The Ultimate 300 Gallon Tenecor® Build. It Begins with a Blank Piece of Paper.

[Tenecor Aquariums]

We have been wanting to do this for some time. Tenecor® is partnering with an R2R member to build his dream tank. He is looking for a 96x24x30 aquarium with all the goodies. It will be paired with our new Magnum Signature Series Aluminum Stand with a new "Floating Canopy". The Magnum Signature Series will be the pinnacle of aquarium cabinetry. The iterative design will incorporate all the wish list bells whistle as practically possible. This is his build thread. Please enjoy. And, as always, comments and input appreciated.

All the best.

 

[Tonycass12]

I am looking forward to following along with this. The larger tenecore aquariums look really nice and caught my eye recently.

 

[~MD~Reefs~]

Following along! I’ve been looking for a build thread while I get ready to order my tank so this is perfect timing!

 

[Minifoot77]

Love to see a dream come together

 

[JoJosReef]

Following too! Recently reading up on acrylic tanks and dreaming up a 72" x 24 or 30" x ~20" tank myself!

 

[tharbin]

Following too! Recently reading up on acrylic tanks and dreaming up a 72" x 24 or 30" x ~20" tank myself!

I've had acrylics in the past and, as you know, currently have one from Tenecor. I frankly have no desire for another glass tank. The newer low-iron glass tanks, at least the last one I had, scratch just about as easily as an acrylic and you can't fix it. No seam issues, clearer, quieter, better insulation. I'm modern cell-cast acrylic all the way from here on out. By the way I love the depth of my tank. The depth of my current tank is 22 of the 30 inches. If I were to design it again I would seriously consider compromising some on the sump depth for a few more inches of display depth. A 30" depth with external overflow to a sump would be the bomb in my book, although I just prefer the simplicity of an AIO.

 

[Ol’Murph]

Quite excited about getting this going! The process is going just as fun as the end result!

A little back ground info on me. I started in the hobby in 1995, with the purchase of a 58 gallon Oceanic reef ready tank. Been through many tanks, a few 90 gallon, 120 and finally a 160. All glass tanks. Have had many fish....my two oldest a Sailfin Tang lived to be 20.5 years and his buddy, a Chevron Tang to 19 years. A few corals and an anemone have made it along the way. Suffice it to say, I love the hobby.

I have a few tanks up and running now. The issue is that I have a 2019 Gen 1 Red Sea 750 XXL. Before you ask, yes, it still has water in it and it is running. Before you ask again, yes, I think about it all the time.

Honestly, I never thought going acrylic. I always heard the same thing...it scratches easily. Over time that will be large enough to make a large portion of the panel not as clear, etc. I heard it in 1995 and I heard it yesterday. Do I believe it? you bet I do. However, you talk to some of the people here, who have owned them...Some will never go back to glass. Some will. It's liking reading google reviews. So, I decided to see some for myself. Most were amazing. Some were 20+ plus years old. Some had a few scratches, some not at all. Hell, I have scratches in a glass tank. The strength and lighter weight really sold me. My friends who used to help me carry those 200 gallon glass tanks around are now old enough that the only thing they lift is a fork.

I saw Tenecor Aquariums threads and started asking questions. Questions about bowing, deflection, height versus width stress. All the normal questions glass people ask of acrylic people. The owner answered all of them, and more importantly, took the time to answer them thoroughly. The kind of stuff I really like in people I do business with. He showed pics of the prototypes of the new stands coming up and I was intrigued. Not crazy stuff but things that some of you could do, with some time and the right equipment, and the most important part, you have the skill to do so. Me, not so much. I reached out to Tenecor and explained the situation with my existing tank and my concerns about getting the tank on order now and waiting for the new stand. Just figuring it was more of a timing issue than anything else and did he think the timing would work. Well, he took my question and turned it into what you will see here.

So now, I am ordering a 96x24x30 tank from Tenecor Aquariums, along with their new Signature Series Magnum stands that are due to come out shortly. Why 96" long? Well, my tangs are always telling me they want a longer tank to stretch their fins, so why not make them happier? I went 30" high simply because I think a tank that long looks very short at 24". Tenecor will keep everyone up to date on the manufacturing of the tank and stand I will cover the actual install, filling, and stocking of this tank. Goal of the tank is to become an LPS dominated reef, along with clams. Gotta love the clams! This isn't going to be a "Pimp my tank" kinda of thing. I hope we build and install items that make it easier to keep and maintain a tank of this size without having to sell my kids. Wait, on second thought.....

Once again, a huge thanks to Tenecor Aquariums for aiding and abetting an old reefer!

 

[Tonycass12]

Honestly, I never thought going acrylic. I always heard the same thing...it scratches easily. Over time that will be large enough to make a large portion of the panel not as clear, etc. I heard it in 1995 and I heard it yesterday. Do I believe it? you bet I do. However, you talk to some of the people here, who have owned them...Some will never go back to glass. Some will. It's liking reading google reviews. So, I decided to see some for myself. Most were amazing. Some were 20+ plus years old. Some had a few scratches, some not at all. Hell, I have scratches in a glass tank. The strength and lighter weight really sold me. My friends who used to help me carry those 200 gallon glass tanks around are now old enough that the only thing they lift is a fork.

I saw Tenecor Aquariums threads and started asking questions. Questions about bowing, deflection, height versus width stress. All the normal questions glass people ask of acrylic people. The owner answered all of them, and more importantly, took the time to answer them thoroughly.

All the same questions I've got going on im my head looking at the acrylic tanks. I used to maintain very large acrylic tanks where the walls were measured in inches thick. The tenecore tanks look like they have very thin acrylic compared to most of the tanks I've seen.

 

[Devaji]

oh nice! fallowing along on this one.

I almost went with there 300 a year or so ago. before the T slot stands came out. was pretty close expect I was going to go 96x30x24 so this is right up my reefing alley.

 

[EasternShoreman]

Subscribed!!!

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Everyone, please ask questions and comment. Doesn't have to be just the hugs and kisses. If we need to improve on something, let us know.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Quite excited about getting this going! The process is going just as fun as the end result!

A little back ground info on me. I started in the hobby in 1995, with the purchase of a 58 gallon Oceanic reef ready tank. Been through many tanks, a few 90 gallon, 120 and finally a 160. All glass tanks. Have had many fish....my two oldest a Sailfin Tang lived to be 20.5 years and his buddy, a Chevron Tang to 19 years. A few corals and an anemone have made it along the way. Suffice it to say, I love the hobby.

I have a few tanks up and running now. The issue is that I have a 2019 Gen 1 Red Sea 750 XXL. Before you ask, yes, it still has water in it and it is running. Before you ask again, yes, I think about it all the time.

Honestly, I never thought going acrylic. I always heard the same thing...it scratches easily. Over time that will be large enough to make a large portion of the panel not as clear, etc. I heard it in 1995 and I heard it yesterday. Do I believe it? you bet I do. However, you talk to some of the people here, who have owned them...Some will never go back to glass. Some will. It's liking reading google reviews. So, I decided to see some for myself. Most were amazing. Some were 20+ plus years old. Some had a few scratches, some not at all. Hell, I have scratches in a glass tank. The strength and lighter weight really sold me. My friends who used to help me carry those 200 gallon glass tanks around are now old enough that the only thing they lift is a fork.

I saw Tenecor Aquariums threads and started asking questions. Questions about bowing, deflection, height versus width stress. All the normal questions glass people ask of acrylic people. The owner answered all of them, and more importantly, took the time to answer them thoroughly. The kind of stuff I really like in people I do business with. He showed pics of the prototypes of the new stands coming up and I was intrigued. Not crazy stuff but things that some of you could do, with some time and the right equipment, and the most important part, you have the skill to do so. Me, not so much. I reached out to Tenecor and explained the situation with my existing tank and my concerns about getting the tank on order now and waiting for the new stand. Just figuring it was more of a timing issue than anything else and did he think the timing would work. Well, he took my question and turned it into what you will see here.

So now, I am ordering a 96x24x30 tank from Tenecor Aquariums, along with their new Signature Series Magnum stands that are due to come out shortly. Why 96" long? Well, my tangs are always telling me they want a longer tank to stretch their fins, so why not make them happier? I went 30" high simply because I think a tank that long looks very short at 24". Tenecor will keep everyone up to date on the manufacturing of the tank and stand I will cover the actual install, filling, and stocking of this tank. Goal of the tank is to become an LPS dominated reef, along with clams. Gotta love the clams! This isn't going to be a "Pimp my tank" kinda of thing. I hope we build and install items that make it easier to keep and maintain a tank of this size without having to sell my kids. Wait, on second thought.....

Once again, a huge thanks to Tenecor Aquariums for aiding and abetting an old reefer!

Hitting this first thing in the morning. First topic are the overflows. We are going with triple drains (1") single returns in each OF as the client requested. The OF's will measure 14x5. We are going to place them in each rear corners but OFFSET from the side walls by about 6 inches. In other words, each OF will be three sided wall mounts with approx. six inches between them and the side walls. Why? Aesthetics. With them offset from the side walls, you won't see inside the OF's when viewing from an end or at an angle. On this size, we would like to go 2 inches high on the slots and add black polycarbonate gates. Slots would be 1/4 inch wide. A removable shelf will be added to each OF just below the weirs. The removable shelf can be used to hold filter media such as our Bio Floss balls or Open Cell reticulated foam. This is if the client is concerned about little critters going down the drain.

 

[Minifoot77]

What is the thickness on the panels of this tank and can we see some of the manufacturing process? No trade secrets but maybe jigs or an idea of how they are welded?

 

[1ocean]

awesome...I maybe reaching out to you soon. Thinking of replacing the 300 here( 96x30x24) with 72x48x30 (aprox 450) ..plus your in AZ with me...

 

[accidental_reefer]

Very cool; looking forward to seeing this project develop.

 

[1ocean]

Very cool; looking forward to seeing this project develop.

yeah in the saving the cash aside part...

 

[JoJosReef]

Everyone, please ask questions and comment. Doesn't have to be just the hugs and kisses. If we need to improve on something, let us know.

Not sure I understand well the wet/dry filtration system. You trickle return water over bio media for cycle start-up/maintaining the cycle? Once your tank has well-established rocks (particularly if you started with live / ocean rocks), don't you typically remove the bio media since it becomes redundant? What would you then replace the trickle plate/biomedia with?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

What is the thickness on the panels of this tank and can we see some of the manufacturing process? No trade secrets but maybe jigs or an idea of how they are welded?

Please see the next post regarding the thicknesses. As for the step by step pics and vids, no problems with that. Yes, there are a couple of behind the kimono shots we would not share. Most of the other stuff is no problem.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

After further FB from the client, we are looking at a two access opening design with a center mount OF. The drains will be dual 1 inch and the returns will be dual 3/4 inch. Each return will be independent with its own Sicce SDC pump. Tank walls are 1/2 inch and the top will be thicker at 3/4 inch. The OF will have weirs on three sides with 1/8 inch by 1-1/2 inch slots. Adjustable black polycarb gates on all sides. Two 2 inch thru holes, one each in the back corners will allow for wave makers, margarita blenders or other in tank accessories. Returns will be on both short walls. The OF will also have a separate black polycarb lid. Black back. The images are split views, the top pattern and the corresponding drill pattern of the bottom panel.