Obviously not me in the above pics but want to plan for a similar, perhaps more thought out operation to get a big tank in my basement.
Realistically how can I figure out what is the max size tank(dimension wise) that can be carried into my basement? Ideas for making this process easier?
The biggest reason why I don’t have a larger tank is in the current home(townhouse) I live in there is one spiral stair case that leads to the basement and two tiny little windows. I don’t own the place and I’m not rich, so cutting a big hole in the floor or wall isn’t an option, I just have the stairs. I don’t like acrylic, so I need to keep in mind people need to have a way to hold the tank and maneuver it. It wasn’t at all easy for
Andy and I to move a 75g downstairs last year, but I really want to find a way to get a bigger one in. That being said I think we might be able to temporarily remove the hand rails to get more space. We also didn’t have hand grippy/spider man type thingies either, so perhaps that would help. I am also thinking about getting a custom built frag tank which will be shallower, but perhaps longer then a 75. Again depending on what I can fit down there.
I want a bigger tank, the one I want is almost 400 gallons but needs to be built on site just because of the size and weight. My brother and I carried my 180 down stairs and was a struggle. Can't imagine how heavy that one would be.
Jon, I’ve thought this through a little. To figure out the size you can fit down the stairs buy a couple sheets of cheap rigid foam. Cut them to the largest tank you would want, duct tape it together, and try getting it down stairs. Doesn’t work? Get out the razor blade and cut the pieces down to the next size and try again. Eventually you will find the largest tank you can physically get down the stairs.
im pretty sure you can get a bigger tank than you think down the stairs, Jon. like the article, carry it down on end and slide it down from the half way landing. plus take the handrail off the wall if there is one. you got a washer and dryer down there. they are 27" x 26" . it just takes a little more planning to walk a 180 down on end.
Or, like Bill, build one in place from glass plates and frames.
I do not trust building one in the basement myself and cannot afford to have a professional do it at this point. Besides I won’t even be able to afford the materials for another couple of months and our lease is up around then. Not sure if we are going to even have the option to keep living here as the owner may want to sell and we are not in a position to buy.
I think Bellamy’s got it. I actually was thinking about it more last night and was thinking about construction PVC frames. Wouldn’t cost too much in materials and they would be reusable later down the line. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Jon, if you can fit a bigger tank downstairs, I have a 60"x18"x23" Oceanic glass tank with stand for sale plus a huge sump 30"x14"x16" with an Iwaki MD-70RLT. I’ll sell it to you cheap!!
Thanks Lambo, I will keep that tank in mind, it may be the perfect size.
Tim…
[quote=“Gordonious, post:5, topic:3290”]
I do not trust building one in the basement myself and cannot afford to have a professional do it at this point. Besides I won’t even be able to afford the materials for another couple of months and our lease is up around then. Not sure if we are going to even have the option to keep living here as the owner may want to sell and we are not in a position to buy. [/quote]
Ok, time to bring this back from the dead. I found out a 180 would possibly, barely, hardly, maybe not even fit in my basement. If I could borrow super man to carry it down I might try it, but with as little room as there is to position it around, no hands could fit on the sides or anything else. It would have to be carried standing on end!
::: :~S >:::
:SURRENDER
Trying to figure out how the heck to work with this basement has been driving me nuts since we moved in. I will not be building a tank in the basement or using acrylic. What are my options?
It sucks to go any smaller then that as I really hate only have 18" front to back to aquascape with and any less length and I’ll have an odd ball bulb convo. How the heck do you light a 5’ tank with flourecent tubes? I am not going MH.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:9, topic:3290”]
How the heck do you light a 5’ tank with flourecent tubes? I am not going MH. [/quote]
If your gonna use tubes they do make a 5 foot T5, there 80 watts each and can be over driven with a Icecap ballast. ATI and a couple others manufactures make them.
Hum… I don’t even think of 80watts as an option for some reason. I’ve always had 24" 36" and 48" bulbs and most of the big tanks I’ve worked on jump up to 72" and use 2 sets of 36". I suppose that would just mean I have to get all new bulbs and reflectors as I have plenty of the other sizes. Not the end of the world.
Looking at the tank options again though and they don’t make a 5’ tank that is 24" wide! At least not that I can find. Moves me back into the custom built category.
I would rather not go any more then 24" tall and really want 24" width.
Here are dimensions of perfecto tanks:
75 gal 48x18x21 <— what I have now.
120 gal high 48x24x24 ← might be what I can go to.
120 long 60x18x26
125 gal 72x18x22
150 gal deep dimensions 60x36x27
180 gal 72x24x24
(I removed all the tanks with more than 27" in height)
Worst case scenario I am buying a second 75 to combine some smaller tanks. A “120 high” according to the chart above I found on a random website would give me another 6" from front to back I could aquascape with and add move bulbs to the tank. It isn’t that much bigger then what I have, but may be what I need to settle with.
Ideally I think 60X24X20 would be the size that would fit and work for what I want, but the extra foot of tank would force me into custom built and all new bulbs and reflectors and actually extra ballast as well as I could only do two 80W bulbs per ballast. Lot’s of negatives for one extra foot.
The extra foot in length and the extra 2" in height which I would rather not have, will cost me almost twice as much! I’d move glass cages into the custom built $$$ category.
I may buy my next frag tank from glass cages, so that I can get something far from what any of the big brands make and any LFS would carry, but for this one I think it’s a bit too $$$.
Eh, I want to go a bit bigger then what you just made. I have to admit yours looks really nice. Not sure I am brave enough to even make one as big as yours.
oh, i thought you only wanted a 5 foot tank, wider than 18 front to back. that would be a 150. the 120 is great too. they are both like a 180 with one or two feet lopped off the ends. 24" square on the end.
A lot of my posting last night was sorta thinking at loud and getting my options and thoughts together. 5’ = too expensive a tank and too expensive to light. I wish I could get one with two overflow boxes and a couple inches shorter, but neither option seem to exist.
