Mark_J
New Member
First this looks like a great place, so far I have been able to get a ton of information and I am excited to get going! I am hoping to get a little feedback for this project, it really helps to brainstorm on some of this especially since it's not something I do everyday! So any feedback anyone is willing to provide I will be grateful for...
How I got here, well about 8 years ago I built a fresh water tank for my wife which she loves and I was going to use my 75 Gallon bow tank for my reef. She has outgrown the tank I built so I am going to move the fresh water tank into the bow tank. That means I am going to get to build another tank!!! The plan is to build about a 100 gallon tank and use one of my office desks for the base, it's been reinforced so it's up to the task and it will look nicer in my office matching the rest of the furniture.
So for the tank build I really liked the Bow but I can't find anyone that can get me a custom piece of bow glass so this will have to be rectangular unless someone knows where I can get a custom piece of bow glass? Can you even go rimless using bow glass?
While I do have room for a sump on the side of the base I am not sure if it makes more sense to do an AIO, I don't really want to give up the display tank real estate. If I do go AIO I can cut and drill the glass anyway I want and it will all be up top which is a plus. Is there any value in doing a hybrid type where I can make a side baffle for heaters and socks but still keep the skimmer in a refugium along the side?
I have 50" x 22" for the exterior dimensions for this tank so this one will be much wider than my last build, and I haven't fully decided on the height yet but somewhere around 20"-22". I'll use a piece of acrylic directly on the desktop and then build the glass tank on top of that, would a rubber leveling mat be wise for this scenario or unnecessary?
So I am not going into the filtration, lighting and the tank inhabitants just yet or you guys will overload me with more valuable information than I can digest! I will say this tank is intended for more 'reef' and fewer fish.
I've added a picture of the desk I am using for the base and my freshwater build. I'll thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide.
How I got here, well about 8 years ago I built a fresh water tank for my wife which she loves and I was going to use my 75 Gallon bow tank for my reef. She has outgrown the tank I built so I am going to move the fresh water tank into the bow tank. That means I am going to get to build another tank!!! The plan is to build about a 100 gallon tank and use one of my office desks for the base, it's been reinforced so it's up to the task and it will look nicer in my office matching the rest of the furniture.
So for the tank build I really liked the Bow but I can't find anyone that can get me a custom piece of bow glass so this will have to be rectangular unless someone knows where I can get a custom piece of bow glass? Can you even go rimless using bow glass?
While I do have room for a sump on the side of the base I am not sure if it makes more sense to do an AIO, I don't really want to give up the display tank real estate. If I do go AIO I can cut and drill the glass anyway I want and it will all be up top which is a plus. Is there any value in doing a hybrid type where I can make a side baffle for heaters and socks but still keep the skimmer in a refugium along the side?
I have 50" x 22" for the exterior dimensions for this tank so this one will be much wider than my last build, and I haven't fully decided on the height yet but somewhere around 20"-22". I'll use a piece of acrylic directly on the desktop and then build the glass tank on top of that, would a rubber leveling mat be wise for this scenario or unnecessary?
So I am not going into the filtration, lighting and the tank inhabitants just yet or you guys will overload me with more valuable information than I can digest! I will say this tank is intended for more 'reef' and fewer fish.
I've added a picture of the desk I am using for the base and my freshwater build. I'll thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide.
