Hey from Oz

Hey guys,
I just wanted to say hello. I came across your site today. There are some great ideas here. I would like to know where to start....... we just built a new house and we are looking to install an in wall tank.
Where do we start - what kind of tank - what set up - what is the easiest to maintain but still looks great, I would love a reef tank but the ones a few I have seen here look complicated. Whats better glass or acrylic?
Our entrance is very long and I was thinking we could put it in there becuase part of the entrance has the garage on the other side. It could be maybe 3-4 meters long, 60cms high however the wall cavaity is very narrow....
Or as the house is spilt level there is an area where you could place the tank and it could be view from both sides on 2 different level but the tank would be around 4 meter high, 1 meter wide and narrow? But after reading a few thread the wider takes seems to better.
Some suggestions would be great.
Thanks quesa!

 

wow those are some loaded questions.
glass is probably the easiest to mantain. acrylic is clearer and lightier but scratches easily.
4 meters high thats extremely tall, will you be able to maintain that tank without scubadiving? would you be able to have the rediculously strong halides to light that if it was a reef. i think thats not a good tank for someone just starting out. i appreciate the "phrase go big or go home" but theres a limit.

 

One member here, Scott, posted a thread on the in-wall tank he set up.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off-your-fish-tanks/ottys-265-w-3-sided-view-39314.html

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef

 

Welcome to 3Reef!

 

Welcome to 3reef.

In wall tanks are great to have, just engineer it up front before you install.

 

welcome to the 3reef !! good to have some more Aussies around.

I myself have been reserching the inwall set up, I much prefer the 3sided veiw 2long 1 short (peninsular) however their are chalenges as mentioned above by Otty, engineer first , ie. make a plan of what it is you want befor you start .
I would suggest that you decide which type of reef you would like to create, such as soft corals (mushrooms, leathers, star polyps and the like)with some hard corals LPS(frogspawn, open brain, pagoda, types like these) or a fullblown reef with SPS domination with some LPS in the mix. as these are the first real decisions you need to make to get going in the right direction to creating a health reef.

it will save you countless dollars in upgrades aswell to know what you want to be achiving from the start , as their is nothing more anoying then having to upgrade lights, skimmers and the like as this is were the money soon adds up.

Best of luck to you ps.(try to make the tank as wide as possibe and a equiptment room is a real bonus too)

 

Tom

Hello Everyone,
My name is Tom, I am a biology student at University of North Florida. I have recently took over the marine bio club on campus. With that I have two tanks, a 55 gal & 75+ gal to maintain on campus. The only thing is the guy doing it before left me with a lot of rigs to fix. I also have multiple extra tanks that can be set up and used!. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and learning creative ideas for use of all extra equipment. Tom