Large tank advice

[eitakppurk]

I won some cash scholarships this month, and so naturally I am going to put it towards a large aquarium setup (and MAYBE spark a relationship with Malawians, if I can pull myself away from Tanganyikans). When you're looking at larger tanks, I'm reading that acrylic is the best way to go- I know it's lighter and easier to drill, and the only downside I'm seeing is that it scratches easier. Is there anything I'm not considering here? With the amount of money I will be spending, I just want to take my time and make sure I get everything perfect!

[Ron]

You should have stayed for the last MCA meeting. One of the presentations was a variety of tidbits on setting up a large tank.

How large is large? How large is the budget?

I think the big advantage of acrylic after weight is the clarity. However, it is possible to purchase low-iron content glass if you're going to have a custom tank built from scratch.

If you're keeping any plecos, I'd rule the acrylic out immediately.

Acrylic tanks must be supported across the entire tank base.

Check the thickness of the acrylic against the height of the tank (and possibly width). The thinner the acrylic, the less rigid and the more it might bow.

For acrylic, absolutely make sure it's euro-braced, preferably from a single sheet. Keep in mind that euro-bracing may prevent anything from being held on the lip of the tank like you could with a glass tank (HOB filters, etc, without special cutouts won't fit).

[danielratti]

Ron forgot to mention that with big tanks your best bet for filtration would be a sump.  More turn over and more customized to your needs/wants.  Not only that it's easier maintance and more water volume

[eitakppurk]

Ah man, I wish I would've stayed for that. I was sort of obligated to go to one of those "painting with a twist" things over in Ferndale so I didn't stick around.

I had a feeling you would bring up a lot of things I hadn't thought of, and you did!  I am definitely going with a sump for this, and budget is not an issue, especially because I'll be collecting things little by little (can't set it up until we move next year anyhow). I was thinking 200 gallons but I see the standard sizes are only two feet wide, and I kind of want a bigger footprint. I suppose I could get a custom made one, and maybe sacrifice some length and height (any suggestions, over the edge, maybe?).

[danielratti]

Depending on how far you are willing to drive there might be a 72x36x18 coming up for sale. Not sure if they are going to sell or not but can keep you posted.

[Ron]

Since you have time, you might try scouring ads to find a good deal on a larger tank eventually. There are certainly tradeoffs between getting exactly what you want, something in perfect shape, and the price it'll cost when going the used tank route. For an acrylic tank at/over 2' wide, over 18" tall, but less than ~30", I'd shoot for something with at least 3/4" sides and and euro-braced from a single sheet at least 1/2" thick.

Ron forgot to mention that with big tanks your best bet for filtration would be a sump.  More turn over and more customized to your needs/wants.  Not only that it's easier maintance and more water volume

I'm not sure "forgot" is really true. For a big tank that's around the 200 gallon range or less, I think a good argument can be made for one (or more) of the really large canister filters rather than going with a sump.