


bottom acrylic is half inch. the 4 sides and the euro bracing is 3/4 inch. Yeah I am really happy with how the trim turned out. Although i loose a little viewing space, it hides the edges well.


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## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

wow, there's truly not much more i can say... i just want to see more pictures! congrats on an amazing project


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## target (Apr 21, 2010)

Nice looking tank. Why did you decide to trim the edges? If I ever do an acrylic tank I'd want the edges to be clear.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

monkE said:


> wow, there's truly not much more i can say... i just want to see more pictures! congrats on an amazing project


Thanks!



target said:


> Nice looking tank. Why did you decide to trim the edges? If I ever do an acrylic tank I'd want the edges to be clear.


A few reasons. The main one, is because we made a few mistakes. It was our first time dealing with acrylic so it was bound to happen.

It was an after thought, but looking at it now i would have done it regardless. The tank isn't the focal point of the room and the trim gives the allusion of so much more depth.


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## m_class2g (Apr 21, 2010)

cool i cant wait to see this thing with water and fish!


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## liquid_krystale (Dec 13, 2011)

Freaking amazing behemoth of a tank. Eagerly awaiting pictures once it's set up.


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## FishFreaks (May 15, 2011)

what are u going to put in it? planted with chelseas and filament barbs and rainbows would be cool


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

AWW said:


> Thanks!
> 
> A few reasons. The main one, is because we made a few mistakes. It was our first time dealing with acrylic so it was bound to happen.
> 
> It was an after thought, but looking at it now i would have done it regardless. The tank isn't the focal point of the room and the trim gives the allusion of so much more depth.


now it is scare me . Hope you seal it right.


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## zhasan (Oct 28, 2010)

WAO! What an awesome project! Looking forward to see the pictures!!


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

hondas3000 said:


> Your vertical trim really blocking the acrylic view.


That's an oddball comment coming from someone who built a tank with close to the same footprint that only has a 36" viewing window lol 
Personally I think the trim looks great! Given the size of the tank, I can't possibly think a 1" strip is blocking much of any view. Wish that monster was in my living room :bigsmile:


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Beautiful footprint, If I were to ever get a monster tank, it'd be something similar


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Love it. I'd need to move for a monster like that. Are you closing the top because evaporation will be huge.


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

Diztrbd1 said:


> That's an oddball comment coming from someone who built a tank with close to the same footprint that only has a 36" viewing window lol
> Personally I think the trim looks great! Given the size of the tank, I can't possibly think a 1" strip is blocking much of any view. Wish that monster was in my living room :bigsmile:


If you want to compare please compare with the same material, how on earth a plywood tank have a four side view?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

a piece of glass on each side  
not comparing..... I'm just sayin'... :bigsmile:


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

I feel the suspense and excitement with this project. Don't tell us about about the livestock plans. Haha. For some reason, I'm thinking about that thread people were talking about minimizing electrical costs. Anyways, this homemade tank is one for the ages. North Vancouver aquarium 

Sent from Samsung Mobile using Tapatalk


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks for the comments everyone. 

Dont worry about the seals, weld-on 16 goes up to 2200 lbs of pressure. Not to mention there is weld on 4 in there as well 

I have tomorrow off, hopefully the bracing will be in then!


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I think alex is going to stock it with 10000 cardinals n red cherry shrimp


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

lol Charles ...is there a big discount when they buy 10000 cardinals and cherry shrimp? That would be rather cool to see.


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## JUICE (Jan 4, 2020)

good build alex . nice job buddy , hope it holds water ..>> jk it will man [email protected]! 
i agree with mike tho , should of gone with a sump , gonna be a pain in the ass to do it later , but since is your first build , you can always sell this tank later and do another one ? 

good job ...


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

yeah plan is to sell this one after a few years, I want to go 8X4X4, just dont have the funds for something that needs such thick material! We learned so much from this build, then next one will take a fraction of the time, and a fraction of the headache!


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## snow (Apr 21, 2010)

Nice monster tank!


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Can you imagine if you use this current build as the sump, the possibilities you may have with the future project?


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

jobber604 said:


> Can you imagine if you use this current build as the sump, the possibilities you may have with the future project?


I like your thinking.......


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

Try to use pool sand filter. It backwash option save you a tons of work to clean up all the build up junk in your tank and help your water crystal clear too.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

Looking good Alex. I have the perfect sump for you tank. Let me know when your free so I can stop by to check it out..


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## Fourstreeman (Apr 23, 2010)

How did you do the black trim and what material is it made out of?


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

hondas3000 said:


> Try to use pool sand filter. It backwash option save you a tons of work to clean up all the build up junk in your tank and help your water crystal clear too.


Yeah, pool filter would be good too. I have used 3mm for over a year in my other tank and have gotten great results



bonsai dave said:


> Looking good Alex. I have the perfect sump for you tank. Let me know when your free so I can stop by to check it out..


Ill give you a call tomorrow man would love to see the sump, hopefully it will fit 



Fourstreeman said:


> How did you do the black trim and what material is it made out of?


Its just wood trim, primed, sanded, and painted.


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## Dunbar Painting (Apr 24, 2010)

What type of fish/plants will be kept in this tank? (sorry if I missed this somewhere earlier in the post)


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## Johnnyfishtanks (Apr 21, 2010)

i would love to come check this out and pick at your brain abit about this tank


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## djamm (Sep 25, 2010)

Glad to see you getting this great project close to being done. Looks really good Alex!!!


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## bigfry (Apr 21, 2010)

Great job! Can't wait to see more pictures.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Dunbar Painting said:


> What type of fish/plants will be kept in this tank? (sorry if I missed this somewhere earlier in the post)


Starting with cichlids. Just to start though, the rest wait and see 


Johnnyfishtanks said:


> i would love to come check this out and pick at your brain abit about this tank


For sure man, A little busy right now but soon sure! Ill have more time when the project is done


djamm said:


> Glad to see you getting this great project close to being done. Looks really good Alex!!!


Thanks my friend! Cant wait for it to be done. 


bigfry said:


> Great job! Can't wait to see more pictures.


Soon soon! Test fill got delayed again, Hopefully this weekend ill have water and maybe even fish in it!


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## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

SA's or african cichlids. ?


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Great job Alex....
Can't wait to see this thing filled up....
If you have not gotten your rays yet i got a trio of scobina belem that would love to live there...lol


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

cichlid said:


> SA's or african cichlids. ?


All South americans 



Adz1 said:


> Great job Alex....
> Can't wait to see this thing filled up....
> If you have not gotten your rays yet i got a trio of scobina belem that would love to live there...lol


Thanks adrian!

Scobia's arn't quite what I'm looking for, thanks though!


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## DBam (Aug 9, 2010)

Holy geez Alex this is massive and impressive! Are you gonna drop any hints as to which species are gonna make it into there, or is it gonna be a surprise? Did you need to have any engineering done for something that big?


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

DBam said:


> Holy geez Alex this is massive and impressive! Are you gonna drop any hints as to which species are gonna make it into there, or is it gonna be a surprise? Did you need to have any engineering done for something that big?


Thanks! 
No hints :lol:
Nope, no real engineering. Everything went more or less smoothly


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## turtlez (Jun 15, 2010)

That's fricken awesome!
Well, when you're ready to sell, you know who's going to buy it 
Will be the 3rd tank from you hahaha


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

turtlez said:


> That's fricken awesome!
> Well, when you're ready to sell, you know who's going to buy it
> Will be the 3rd tank from you hahaha


Thanks man! too bad i'm never going to sell it ahahaha


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## Victor (Apr 21, 2010)

Nice tank

When is the test fill? Make sure you take pix!


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## m_class2g (Apr 21, 2010)

hurry with the pics!!! need some water in shots lol


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

i keep getting delayed lol. 

Just went and grabed a huge piece of slate for the bottom today 50" X 31". Still no work done on the euro brace... Delayed till friday.


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## cowis (Apr 21, 2010)

So swung by Alex's house today here are some pics of the tank as of tonight:


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Those are some great pictures. The tanks is big enough for a person to swim in.

Sent from Samsung Mobile using Tapatalk


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## cowis (Apr 21, 2010)

thats the plan before fish are added lol!!!


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

cowis said:


> thats the plan before fish are added lol!!!


make sure you and Alex doesn't take a shower for 2 days then jump in, that way it will speed up the cycle


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## cowis (Apr 21, 2010)

hahah i dont think ill swim in it but he will...... crank the heaters make a hot tub.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Any reason why you're choosing to run 4xFX5 instead of sumping it? I hate doing maintenance on my FX5 and would be terrified of having to do it on 4 of them instead of just one (valves are tight, filter is heavy to lift out of the stand etc.) Just wondering what the long term plans are. I was just surprised you didn't drill and sump it, since it's all DIY. Would have been a simple matter to test your acrylic skills on a sump first and then make the 450 perfect.


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

Go Big or Go Home !


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## target (Apr 21, 2010)

That tank is awesome. One day for me maybe


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Awesome job Alex. How much eurobracing are you putting in? Sure would be nice to keep it rimless hehehe....j/k. Are you planning any kind of lighting? 

Fill'er up!!!!


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

jobber604 said:


> Those are some great pictures. The tanks is big enough for a person to swim in.
> 
> Sent from Samsung Mobile using Tapatalk


Ill take a dip before the fish do 



2wheelsx2 said:


> Any reason why you're choosing to run 4xFX5 instead of sumping it? I hate doing maintenance on my FX5 and would be terrified of having to do it on 4 of them instead of just one (valves are tight, filter is heavy to lift out of the stand etc.) Just wondering what the long term plans are. I was just surprised you didn't drill and sump it, since it's all DIY. Would have been a simple matter to test your acrylic skills on a sump first and then make the 450 perfect.


Having second thoughts about the FX5's to be honest. I am toying with a few ideas. Ill probably cycle the tank with them though and add the sump later. Been throwing around ideas with Dave.

Drilling this tank would be super easy, and would take a fraction of the time compared to a glass tank. But, the sump wont fit in the stand, so it has to go behind. Because of this, I will likely just do a HOB overflow. No reason to drill and have a big eye soar in the middle of the tank. And, it i don't like the HOB overflow, i can change it later. If i don't like the hold in the tank.... well not an easy fix 



target said:


> That tank is awesome. One day for me maybe


You got the stand DIY down why not?



tony1928 said:


> Awesome job Alex. How much euro bracing are you putting in? Sure would be nice to keep it rimless hehehe....j/k. Are you planning any kind of lighting?
> 
> Fill'er up!!!!


Thank ya thanks ya. 
Lots and lots of eurobracing lol.

There will be 2 braces going the length of the tank along the front and the back that are 5 3/4 inch, and 4 going front to back. two along the side panels, 5 3/4 inch as well. All the bracing is 3/4 inch acrylic. this part is what we are most nervous about, because all the gravity is going to want to pull the weld on out of where we want the seal. Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of flipping the tank on end.


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## zhasan (Oct 28, 2010)

I want that tank so I can dump all my niece and nephew in there to play so they don't run around the house when they come over and stress my discus!!! lol...

Awesome build, I will certainly build something like that one day!!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

AWW said:


> Drilling this tank would be super easy, and would take a fraction of the time compared to a glass tank. But, the sump wont fit in the stand, so it has to go behind. Because of this, I will likely just do a HOB overflow. No reason to drill and have a big eye soar in the middle of the tank. And, it i don't like the HOB overflow, i can change it later. If i don't like the hold in the tank.... well not an easy fix


Is it because you have the same number of vertical supports all around so the openings are small? How would you access the FX5's then? Maybe a pic of the inside of the stand would clarify things. 4xFX5 is only about 20 gallons. I guess you'd want a 100 gallon sump though..... Hole in the tank is easy to fix since you DIY anyway. HOB overflow works well, but is not 100% foolproof after a power outage according to some. That's why I haven't done a sump in my 125 yet, although I'm getting closer all the time. Just tired of having all those tubes hanging into my tank.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I would definitely go sump if I had to do it again. I'm running 4 FX5's only cuz I got tired of messing with my sump and I already had the filters sitting around. Also, make sure you have enough clearance under the stand. That will allow you to do whatever you want later on. Also, to Gary's point, its not too late to make the openings bigger before you fill the tank. You can easily cut out some of the extra supports and reframe the opening to make the access hole alot bigger. That'll give you flexibility to do whatever you want later.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Yup. If I had made my stand for the cube just 6 inches higher it would have made my life a lot easier for doing maintenance...


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Is it because you have the same number of vertical supports all around so the openings are small? How would you access the FX5's then? Maybe a pic of the inside of the stand would clarify things. 4xFX5 is only about 20 gallons. I guess you'd want a 100 gallon sump though..... Hole in the tank is easy to fix since you DIY anyway. HOB overflow works well, but is not 100% foolproof after a power outage according to some. That's why I haven't done a sump in my 125 yet, although I'm getting closer all the time. Just tired of having all those tubes hanging into my tank.


The opening for the tanks were designed for Fx5's, not a sump. not to mention there is two center supports in the stand. The hight of the stand is alson only 30", and 9.5" Of that is taken up by the 2X6's under the tank, 2X4 for the skirt, and two layers of 3/4 ply. But, i have the option of putting a 4 footer behind the tank at floor level. Sure ill grab a pic later.

The openings are small yes. I designed them for fx5's in mind, not a sump. not to mention i have beams in the middle of the stand too. But, I have the okay to do a 4 foot sump behind the tank. i am thinking a simple 80 gallon would couver it as i dont need much water volume at this point. Good point on the tubes though. regardless i am probably going to run a


tony1928 said:


> I would definitely go sump if I had to do it again. I'm running 4 FX5's only cuz I got tired of messing with my sump and I already had the filters sitting around. Also, make sure you have enough clearance under the stand. That will allow you to do whatever you want later on. Also, to Gary's point, its not too late to make the openings bigger before you fill the tank. You can easily cut out some of the extra supports and reframe the opening to make the access hole alot bigger. That'll give you flexibility to do whatever you want later.


Its funny i was only going 4 fx5s because you were having success  for the sump, not going in the stand. regardless, the highest sump i could have in there would be 14". Not high enough in my opinion.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

zhasan said:


> I want that tank so I can dump all my niece and nephew in there to play so they don't run around the house when they come over and stress my discus!!! lol...
> 
> Awesome build, I will certainly build something like that one day!!


haha having two kids in your tank wouldn't stress your discus at all 

Thanks!


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Hahaha, the 4 FX5's was a stop gap measure for me. I got frustrated with messing with sump design. Also, its just wasn't quiet enough for me as the tank is in my TV room. So far, its working well enough for me. I don't intend to overstock so the bio is more than sufficient for me. I service the FX5's on a one at a time rotation. They are damn heavy but its not too bad as I only have about 10 feet to get out to my back yard.

14" eh? You mean the stand only has 14" of height inside? Isn't the FX5 taller than that? Yeah, I wouldn't do a sump if it had to go on the outside of your stand. It would ruin a nice looking setup.



AWW said:


> Its funny i was only going 4 fx5s because you were having success  for the sump, not going in the stand. regardless, the highest sump i could have in there would be 14". Not high enough in my opinion.


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

A huge tank. A couch. A mini fridge.
Do you come in a single, older version of yourself :bigsmile: !!!!!!
What an AWESOME tank. Man oh man that really is something. I just can't WAIT to see what you do with it.


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## target (Apr 21, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Yup. If I had made my stand for the cube just 6 inches higher it would have made my life a lot easier for doing maintenance...


Told you that when we were building it. That's why Tony's is 36" high.

Alex, I have always wanted to play with acrylic. Might go get some pieces and build some small tanks to practice.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Sweet tank! Saw this in the embryonic stages and it's worked out REALLY well. Keep us posted!


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

-N/A- said:


> A huge tank. A couch. A mini fridge.
> Do you come in a single, older version of yourself :bigsmile: !!!!!!
> What an AWESOME tank. Man oh man that really is something. I just can't WAIT to see what you do with it.


Oh shelly havn't we had this convorsation before? 
Thank you kindly  Sooo many possibilities



target said:


> Told you that when we were building it. That's why Tony's is 36" high.
> 
> Alex, I have always wanted to play with acrylic. Might go get some pieces and build some small tanks to practice.


Yeah, well the origonal plan was to have a reptile enclosure on top so i wanted to maximise space. But, that isnt going to happen anymore. maybe one day. There is plenty of rome behind though, ill work something out.



Elle said:


> Sweet tank! Saw this in the embryonic stages and it's worked out REALLY well. Keep us posted!


Thanks elle  When i get it filled you and drew will have to stop by and take a look


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## Aquaman (Apr 21, 2010)

Sweet tank.....I wouldn't euro-brace it if it was mine  ....all ya gotta do is stop the plexi from bowing.....you already have black trim ......think outside the box !!

you stated gravity causing a problem with your weld on ..sqeezzin the stuff out. Try to put a dot of it every foot or so..centered on the top edge of the tank and let dry . when done run 6 layers of masking tape on a sanding block side by side with enough room between to sand the dots down to equal heights . should be enough to hold it up untill it sets.


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## enzotesta (Dec 20, 2011)

I think my wife would divorce me if I got a 450gal tank..LOL


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## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

Just looking at those pictures of a beautiful tank and all I can think of is... man i wish i had a beer fridge right next to my couch! lol

amazing tank man, can't wait to see this thing fully populated!


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

-N/A- said:


> A huge tank. A couch. A mini fridge.
> Do you come in a single, older version of yourself :bigsmile: !!!!!!
> What an AWESOME tank. Man oh man that really is something. I just can't WAIT to see what you do with it.


Hey Shelley: Perfect for penguins and baby polar bear  Yes, need a bigger fridge to chill the water :lol:


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

AWW said:


> There will be 2 braces going the length of the tank along the front and the back that are 5 3/4 inch, and 4 going front to back. two along the side panels, 5 3/4 inch as well. All the bracing is 3/4 inch acrylic. this part is what we are most nervous about, because all the gravity is going to want to pull the weld on out of where we want the seal. Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of flipping the tank on end.


The tank look AWESOME !!!

Just an idea. Support the brace full length with a sheet of 3/4" plywood or a strip of plywood supported on 2x4 legs, then clamp the 3/4" brace to your tank.

Should consider getting Weld-On two part acrylic adhesive for the task as well.


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

The tank looks awesome Alex 

I was really missing my Red Spotted Severums when I saw the photos of them in the other thread, but knowing that they'll probably end up in this big beautiful tank makes me so happy that they're yours now.

I'm assuming that your parents probably drove you around to pick up various equipment and that your dad helped you with the build, so I just wanted to say how terrific I think your parents are!! You are very lucky to have such supportive and helpful parents.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Aquaman said:


> Sweet tank.....I wouldn't euro-brace it if it was mine  ....all ya gotta do is stop the plexi from bowing.....you already have black trim ......think outside the box !!
> 
> you stated gravity causing a problem with your weld on ..sqeezzin the stuff out. Try to put a dot of it every foot or so..centered on the top edge of the tank and let dry . when done run 6 layers of masking tape on a sanding block side by side with enough room between to sand the dots down to equal heights . should be enough to hold it up untill it sets.


tape was the origonal idea. I like the dot idea though, Ill give it a go.



enzotesta said:


> I think my wife would divorce me if I got a 450gal tank..LOL


There are perks of being single 


monkE said:


> Just looking at those pictures of a beautiful tank and all I can think of is... man i wish i had a beer fridge right next to my couch! lol
> 
> amazing tank man, can't wait to see this thing fully populated!


Soon! My back has been acting up the past few days, hopefully something can get done. 


gklaw said:


> The tank look AWESOME !!!
> 
> Just an idea. Support the brace full length with a sheet of 3/4" plywood or a strip of plywood supported on 2x4 legs, then clamp the 3/4" brace to your tank.
> 
> Should consider getting Weld-On two part acrylic adhesive for the task as well.


Thanks gordon  Can't wait for it to be done!



Pamela said:


> The tank looks awesome Alex
> 
> I was really missing my Red Spotted Severums when I saw the photos of them in the other thread, but knowing that they'll probably end up in this big beautiful tank makes me so happy that they're yours now.
> 
> I'm assuming that your parents probably drove you around to pick up various equipment and that your dad helped you with the build, so I just wanted to say how terrific I think your parents are!! You are very lucky to have such supportive and helpful parents.


I was sooo worried about them when they went on a hunger strike. I have never had a severum do that for me before. But wow, now that they have started eating again what a difference! They are courting already. Hoping for eggs soon!

My dad really helped me out with this. Combined, we have probably put in around 50 ours into the project, not including the planning stages. Without his help, this project would be unimaginable.


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## big_bubba_B (Apr 25, 2010)

looks verry good cant wait to see the pics when up and running what are you going to use for lights i know a nice l.e.d set up would be awsome .since you built such a nice tank . I bet you could do a nice canopy with a do it yourself light setup


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

That is hilarious, Charles! And I'm sure you could convince him that if he has ten thousand, he could really try for ten thousand and ten....

That would be a gorgeous school of fish, though, wouldn't it? Seriously!

To me, this tank seems as big as a swimming pool, bigger than a jacuzzi I think. The biggest tank I've had so far is only 36 gallons, less than one tenth the size of this tank. I am awestruck!



charles said:


> I think alex is going to stock it with 10000 cardinals n red cherry shrimp


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

big_bubba_B said:


> looks verry good cant wait to see the pics when up and running what are you going to use for lights i know a nice l.e.d set up would be awsome .since you built such a nice tank . I bet you could do a nice canopy with a do it yourself light setup


Not running yet but soon  Using the glo 54 watt dual bulbs. leaning toward running 8 bulbs. Might up it to 12. Not to sure yet. Yeah, I am going to build the canopy out of wood and suspend it from the ceiling.



Morainy said:


> That is hilarious, Charles! And I'm sure you could convince him that if he has ten thousand, he could really try for ten thousand and ten....
> 
> That would be a gorgeous school of fish, though, wouldn't it? Seriously!
> 
> To me, this tank seems as big as a swimming pool, bigger than a jacuzzi I think. The biggest tank I've had so far is only 36 gallons, less than one tenth the size of this tank. I am awestruck!


I will be doing a school of something  Not to sure what yet. Lots of options. need something big ish. I tried some giant danios in my 160, and they didnt pull through they became food. They were small though. I might try with some full grown ones later. Thinking of around 50.

It sure is big :bigsmile:


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

With something this big, you can do a whole sub-community of dwarf cichlids as dither fish instead of the typical danios and tetras. Rams or apistos in a tangle of roots and stone pile. Probably around the 50 mark would work great.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> With something this big, you can do a whole sub-community of dwarf cichlids as dither fish instead of the typical danios and tetras. Rams or apistos in a tangle of roots and stone pile. Probably around the 50 mark would work great.


Dwarf cichlids sound like stingray food 

Might add some Gymnogeophagus species though. They are possibility. Depends on how the final scape works out!

the 160 is going to be for dwarf cichlids! :bigsmile:


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

The wait is driving me CRAZY, Alex!!!!! Fill it, fill it, fill it, FILL IT :bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:


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## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

-N/A- said:


> The wait is driving me CRAZY, Alex!!!!! Fill it, fill it, fill it, FILL IT :bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:


x2!!!!! i can't believe how you can be so patient with such an amazing project! lol


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

-N/A- said:


> The wait is driving me CRAZY, Alex!!!!! Fill it, fill it, fill it, FILL IT :bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:





monkE said:


> x2!!!!! i can't believe how you can be so patient with such an amazing project! lol


Patience is a virtue  Still soooo many things to do!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

AWW said:


> Dwarf cichlids sound like stingray food
> 
> Might add some Gymnogeophagus species though. They are possibility. Depends on how the final scape works out!
> 
> the 160 is going to be for dwarf cichlids! :bigsmile:


Hence the reason for the rock/wood pile. I had cherry shrimp in my discus tank for the longest time, but the high temps eventually stopped all the spawning. Gymnos would work, but they would not interact in the same way but in a 450 they might be considered a dither fish I guess.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Hence the reason for the rock/wood pile. I had cherry shrimp in my discus tank for the longest time, but the high temps eventually stopped all the spawning. Gymnos would work, but they would interact in the same way but in a 450 they might be considered a dither fish I guess.


Haha 

I do like rams though. To bad richard wont breed me german blues anymore  I don't want to add a lot of rocks though. Still toying with a few ideas.


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Stop toying and FILLLLLLLLLLLLLL 
Trust me, patience is highly *OVERRATED *


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Okay small update.

After pressure from all of you (don't worry its a good thing ) I decided im going to put in a sump. 

I have a 75 gallon lined up (Thanks peter!) And ordered the acrylic for the baffles and the tower today. The acrylic will be arriving tomorrow, and the tank late this week. 

What would you guys recommend for a pump? Im thinking around 1500 GPH. I want something that is relatively quiet. Quieter than the sump anyways. 

There is one other thing i am looking for. I'm not to sure where to get it. A valve that will shut off when the power goes out. I need a few fail safes for peace of mind  

Will update with picture and progress when items start arriving! Still no work done on the braces, I ruined my back late last week and that delayed things.


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## m_class2g (Apr 21, 2010)

AWW said:


> Okay small update.
> 
> After pressure from all of you (don't worry its a good thing ) I decided im going to put in a sump.
> 
> ...


if you want quiet go with reef octopus, water blaster pumps. extremely quiet and energy effient. DOT NOT GET QUIET ONES. you are wasting your money because the bigger quiet ones that has more GPH are extremely noisy. i ended up selling 2 of my 9000s because the noise was so bad i didnt want to be around my tank. get 2 water blaster 7000s to run that big tank of yours. you will also need some powerheads to circulate water so you wont have dead spots. im using 2 water blaster 7000s on my 300 along with a koralia 6 magnum and a koralia 4.

since you will eventually have rays and big fish, its best to go this route. but maybe for you, 2 water blaster 7000s and 2 hydor koralia 6 magnums. this may seem like a lot of GPH circulating your tank, but your fish will enjoy the flow and it keeps the water clean with more turnover rate each hour.

you can get the check valve and pumps at goreef.com

thats where i got mine from.

water blasters arent cheap but you will be extremely happy with them. noise level is even less than my hiblow pump and those are QUIET.

*this is what you need*
pump: x2
Aquarium supplies and saltwater and reef equipment in Canada - GoReef.com

check valve: x2
Aquarium supplies and saltwater and reef equipment in Canada - GoReef.com

insert: x4
Aquarium supplies and saltwater and reef equipment in Canada - GoReef.com

then you can go to rona and get flexible hosing. 1 inch for the return.

if you want to cut cost on media, you can fill your sump with bacteria house media or even pot scrubbers at the dollar store. i think you can get 6 or 8 pot scrubbers for $2?

hope this helps!

im glad you went for a sump. you will see how easy it will be to clean than running all those fx5s!!!


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

m_class2g said:


> if you want quiet go with reef octopus, water blaster pumps. extremely quiet and energy effient. DOT NOT GET QUIET ONES. you are wasting your money because the bigger quiet ones that has more GPH are extremely noisy. i ended up selling 2 of my 9000s because the noise was so bad i didnt want to be around my tank. get 2 water blaster 7000s to run that big tank of yours. you will also need some powerheads to circulate water so you wont have dead spots. im using 2 water blaster 7000s on my 300 along with a koralia 6 magnum and a koralia 4.
> 
> since you will eventually have rays and big fish, its best to go this route. but maybe for you, 2 water blaster 7000s and 2 hydor koralia 6 magnums. this may seem like a lot of GPH circulating your tank, but your fish will enjoy the flow and it keeps the water clean with more turnover rate each hour.
> 
> ...


Wont a check valve only work for the return? I am trying to get away from using an overflow here but i think its inevitable at this point.

So you think i should be running the tank at about 3,000 GPH? Wow that does seam like a lot... I have come koralia 4 powerheads i was going to run in there too.

I'm all for quiet, Those pumps look not too bad. Cost is as expected lol


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## m_class2g (Apr 21, 2010)

i have check valves for my return pumps only. nothing for the drain.

are you using an overflow box? see what pumps you are going with first then buy the overflow box that can handle enough GPH. 

my water flow in my tank is just right even with all the powerheads and 2 return pumps. not overkill for yours even with 2 koralia 6's.

yea 260 is not bad for the pumps. with the check valve and adaptors, came to $656.32 with tax. well worth the money. its THAT quiet. you will be amazed.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

Alex you can get the same check valves at Corix water works and also at Northwest landscape supplies in burnaby


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## cowis (Apr 21, 2010)

alex if ur coming to my house for the tank there a corix in cloverdale not that far from me.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Oh joy... another delay.... 

So I ordered the acrylic for the walls at 3/4 inch. It arrived at slightly over 5/8ths and didnt think too much about it.... Until now. 

My bracing was measured to fit perfectly. Now, my bracing is 3 16ths short. 

Thinking of a few solutions. After i route the edges, ill probably be a quarter inch short on one side. Thinking of adding a small piece. Otherwise, I could just fill the gap with weld-on 16 and hope for the best. 

Oh a brighter note, the cross braces are all polished up and when i get a minuet I can install them  

Also, ordered the first water blaster. I could have done both but i want to see how quiet the whole system will be first. I also ordered the largest HOB overflow canreef carries. I may not use it, and if i dont i'll probably model that one and make it bigger. 

when i get the bracing done ill be sure to post pictures!


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## enzotesta (Dec 20, 2011)

you could put a shark in there...lol


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## deepRED (May 22, 2010)

m_class2g said:


> if you want quiet go with reef octopus, water blaster pumps. extremely quiet and energy effient. DOT NOT GET QUIET ONES. you are wasting your money because the bigger quiet ones that has more GPH are extremely noisy. i ended up selling 2 of my 9000s because the noise was so bad i didnt want to be around my tank. get 2 water blaster 7000s to run that big tank of yours. you will also need some powerheads to circulate water so you wont have dead spots. im using 2 water blaster 7000s on my 300 along with a koralia 6 magnum and a koralia 4.
> 
> since you will eventually have rays and big fish, its best to go this route. but maybe for you, 2 water blaster 7000s and 2 hydor koralia 6 magnums. this may seem like a lot of GPH circulating your tank, but your fish will enjoy the flow and it keeps the water clean with more turnover rate each hour.
> 
> ...


Good to see you going the sump route! For a tank that size it's the only thing that really makes sense. 
In terms of the sump return flow, there is good debate about how much is too much. In saltwater tanks, you have to worry about dwell time for skimming efficiency. For freshwater, you can have it going through there as fast as you want(within reason), as long as your fish don't mind it.

I like to aim for 4-6 times turnover rate. This does not include flow in the tank like powerheads, just whatever is going through your sump/filtration. 
Some will go faster, some slower, it all depends on what you are stocking, how often you do maintenance/water changes, what additional filtration and water flow you have.. etc...

Remember that even if your pumps are rated 1500gph, you will have some head loss and the pumps will slow down over time. 
Try to clean your pump at least once a month in order to keep the flow rate at an optimal level, if you negelect it, they will slow down by quite a bit.

The water blaster pumps are great. You definitely get what you pay for with them. 
( What did I tell you about quiet ones, Mike....  )

For my 300 gallon I'm using a single eheim1400 gph pump that feeds an overhead trickle filter. I don't have much head loss because it's travelling under 3 feet, but if I don't get in there to clean it, it's slows way down. 
For additional flow I have 3 x1400gph koralias, and I just added an ac110 for additional mechanical. ( I have 25 geophagus that love to stir up the substrate).

The build looks great! Looking forward to seeing this up and running.


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## plantbrain (May 12, 2010)

Energy requirements and noise are big factors at this scale for pumps.
Bigger pumps will make more and more noise.
And suck more and more energy 24/7.

Sump is the only way to go at this scale also.
I use them on all my tanks.

1500gph is likely okay if you add a decent wavemaker like powerhead in the tank, something that moves 2000+ GPH at low pressure. I'd just get 1 water blaster, they seem decent. Then get a nice Wavemaker, eg Vortech MP60 if you can, they will make the tank move nicely.

You have 4x8 of surface area, so a good ripple will look nice and those 2 would do it and keep the overflow noise way down(more flow= more overflow noise). I'd suggest you look into the overflows now.....

I use mostly large open cell sponge blocks, swisstropicals sells good sized 4" thick sheets some you can make mech filtration that is very easy to squeeze and clean.

Use a serrated bread knife to cut to size for the sump.
Loc line returns are nice also.


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

whats the latest on this monster?????
is she up and running yet?


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

STILL DELAYS!!!

To much school work. 2 braces in. Was working all weekend. Had to take a shift on sunday so I lost my work day.


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## rwong2k10 (Dec 27, 2010)

wow amazing, love to see more photos and the progress of this tank!


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## Fishman21 (Apr 26, 2010)

where are the photos??!!!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Whatever happened to this build?


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Still in progress sitting in my basement lol. Had plans on finishing it over the summer but was busy helping my dad renovate the suite and working. Plus i broke my wrist lol.


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## target (Apr 21, 2010)

that's rough. I can't imagine staring at it for this long without filling it.


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

Lucky your fish can't speak or else they can sue you for taking too long to finish their tank .


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## Emily (May 4, 2010)

Can't wait for the finished product and to hear what ends up living in it! Looks great so far and I hope your wrist heals up so you can work on it again.

As another North Van-er, I would love to see this thing in person if you ever feel like having a celebratory fish party when you stock it! :lol:


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## Immus21 (Jun 14, 2010)

Seen this setup in person and I would go crazy if it were in my basement partially finished. It's gonna be an absolute stunner once full and stocked....


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## Travo (Dec 16, 2012)

Get that tank stocked I can't wait to see !


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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

What kind of lighting are you planning to use?


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