How important is "family functionality" when it comes to your reef?

Which tank do you think is more functional for a family? (click to see photos)

  • A. Fireplace Tank

    Votes: 77 23.3%
  • B. Stair Tank

    Votes: 17 5.1%
  • C. Bed Tank

    Votes: 11 3.3%
  • D. Table Tank

    Votes: 33 10.0%
  • E. Cabinet Tank

    Votes: 193 58.3%

  • Total voters
    331

ReefBeta

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The stairs tank is actually a pretty normal setup. It's basically a step down tank. But instead of single step down, it has many more steps down. But besides that, it looks pretty normal. Easily accessible from the top.

The rest of the tank though, I don't even sure how the heck should one get into it for maintenance, well except the bed tank. Those are those kind of "I'm not the one maintaining it" tanks.
 

ReefBeta

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Hello,

Coming from a medical professional I said no way on any of them.Stair case is bound to get broken with little kids. Bed would be a good way to drown in your sleep if that breaks or leaks. Table to easy for children to reach into and or fall into. The fireplace, how would you maintain it and reinforce it?. What about the heat from the fire place when active?

Honestly these are ideas that those clowns on the tv show tanked would come up with. Beautiful tank but everything dies in a week. These are horrible and dangerous ideas.

How come stair case are bound to get broken? Assuming it's build to spec, not using thin butt glass, aquarium is pretty sturdy as a furniture. If paranoid, using something like inch thick acrylic will make it strong enough in a normal home setting. People put way more fragile stuff in home like glass/china decorations. Also teaching children not to run or play around stair is not impractical.
 

Sarah24!

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How come stair case are bound to get broken? Assuming it's build to spec, not using thin *** glass, aquarium is pretty sturdy as a furniture. If paranoid, using something like inch thick acrylic will make it strong enough in a normal home setting. People put way more fragile stuff in home like glass/china decorations. Also teaching children not to run or play around stair is not impractical.

Hello,

Granted I’m not a parent but have a niece and nephews. Yes the tank may not break, but little bones do break, cuts etc. what happens when a child runs up or down the stairs and falls into it? Yes we teach our kids not too but I’m guilty of running up and down the stairs as a kid even as an adult. Eve. As an adult I have miss stepped and almost fallen.

Yes the tank may not be fragile, (or could be one never knows, guess that’s why there is f=ma,) or it may be fragile depending how and where it takes the blunt of the force. But that tank alone out weighs a child, kids have fallen off of bicycles and broken their arm. What would be any difference running into a solid glass tank? Are you saying bones don’t break or fracture?
 

ReefBeta

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Hello,

Granted I’m not a parent but have a niece and nephews. Yes the tank may not break, but little bones do break, cuts etc. what happens when a child runs up or down the stairs and falls into it? Yes we teach our kids not too but I’m guilty of running up and down the stairs as a kid even as an adult. Eve. As an adult I have miss stepped and almost fallen.

Yes the tank may not be fragile, (or could be one never knows, guess that’s why there is f=ma,) or it may be fragile depending how and where it takes the blunt of the force. But that tank alone out weighs a child, kids have fallen off of bicycles and broken their arm. What would be any difference running into a solid glass tank? Are you saying bones don’t break or fracture?

About falling into the tank, firstly it's not that short that I can see one accidentally fall into it, you kinda have to jump over to get in. secondly it's covered. so you will need to break the cover in the process to be successful.

In terms of breaking bones on falling, bones will break by falling of stairs and running into walls. So I don't really see much difference between with and without an aquarium there.
 

Sarah24!

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About falling into the tank, firstly it's not that short that I can see one accidentally fall into it, you kinda have to jump over to get in. secondly it's covered. so you will need to break the cover in the process to be successful.

In terms of breaking bones on falling, bones will break by falling of stairs and running into walls. So I don't really see much difference between with and without an aquarium there.

Hello,

The op question was which idea would one want? If you want a grand stair case tank by all means. You say must of these things but I have seen little kids drown in a small kiddie pool, I don’t have a top on my 240 and it’s 36 inches tall more than enough fora Child to drown in. Yes we have walls but gosh it’s Softer than 3/4 glass or 1/2 inch glass. At least dry wall will break or give.

I work in the er trauma center so yes this happens more often than you think. If you have no little kids or anything that can be a saftey hazard then go for it. But the primary base of the question is family related tanks not if I live on my own and know not to be clumsey around it. Not to mention but that’s why they call incidents like this tragedies, or accidents.

As normal it’s okay for two to disagree one ones opinion that’s normal. Doesn’t stop the fact that with out warning something in this nature related (someone being injured, being a bicycle, fish tank, pet dog, brothers and sisters beating on each other etc pick an option.), all of them can be avoided and or relate to the op question.
 

ReefBeta

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Hello,

The op question was which idea would one want? If you want a grand stair case tank by all means. You say must of these things but I have seen little kids drown in a small kiddie pool, I don’t have a top on my 240 and it’s 36 inches tall more than enough fora Child to drown in. Yes we have walls but gosh it’s Softer than 3/4 glass or 1/2 inch glass. At least dry wall will break or give.

I work in the er trauma center so yes this happens more often than you think. If you have no little kids or anything that can be a saftey hazard then go for it. But the primary base of the question is family related tanks not if I live on my own and know not to be clumsey around it. Not to mention but that’s why they call incidents like this tragedies, or accidents.

As normal it’s okay for two to disagree one ones opinion that’s normal. Doesn’t stop the fact that with out warning something in this nature related (someone being injured, being a bicycle, fish tank, pet dog, brothers and sisters beating on each other etc pick an option.), all of them can be avoided and or relate to the op question.

OP's photo literally have it as covered. If without cover, any one of the 5 is big enough to drown a kid. Also every one of them can cause injuries if run into them. So I'm confused on why using problems that can be equally applied to all of them as reason for that one being more impractical than the rest. None of those are typical setup that a normal reefer will want. It's just comparing least of 5 evils.
 

Sarah24!

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OP's photo literally have it as covered. If without cover, any one of the 5 is big enough to drown a kid. Also every one of them can cause injuries if run into them. So I'm confused on why using problems that can be equally applied to all of them as reason for that one being more impractical than the rest. None of those are typical setup that a normal reefer will want. It's just comparing least of 5 evils.

Well lol your the one who asked me the question, you tell me.
Put simply to you is you didn’t like my answer. That’s fine I don’t expect everyone or anyone to. But it’s doesn’t change the fact that some should be mindful of your “five evils”. Just because they may not happen doesn’t mean one should ignore them. It wouldn’t bother me if you installed a 500 tank above where you sleep, it’s your choice your risk. If I had a family that’s my choice my risk and with that said I wouldn’t do those types of tanks (me personally). Circumstances are different for everyone, and peoples views are always different. I have respected others because it’s what one should do. But it doesn’t mean it’s going to change my view or theory behind it. There really is no point in debating this or arguing, simply because usually arguing over the internet is like trying to argue with a corpse, they never hear you and all one does is disturb the corps’s sleep.
 
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MombasaLionfish

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I get how a child could run into the stair case one's corner and possibly get stitches, but can't a child do that with a chair or table as well? The fire place one also seems hard to keep because of temperature control. And the bed one probably would not be good for all that LED light to get in your eyes at night.
 

TheMattReefer

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It’s important to me because I have to little reefer toddlers. But I just have my tank between the kitchen and dining room. Best things I ever did were covering my sump section up with eggcrate, and built what I refer to as “the tower” so the girls can get up and look in the tank. My 1.5 year old still prefers to move a bucket over and stand on top of that though.

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dadof4

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I would be more worried a seam would blow while I was sleeping and kill me haha.
Sleeping? I'd be afraid to get waves going. (Sorry to be a little off color). You would need a superior mounting system and the walls would have to be manufactured to sustain that weight. I think the logistics would be a nightmare.
 

hart24601

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I couldn't vote. For me personally I would have all those torn out if I was buying a house that had them in there.
 

Bruce Burnett

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As a functional family tank it would need to be a center piece in a room that is used by everyone. Anything built in to a wall or cabinet or on a stand as a center piece is great. I picked the fireplace for that reason. In an actively busy room fish are less nervous and hide less. Even maintenance is better as the tank is always seem and not forgotten.
 

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  • I regularly have unwanted algae in my macroalgae.

    Votes: 45 35.7%
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    Votes: 27 21.4%
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