Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Was driving down the road in auckland today and to my shock saw a tank sitting on the grass verge for sale only $200. It measures 1800 x 900 x 900. And came with steel stand, sump and pump! So now have to get the bloody thing inside! and work out what goes in it. i just hope my floor will hold up. What should go in this beast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 PLANTS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 PLANTS! Thats a lot of plants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Awesome! What a good buy.. Just a quick question though how thick is the glass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 I think its only 12mm, is this too thin? I was a little worried but they have had it running for a couple of years and no dramas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Yeah too thin for sure enter 1800 and 900 with 12mm glass in here and see what comes out.. http://www.fnzas.org.nz/index.php?PG=glass3 And an article explaining the number it pops out.. http://www.fnzas.org.nz/index.php?PG=glass1 Just for comparison I had a 4ft tank that was 3ft high and made from 15mm glass which is probably what this should have been made of minimum.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Thats a lot of plants! There is no such thing! All you need is good lights, and cheap daltons sand from a garden centre! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 It has overflow boxes in both corners if i lower the level of water by lowering these will that fix the problem. How high do you think would be ok? 700mm or 800mm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 3ft high!!! make it a paladarium! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Read the article and use the calculator To help you out.. "The variability of the strength of glass due to limitations of the manufacturing process means a suitable safety factor must be used when calculating glass thickness. The factor commonly used is 3.8. While not a perfect guarantee, it will remove all risk bar that of damaged or very poor quality glass. The main damage that will cause failures is scratches and chips. Also a point load on the glass surface will cause it to fail. For this reason a soft packer like polystyrene is used under aquariums to stop the point loading of dirt and grit." So you are aiming for 3.8 which would be around 5-600 high.. However I just worked out the safety factor of my 5x2x2 (in 10mm which is very standard for a tank this size) and it is only 2.5 so not ideal either, so (without knowing enough about these things I am sure Barrie will fill you in) I would aim for over 2. Just bear in mind that the lower your safety factor the more likely it is that there will be 12mm daggers flying through your house ready to destroy anything or anyone in their path if it lets go I think it was Jimr who had a big tank let go in his fishroom and it threw glass across the room and through other tanks on the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 is the tank braced though? the calc is very good but dosent take into account bracing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 does the tank have a waterline mark on it have you tested for leaks and does it need resiliconing lowering overflows will lower water level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 It seems to be braced well. it has bracing round the top and bottom perimeters. and cross braces at each end and in the middle. the waterline is at the top of the overflows about 50mm from top of the tank. apparently it never leaked and was the sellers grandson who now owns a fish breeding business in Oz. For $200 i dont mind putting a bit of work in to make sure it doesnt go capput Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Heres a couple of pics.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zayne Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Thats HUGE!!! is your floor concrete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Noo! thats another problem gonna have a builder mate come round and put a couple more support piles in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matto Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 wow i would freak if i saw something like that for sale so cheap you are very lucky josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Thanks Matto, my eyes nearly popped out when i saw it! I tried entering 700mm high and got a rating of 2.3ish. does the fact that the panel size is so big determine the safety or does the water level. or is it a bit of both? (dont know if this makes sense :-? ) I'll have to build a hood to hide all the empty space up top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 It is pretty much the height as the outwards pressure increases alot with height and that is what is likely to cause the glass to flex height wise, as we all know glass doesn't flex very well.. I think you could do a really wicked tank that has like plants and stuff out of the water at the top I think it would look really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh_S Posted July 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 I think you could do a really wicked tank that has like plants and stuff out of the water at the top I think it would look really cool. Yes! sounds good never done a full on planted tank, very tempting indeed. Some big bits of wood sticking out would look sweat. Im addicted to my malawis though how can i incorporate them i wonder? Or some fronts may like a take this size. Too many options and ALOT to learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Don't even think of putting africans in there! :lol: Get the aquatic and terrestrial plants sorted and then the fish. http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2009/04/rip ... aping.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Looks a lot like the hollywood fish farm mt roskill tank Could be mistaken though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 If I could fill it to the top I would be tempted to do a big malawi hap tank.. 10 giraffes 10 livingstonii 10 polystigs 10 electra 10 dolphins 10 empresses 10 kadangos 10 d. comps a whole heap of the big boys But if you weren't going to fill it then something like what phoenix suggested would look alot better because you wont have a big ugly wide open space at the top.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matto Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 yea scrap the plants and bring on the fronts! (sorry p44) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 pfft :lol: Get a big tank like that - look at tom barr's tanks and you wont think africans ever again. EVER. I mean if you dont want plants you can have large S.American cichlids in a sandy tank. Geos, Oscars.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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