# ultimate tanganyikan tank 1800g



## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

ok here it goes im buying a house next year so i need to start saving uo money. planning on saving 4g just for the build. the dimentions will be 15'x4'x4', but have lots of questions. heres the plans probably over kill but thinking its not enough. plan on using ply would and 2x6s. plan on usin the 2x6 for framing and glueing and screwing 2 sheets of 1" ply wood together. back and base would use 2 7 1/2x4' sheets atached with a 2x6 which would be tied into the framing. also 5 2x6 for the upper bracing. finally one solid sheet of 1 1/2 acrylic. so first hows that sound?

finally the stock list:
30 cyprichromis 
6 neolamprologus leleupi
4 breeding pairs of shell dwellers in a "star", "t" "x" in tank meaning agenst the glass in the middle of the 4 sides (make sense?)(brevis, multis, ocellatus, etc )
2 breeds of altolamprologus diagonally across the tank 
2 breeds of julidochromis diagonally across the tank 
some rocks in the center for some gobys, feather fins and some sand sifter 
but with this size tank could i throw in tropheus 
and i know a breeding pair of brichardi are know to kill everythinhg on the tank but with a tank this large im thinking id be ok?

trying not to be confusing and sorry if i m

wide open for criticism
ps for the tank i plan on using a pool filter with the skimmer basket for instant media to fix say a ***** in nitrate with nita-zorb this way i can keep water changes down to a min also thinking of running an inline pool heater to heat the water. 
also what whould you use as a stand i was thinking steel I beams

let me know about stocking also drawing up plans now just wanted to see what you guys thought


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## gaqua (Apr 11, 2008)

That's a huge project, good luck! It sounds like $4,000 isn't quite enough to build that, though. The glass/plexi itself could be $2k+.


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

I figured the 2k for the glass and 2k for the wood and silicone and pond coat I can get the wood a a discounted price because im friends with a few guy from the 84 lumber by me I built a stand for my 125g and it cost me 75 for every thing


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

I wish you luck and it sounds awesome for the finished product. If it were me I'd be using 4 sheets of ply on the back and offsetting them to make the seam less of a potential issue. What I mean is put in 1 8' sheet and then a 7' sheet. then on the next layer glue and screw the 7'sheet to the original 8' and then the 8' sheet to the original 7'. this gives you an offset seam. Much stronger and less likely to leak IMO.


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

That's an idea but ill do 10 and 5 for more over hang thanks bigdaady


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

ok having problems already called around and people are telling me they do not make glass sheets that are 15' x 4' biggesr i can find is 11' x 4' for $925 so this could cause a problem


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

I think acrylic is going to be the only thing you get that length and even that will be a custom piece. $$$$$ that said it will look sooooo cool to have a 15' aquarium. only other option is to go with 2 pieces of glass....

Myself I'd go with the 11' centered in the 15' space and use the sides for the overflows and possibly even mechanical filtration. 1' recessed wall (hides bulkheads etc when viewing the tank front on) 1' block of poret foam!! draining down into your sump... you could even build one side an inch of so lower than the other and it would waterfall into the foam, down into the sump and then pipe over to the other side and back up and out. you could simulate a river that way. I dunno... i think it's kinda cool


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

Sounds like your on to something lol I ruled out acrylic 5000 for 11' peice


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

This sounds awesome. I think the brichardi would work in there because of the size, but here's a vid of the tang tank at the San Antonio zoo. It's pretty awesome, but the brichardi are in the process of taking it over. :lol:


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

very crude sketch but here it is anyhow

Top view to show the dividers:









Front View to give an idea of the tank itself










Obviously there would be no line on the outside of the tank but like I said.. crude drawings.

Just my thoughts


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

Got ya first what program you using for the sketch seen a few before and I always use hob and canister filter and have I sponge in my brevis breeding tank so I would have to do alot of research on sumps and all problem im running into now is wether to seam the front glass (I want some over hang on the sides)ththinking 6 1/2' sections but trying to find out if I could just silicone them together since im going 1'' thick a company told me 3/4 would be fine so I wanna be sure so going 1" for the fact that's alot of water in your basement (wonder if home owners covers idiotness lol) and no one has said anything about the stock list thinking it may be lite


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

Program is Google Sketchup.

so you are not going single pane of 11' ?? I wouldn't even think of just siliconing together. I don't know that you can't but I wouldn't trust the glass to flex the same way at the same time. maybe it's just me


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

That's my worry too but I don't want to have a seam unless its small maybe a 1x3 would help enough


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

I wouldn't want a seam either.... 11' gets my vote LOL


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

The problem im having with that would keep the shell dweller that will be in the corners out of view but that could get them breeding very good


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

thats easy.. some bigger rocks in the side corners and bump the shells out to the viewing area 8)


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

Good point lol but its 2 feet out then that takes into the sand sifters area lol


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## BigDaddyK (Nov 6, 2006)

BAH.... that's only 1 foot on each side and the sand shifters have say 8x3 through the middle.. i think they'll manage LOL


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

mobafrontlover said:


> ps for the tank i plan on using a pool filter with the skimmer basket for instant media to fix say a ***** in nitrate with nita-zorb this way i can keep water changes down to a min also thinking of running an inline pool heater to heat the water.


Have you considered setting up an auto-water-changing system? A tank this large is likely to have a lighter bioload (or at least bioload per gallon) than your typical household tank, so you may not need a 50%/week regimen to keep nitrates under control. I would think that keeping up with the nitra-zorb etc. would end up costing considerably more in the long run that building an auto-water-changer and just pay for a few hundred extra gallons of water a month . Maybe it's time to start a garden, and irrigate it off your fishtank? 



mobafrontlover said:


> that's alot of water in your basement (wonder if home owners covers idiotness lol)


I would suggest you look into something called "water-filled furniture insurance", if you're worried about this. Your home-owner's may cover it, but my renter's does not.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

I would rather do the needed water change that way I can clean the sand and spend one on one time with my friends just like I do now that's my sunday routine lol. That way I can really check everything


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