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new tank 120cm/47inches tall - set up

M

micsurg

Seedling
Joined
6 Dec 2010
Messages
8
Hi, does anyone have an experience with tanks of such height? I was trying to google but no great success only very general comments, nothing specific especially regarding lighting and plants on the ground. Any suggestions very welcome. Tank dimensions lenght - horizontal 75cm, height - vertical 120cm, width - horizontal 40cm.
thanks a lot in advance!

micsurg
 
I would suggest either tall growing stem plants, (cobomba springs to mind) or spot lamps with focused beam (Metal halide perhaps)

Odd shape, do you mind me asking what its all about?
 
I had a 3ft tall x 3ft wide x 12"deep tank for my discus for a while, but it was no good at all for a planted tank, as you couldn't reach the substrate for planting, pruning, cleaning etc It was virtually impossible to even position the hardscape - you had to reach down as far as you could then drop it into position - not recommended with rocks :lol:

Tony
 
Think you're going to have to think a lot about the light levels lower down and pick plants for the lower layers that don't need high light levels. I'd look at scaping it with lots of wood with java ferns and moss tied to them. You could then have a few plants that have very long leaves - Crinum calamistratum springs to ming as the leaves used to curl round and round my Rio 180 and would look great with the height to properly flourish. Giant Vallis would work well too. The problem with stem plants might be that, as light won't get to the lower leaves, they will just have leaves at the top and have bare stems lower down.

Maintaining it will be a PITA so low maintenance plants will be a must too!
 
chrislove01 said:
I would suggest either tall growing stem plants, (cobomba springs to mind) or spot lamps with focused beam (Metal halide perhaps)

Odd shape, do you mind me asking what its all about?
Click to expand...

hi, thanks for suggestion. odd shape indeed, but that brings the challenge and safes space...anyway not yet convinced about the whole thing. the lighting and safety main issues..
 
foxfish said:
Wow that is some tank!
Can I ask what thickness the glass (acrylic) is?
I once built a 8 x 4 x 4' tank for a public display, we had to use 25mm (1") acrylic as the 28mm recommended glass was to green to see through!!
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the comment, was hoping for acrylic, but turned out to be glass 12mm, not sure about the safety, its one piece bended on sides and attached to the back wall, reinforced base. checked some net safety calculators definitely not safe if fully filled but safe with water up to 110cm, hard to believe. especially after your comment... hmm, on the other hand it is mcuh smaller - 70x120x40cm any suggestions?
thanks
 
Ed Seeley said:
Think you're going to have to think a lot about the light levels lower down and pick plants for the lower layers that don't need high light levels. I'd look at scaping it with lots of wood with java ferns and moss tied to them. You could then have a few plants that have very long leaves - Crinum calamistratum springs to ming as the leaves used to curl round and round my Rio 180 and would look great with the height to properly flourish. Giant Vallis would work well too. The problem with stem plants might be that, as light won't get to the lower leaves, they will just have leaves at the top and have bare stems lower down.

Maintaining it will be a PITA so low maintenance plants will be a must too!
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the comment, have similar thinking, do you thing anubias could tolerate "the darkness" as well? any suggestion for the lighting? thanks
 
The length & width are not really the governing factors it is more the depth that defines the required glass thickness, 12mm is suitable for 600mm not 1200!!
You should be looking at 20mm minimum in my opinion as the pressure at the base of your tank will be very high, I would not be relying on silicone on its own either you should consider a steel frame.
You dont want to be relying on the minimum requirements to hold the pressure if you think there is any chance of ground movement or any chance of knocking the tank!

Have a look here http://www.poseidons-palace.co.uk/Aquar ... ulator.htm


POSEIDON'S AQUARIUM BUILDING CALCULATOR
Please modify SAFETY FACTOR value BELOW 2 UNSAFE / OVER 4 VERY SAFE
Length Height Width Safety Factor
750 mm 1200mm 400mm 3


Glass Thickness: 18mm
 
foxfish said:
The length & width are not really the governing factors it is more the depth that defines the required glass thickness, 12mm is suitable for 600mm not 1200!!
You should be looking at 20mm minimum in my opinion as the pressure at the base of your tank will be very high, I would not be relying on silicone on its own either you should consider a steel frame.
You dont want to be relying on the minimum requirements to hold the pressure if you think there is any chance of ground movement or any chance of knocking the tank!

Have a look here http://www.poseidons-palace.co.uk/Aquar ... ulator.htm


POSEIDON'S AQUARIUM BUILDING CALCULATOR
Please modify SAFETY FACTOR value BELOW 2 UNSAFE / OVER 4 VERY SAFE
Length Height Width Safety Factor
750 mm 1200mm 400mm 3


Glass Thickness: 18mm
Click to expand...


Hi, thanks a lot, just realized I forgot to mention that is rimless and apparently tempered glass was used, net says should be stronger... any suggestion to that. so far no success on google for rimless tank calculator....thanks anyway.
 
micsurg said:
Ed Seeley said:
Think you're going to have to think a lot about the light levels lower down and pick plants for the lower layers that don't need high light levels. I'd look at scaping it with lots of wood with java ferns and moss tied to them. You could then have a few plants that have very long leaves - Crinum calamistratum springs to ming as the leaves used to curl round and round my Rio 180 and would look great with the height to properly flourish. Giant Vallis would work well too. The problem with stem plants might be that, as light won't get to the lower leaves, they will just have leaves at the top and have bare stems lower down.

Maintaining it will be a PITA so low maintenance plants will be a must too!
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the comment, have similar thinking, do you thing anubias could tolerate "the darkness" as well? any suggestion for the lighting? thanks
Click to expand...
Hi,
Actually this is really a misconception. Lighting is not really a problem. The light falloff will follow the inverse square law, which means that doubling the distance from the light lowers the energy by a factor of 4 (i.e. 2 squared). The implication is that at around 40+ inches the spectral energy will be a quarter of what it was at 20+ inches. This is not really a big deal because most people use lighting that is way over the top to start with. That's the primary reason that algal blooms are so prevalent. The less intense lighting level at 40+ inches will simply mean that whatever plants you use will grow more slowly than they would at 20+ inches. That also automatically means that algae will grow very slowly at those depths as well. There is therefore no need to limit plant choice just because of distance and light.

No...lighting is not your problem...getting CO2 to travel 47 inches in an unnatural direction - that will be your problem. If this is to be a CO2 enriched tank then you'll really need to think critically about flow and distribution - a lot more than you are thinking about light. If this is a non CO2 tank then the distance and light falloff actually help you, in which case the use of low CO2 plants such as ferns and moss are appropriate.

Cheers,
 
I dont want to be negative as I now realise you have made a serious investment with you tank however I will tell you what I honestly think!
There are several reasons why toughened glass is not generally used in fish tank construction.
It is extremely brittle, there is no warning cracks or leaks just an explosion as the tank shattered into millions of pieces.
Even the slightest irregularity on the base can cause the tank to explode as there are no flex properties in the glass so a thick rubber or high density foam base is essential.

You can not drill or cut the glass.

At 4 foot tall tank could see 1000 lbs on the bottom glass section and over 740 PSI on the sides near the bottom, at the bottom seams the water weight would be trying push the seams apart, I would not personally trust silicone to hold this on its own.
Toughened glass is stronger than plate glass but, I cant find any calculations for pressure rating it either!

I was going to suggest that you used the tank as paludarium & only half fill it with water however you would really need a door to gain easy access & this would mean taking one of the glass panels out & fitting some sort of upper half hinged glass door?
Sorry if I have given you caurse for concern & it may well be a successful & water tight tank?
plalnadium.jpg
 
Hi all,
I must admit I have the same worries as "Foxfish", and I would fill the tank completely
I was going to suggest that you used the tank as paludarium & only half fill it with water however you would really need a door to gain easy access & this would mean taking one of the glass panels out & fitting some sort of upper half hinged glass door?
Click to expand...
I think it would make a brilliant paludarium as well, but I think it is one piece of glass? so you will have the problems of access for "gardening", as you won't be able to take a panel out.

cheers Darrel
 
ceg4048 said:
micsurg said:
Ed Seeley said:
Think you're going to have to think a lot about the light levels lower down and pick plants for the lower layers that don't need high light levels. I'd look at scaping it with lots of wood with java ferns and moss tied to them. You could then have a few plants that have very long leaves - Crinum calamistratum springs to ming as the leaves used to curl round and round my Rio 180 and would look great with the height to properly flourish. Giant Vallis would work well too. The problem with stem plants might be that, as light won't get to the lower leaves, they will just have leaves at the top and have bare stems lower down.

Maintaining it will be a PITA so low maintenance plants will be a must too!
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the comment, have similar thinking, do you thing anubias could tolerate "the darkness" as well? any suggestion for the lighting? thanks
Click to expand...
Hi,
Actually this is really a misconception. Lighting is not really a problem. The light falloff will follow the inverse square law, which means that doubling the distance from the light lowers the energy by a factor of 4 (i.e. 2 squared). The implication is that at around 40+ inches the spectral energy will be a quarter of what it was at 20+ inches. This is not really a big deal because most people use lighting that is way over the top to start with. That's the primary reason that algal blooms are so prevalent. The less intense lighting level at 40+ inches will simply mean that whatever plants you use will grow more slowly than they would at 20+ inches. That also automatically means that algae will grow very slowly at those depths as well. There is therefore no need to limit plant choice just because of distance and light.

No...lighting is not your problem...getting CO2 to travel 47 inches in an unnatural direction - that will be your problem. If this is to be a CO2 enriched tank then you'll really need to think critically about flow and distribution - a lot more than you are thinking about light. If this is a non CO2 tank then the distance and light falloff actually help you, in which case the use of low CO2 plants such as ferns and moss are appropriate.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

thanks a lot for the valuable comment. it makes a lot of sence. Thanks!
 
foxfish said:
I dont want to be negative as I now realise you have made a serious investment with you tank however I will tell you what I honestly think!
There are several reasons why toughened glass is not generally used in fish tank construction.
It is extremely brittle, there is no warning cracks or leaks just an explosion as the tank shattered into millions of pieces.
Even the slightest irregularity on the base can cause the tank to explode as there are no flex properties in the glass so a thick rubber or high density foam base is essential.

You can not drill or cut the glass.

At 4 foot tall tank could see 1000 lbs on the bottom glass section and over 740 PSI on the sides near the bottom, at the bottom seams the water weight would be trying push the seams apart, I would not personally trust silicone to hold this on its own.
Toughened glass is stronger than plate glass but, I cant find any calculations for pressure rating it either!

I was going to suggest that you used the tank as paludarium & only half fill it with water however you would really need a door to gain easy access & this would mean taking one of the glass panels out & fitting some sort of upper half hinged glass door?
Sorry if I have given you caurse for concern & it may well be a successful & water tight tank?
plalnadium.jpg
Click to expand...

No thanks, I was actually worried as well and since the concerns remained I decided not to go for it. Thanks. I have not given up the idea though completely just need to save more money to have it properly built:)
 
foxfish said:
It might be worth importing a custom built acrylic tank from the States or at least looking into that avenue.
Click to expand...

all right. sounds like a plan! to be honest never thought of it. thanks for the suggestion.

cheers

r.
 
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