dbl
It Takes Less Energy to be Nice
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
Moderator Emeritus
Reef Squad Emeritus
Hospitality Award
My Tank Thread
Well, I’m a sucker for a peninsula tank. I’m seeing more and more pop up here in the intro threads and members tank section. So, I thought I’d start this thread as a reference for anyone considering going the peninsula route. Regardless of what you read here, assuming it gets any traction, I truly believe you won’t regret going for a three-sided monster. #Peninsula
I would really like to see any of my fellow R2R peninsula (P-Tank) owners comment in this thread, sharing their experiences, both good and bad, and more importantly, sharing pictures. Heck, we all love pictures. Let’s try to make this a reference thread for current owners and those contemplating a peninsula. I’ll start us off and see where this takes us. In no way do I consider myself an expert at anything related to this hobby. As I like to joke, I know enough to be dangerous. But I’ll share my thoughts in hopes it will be a catalyst for others.
Obviously, you have to have the space for a P-Tank. I find them most appealing when they are used in such a way to blend into a space. We personally use ours as a room divider between our dining area and family room. To me anyway, they just look better if it appears to be a natural fit and not just a tank jutting out from a wall. But let’s face it, they’re still cool looking regardless of where they are.
Really won’t get into the mechanics and set up because every situation is different. I’m in Florida, on a slab, and it’s on an exterior wall. So, no basement to plumb to and no way to create a fish room. In my case everything has to be contained in the cabinet. For more specific details on my system, feel free to check out my build thread if you are so inclined.
One big challenge is the aquascape. You now have a tank visible from three sides (presumably two long sides and one short end) and you’ll want it to look good from all three. A traditional wall of rock doesn’t really work well. You really must play with it until you find the right design. It goes without saying that it is also dependent on what you plan to keep in the tank. If a FOWLR, maybe not as important. If reef, you must keep coral type and placement in mind. I guess that’s not really any different than a non-P-Tank, but it should look good from all three sides.
Next (or maybe even first) major challenge is flow. Depending on the size, it can be difficult to get flow to the other end of the tank. Yet another thing to think about when you’re doing your aquascape. I originally wanted to do so without any flow devices on the viewable end of the P-Tank. Well, I quickly discovered that wasn’t going to happen. Although I started with a very poorly designed closed loop (removed not long after I started), if I had to do it again, I would design it much differently and go that route, especially with the advancement of pumps over the last 7 years. So I ended up with a pump on the viewable end. Not a deal breaker but I'd prefer not to have it there.
Although I don’t believe lighting is really any more challenging, making the lighting look nice can be a little tricky given your lights are protruding into your room. So, keep that in mind when planning. Can you hang the lights from the ceiling? In my case, I just ended up building a canopy incorporated into the stand design. You may have to get creative so it fits with the decor of your space.
Last thing I’ll mention is accessibility. If you are lucky enough to have a fish room or basement you can utilize then great and I’m jealous. But since everything had to be self-contained, I wanted to be able to access it from both sides. I actually used panels instead of doors so I can access from both sides when needed. As we all know, there can be a lot of equipment you end up with to manage the tank. Again, you have the same issues with a non-P-Tank but just keep it in mind for the space you’re putting the tank.
This is the tip of the iceberg but I’m hoping it’s a start. I would love for fellow P-Tank owners to make a quick comment, share a picture or two, and then provide a link to their build thread. If this gets any traction, it could be a great resource for folks currently running a P-Tank and having challenges or for folks considering a P-Tank and yet to face them. Life is full of should-of-could-of-would-have moments. Let's see if we can help alleviate that for someone going the P-Tank route.
In closing, here is a quick walk-around mine. These are a little old, but you’ll get the idea. I’ve personally seen numerous P-Tank threads that I’m hoping join the party!
Happy Reefing, whether a peninsula or not!!!
I would really like to see any of my fellow R2R peninsula (P-Tank) owners comment in this thread, sharing their experiences, both good and bad, and more importantly, sharing pictures. Heck, we all love pictures. Let’s try to make this a reference thread for current owners and those contemplating a peninsula. I’ll start us off and see where this takes us. In no way do I consider myself an expert at anything related to this hobby. As I like to joke, I know enough to be dangerous. But I’ll share my thoughts in hopes it will be a catalyst for others.
Obviously, you have to have the space for a P-Tank. I find them most appealing when they are used in such a way to blend into a space. We personally use ours as a room divider between our dining area and family room. To me anyway, they just look better if it appears to be a natural fit and not just a tank jutting out from a wall. But let’s face it, they’re still cool looking regardless of where they are.
Really won’t get into the mechanics and set up because every situation is different. I’m in Florida, on a slab, and it’s on an exterior wall. So, no basement to plumb to and no way to create a fish room. In my case everything has to be contained in the cabinet. For more specific details on my system, feel free to check out my build thread if you are so inclined.
One big challenge is the aquascape. You now have a tank visible from three sides (presumably two long sides and one short end) and you’ll want it to look good from all three. A traditional wall of rock doesn’t really work well. You really must play with it until you find the right design. It goes without saying that it is also dependent on what you plan to keep in the tank. If a FOWLR, maybe not as important. If reef, you must keep coral type and placement in mind. I guess that’s not really any different than a non-P-Tank, but it should look good from all three sides.
Next (or maybe even first) major challenge is flow. Depending on the size, it can be difficult to get flow to the other end of the tank. Yet another thing to think about when you’re doing your aquascape. I originally wanted to do so without any flow devices on the viewable end of the P-Tank. Well, I quickly discovered that wasn’t going to happen. Although I started with a very poorly designed closed loop (removed not long after I started), if I had to do it again, I would design it much differently and go that route, especially with the advancement of pumps over the last 7 years. So I ended up with a pump on the viewable end. Not a deal breaker but I'd prefer not to have it there.
Although I don’t believe lighting is really any more challenging, making the lighting look nice can be a little tricky given your lights are protruding into your room. So, keep that in mind when planning. Can you hang the lights from the ceiling? In my case, I just ended up building a canopy incorporated into the stand design. You may have to get creative so it fits with the decor of your space.
Last thing I’ll mention is accessibility. If you are lucky enough to have a fish room or basement you can utilize then great and I’m jealous. But since everything had to be self-contained, I wanted to be able to access it from both sides. I actually used panels instead of doors so I can access from both sides when needed. As we all know, there can be a lot of equipment you end up with to manage the tank. Again, you have the same issues with a non-P-Tank but just keep it in mind for the space you’re putting the tank.
This is the tip of the iceberg but I’m hoping it’s a start. I would love for fellow P-Tank owners to make a quick comment, share a picture or two, and then provide a link to their build thread. If this gets any traction, it could be a great resource for folks currently running a P-Tank and having challenges or for folks considering a P-Tank and yet to face them. Life is full of should-of-could-of-would-have moments. Let's see if we can help alleviate that for someone going the P-Tank route.
In closing, here is a quick walk-around mine. These are a little old, but you’ll get the idea. I’ve personally seen numerous P-Tank threads that I’m hoping join the party!
Happy Reefing, whether a peninsula or not!!!
