Cost to build large tank?

I would say 20k if done right.

 

Really matters what your going to keep and how well you engineer the system. If you are doing all the work and minus the tank cost I would say 7k to 9k. But that really depends if your going to keep sps or mostly lps

 

if it is to be a shark/ray tank then it would certinly be cheaper then a reef tank but its realy just one of thoes things you need to make a list of what you need then google prices/supplyers

 

Don't forget to factor in the cost of the diving suit/face mask and Fins to use while you are stocking/cleaning it..

 

Thanks for the comments so far. I spent some time today getting prices. a 12x4' cell cast 3/4" acrylic sheet would be in the neighborhood of $7500. I'd have to drive to Phoenix to get it, no biggie, 6 hours. the other option is to have 2 sheets with a thin seam in the middle... would be around the same money, but i'd have more plastic to work with. I can get 4x8 3/4" FF locally.

the masonry would be cheap. We have the block already. Probably hire to guys and the 2 of us, plus materials would be around $1000 and we'd knock it out in a day or 2.

I don't know what kind of sealant to use. I can get a regular food grade epoxy, or marine grade fiberglass resin.... either way, $1500 or so?

.... so I'm looknig at ~$10,000 for the tank. I hope that's not gonna bother him.

I already told him he could spend $20,000 stocking it and still feel like he could spend more.

Like I said, this has been planned for like 10 years, just finally got him into it again. He'd probably take out a mortgage to pay for it.

...on a tangent I heard there's a guy in town with a 12,000 gallon tank in his house, maybe I can track him down and see what he did.... probably hired the guys who made the public aquarium here. Might be an option?

-Doug

 

you should check and see what it cost to get solar panels installed, to off set your lighting cost in the day time, or even the solar light holes that canal light from the roof.

 

Doug, you would need to use an epoxy to seal any plywood, or anything that won't hold on it's own. Fiberglass is hygrophyllic, so it will not be 100% waterproof on it's own.

For tank building tips, go to GARF.org.

 

sostoudt, I've actually been looking at the Sun Tube lighting system. Seems a great way to get about 600+ watts MH equivalent into a tank. If you're handy with tools it's a one afternoon job. Problem is, he has a 2 story house and the tank is on the ground floor. He has solar heat collectors on the roof, geothermal wells, and a 5KW PV panel. His swimming pool is entirely "off grid" and would be cool to have the tank off-grid as well.

 

Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. These guys set up custom systems as well as Aquatic Arts Technology. PM Tangster on here and he knows they guys that set up large systems.

 

$25,000