Aquarium Conundrum - Any Suggestions?

uscggirl

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Hello all you fabulous reefing folks! I know everyone has their own way to reef, but I cant even figure out how to get the exact tank arrangement I want! Good grief.... So my ideal tank would be 48”x20somethingx16 to 18”. In other words a long and relatively shallow arrangement. I thought I had settled on a Cade reef 1200 despite it being higher than what I’d prefer, but I’ve been told my placement choice may not support the weight. I previously had a 48”x24”x22” 75 or so gallon freshwater system with Fluval FX6 cannister filter and a pretty heavy stand in that same location without any issues at all, but I realize saltwater tanks are heavier due to the thicker glass and the slightly heavier water, so I estimated the Cade 1200 would be 1400 to 1500 lbs. Maybe estimate is too high? The joists under the floor there are 18” at 16 centers. But I would be running parallel to the joists, and likely only be sitting on two at that. Still.... So back to the drawing board for tank. The Cade 1200 frag tank is nice, but very shallow at 13”, and the stand is pretty short, putting the top of the tank at 49”. I’d prefer a taller stand, but don’t see any options for that. Then there’s the Waterbox frag 105.4 with good tank measurement, the stand would put that only a couple inches higher than the. Cade and I haven’t heard much good about Waterbox stands. The Innovative Marine INT 100 has aquarium measurements I like, but then I start worrying if the weight will be too much again. Need to double check total height as well.
If you’ve read this far thank you, and I apologize for dragging you through my decision process!! Does anyone know of a tank that would be a long (48”), relatively shallow system with a taller stand? Or if perhaps I’m over estimating the weight. Don’t want to add support jacks below because it’s a finished basemen, and don’t want the tank in the basement because I don’t spend much time down there. Ideas are very much appreciated!!!
 

threebuoys

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As a rule of thumb, 10 lbs per gallon for tank, water, contents. Was the 18" wide floor joists a typo? That would be huge. More likely 8, 10, or 12"?
 
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uscggirl

uscggirl

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As a rule of thumb, 10 lbs per gallon for tank, water, contents. Was the 18" wide floor joists a typo? That would be huge. More likely 8, 10, or 12"?
Thanks for getting back with me! The 18” is a mistake with my old eyes looking at the drawings for the floor. 12” with 16” centers. I like the Cade product since my DIY skills have diminished to the point of near extinction. Just wish the stand was taller. I could even handle the extremely shallow tank if the stand wasn’t so low. The Innovative Marine INT 100 may deserve a closer look. At least it has the basic plumbing with it. :p
 

MartinM

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+1 for all-in-one unless you love DIY. It also irks me that stands aren’t taller!! how about the IM tank + have a stand custom built?
 

Jekyl

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I would contact glass cages and get what ever size you want. Running parallel with the joists isn't ideal and weight probably shouldn't get too high.
 
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uscggirl

uscggirl

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Thank you all for the thoughtful input! I ended up taking my reefing plans down to my basement so weight isn’t an issue. Decided to go relatively big since I don't have to consider weight now. I ended up with a Cade 1500 S2. The Cade is great system with a well built tank, tall aluminum and glass stand, jump net tank cover, included sump, and plumbing all ready with no gluing required to get everything set up.and running. It also came with 100 lbs of live sand of my choice, over 100 lbs of various rock including nice porous shelf rock, 32 oz of Fritz Turbo Start, and four bottles of Algae Barn Nitrocycle. I added a Sicce SDC 9.0 return pump, two Maxspect Gyre XF350’s, BRS titanium heaters, bio media, three AI Prime HD 16’s, and a Simplicity 240 skimmer. (Build thread active) I did a bit of DIY by moving the sump out and putting it in the mechanical room behind the tank to allow super easy access to equipment and ability to add other equipment without space issues. I am too old to be climbing around on my hands and knees to work with a sump in the stand! Even with the great access in the Cade stand….
 

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