Hello everyone,
I'm Alex, and after 8 years of being involved in the hobby, I'm about to start my largest tank yet. This thread will serve as a diary to document the entire build process and the tank's development. Since I reside in Germany, I'll be doing the same in a German forum and likely uploading some videos to YouTube.
There's still a long way to go until the first fish and coral are introduced to the tank, but I thought it might still interest some of you. I've only just begun getting hands-on with this project, although the planning phase has been ongoing for over a year now.
Before delving into the current status, let's take a look at the planning phase:
Now, let's discuss the key facts:
The tank itself is built, and the aluminium framework was outsourced to a contractor to ensure safety. Aside from that, everything is planned and executed by me. Therefore, it will take some time until it is ready to start. I've scheduled the fill-up for the beginning of November and plan to dismantle my current tank during the Christmas holidays.
I'm also a perfectionist and a tech enthusiast. I love automation and dislike using 3+ apps and various types of controllers to manage my tank. That's why I've started developing a platform to integrate both smart and traditional devices from different vendors into a single control interface. I've already begun this project and will keep you posted as soon as the first functionality is available. With a professional background in this field, I hope to give back to the community by open-sourcing this project.
That's it for the planning phase. I will share details about every piece of equipment, my construction methods, stocking, decoration, and more in future posts. It would be too much to cover in this opening post.
Would you like to see more images?
As I mentioned, I've just started. This week, the large glass panes were delivered. I moved them into my living room and onto a temporary holder I constructed, and yesterday, I built the framework for the stand, added the wall plates, and installed a 3D-printed cover for the wall fan.
The five glass panes together weigh over 400kg... No problem for the delivery driver's crane.
Moving the glass was easier than expected. Even though one of the long side panes weighs about 110kg, with the right tools (glass suction cups) and a bit of help, moving the glass only took a few minutes.
Planning is one thing, but seeing the footprint for the first time is something entirely different. Please excuse the mess; I only snapped some photos when I finished.
So, this concludes my initial post. Follow this thread if you're interested in the next steps. The next update will be next Saturday, as the contractor is scheduled to come at the end of the week to construct the tank itself.
Cheers,
Alex
I'm Alex, and after 8 years of being involved in the hobby, I'm about to start my largest tank yet. This thread will serve as a diary to document the entire build process and the tank's development. Since I reside in Germany, I'll be doing the same in a German forum and likely uploading some videos to YouTube.
There's still a long way to go until the first fish and coral are introduced to the tank, but I thought it might still interest some of you. I've only just begun getting hands-on with this project, although the planning phase has been ongoing for over a year now.
Before delving into the current status, let's take a look at the planning phase:
Now, let's discuss the key facts:
- The main display measures 145.6 inches in length, 35.4 inches in width, and 31.5 inches in height, with the longer sides and the head side made of optiwhite glass.
- The sump is 63x31.5x20 inches and is located in the cabinet below the tank.
- The stand is constructed from 1.2-inch aluminium profiles with steel core connectors.
- The exterior is clad in MDF boards, fully sealed with an alkyd resin-based paint: white on the inside and anthracite on the outside, both with a matte finish.
- The tank and sump are open, but as shown in the images, the tank is fully sealed against the wall and ceiling. A 5-inch fan is built into the wall to combat humidity.
- I plan to integrate a frag tank into the cabinet, which will also be connected to the sump.
- Stocking: 50% SPS, 25% leathers and softies, and 25% LPS. The focus is definitely on SPS, but I still have a fondness for my torches, gonioporas, and especially my large mushrooms and gorgonias.
The tank itself is built, and the aluminium framework was outsourced to a contractor to ensure safety. Aside from that, everything is planned and executed by me. Therefore, it will take some time until it is ready to start. I've scheduled the fill-up for the beginning of November and plan to dismantle my current tank during the Christmas holidays.
I'm also a perfectionist and a tech enthusiast. I love automation and dislike using 3+ apps and various types of controllers to manage my tank. That's why I've started developing a platform to integrate both smart and traditional devices from different vendors into a single control interface. I've already begun this project and will keep you posted as soon as the first functionality is available. With a professional background in this field, I hope to give back to the community by open-sourcing this project.
That's it for the planning phase. I will share details about every piece of equipment, my construction methods, stocking, decoration, and more in future posts. It would be too much to cover in this opening post.
Would you like to see more images?
As I mentioned, I've just started. This week, the large glass panes were delivered. I moved them into my living room and onto a temporary holder I constructed, and yesterday, I built the framework for the stand, added the wall plates, and installed a 3D-printed cover for the wall fan.
The five glass panes together weigh over 400kg... No problem for the delivery driver's crane.
Moving the glass was easier than expected. Even though one of the long side panes weighs about 110kg, with the right tools (glass suction cups) and a bit of help, moving the glass only took a few minutes.
Planning is one thing, but seeing the footprint for the first time is something entirely different. Please excuse the mess; I only snapped some photos when I finished.
So, this concludes my initial post. Follow this thread if you're interested in the next steps. The next update will be next Saturday, as the contractor is scheduled to come at the end of the week to construct the tank itself.
Cheers,
Alex
There's one to bookmark for sure, what a build that is! Pretty extraordinary, and another example of how Germans don't do a half-$£s job! 
