New Tank Help

[Brad]

Hi guys,
At the moment I have a 6" tank (6"L x 18' Hx 18'D) It's made out of 10mm glass. Even though I've had this tank for 5 years, I'm still very much a noobie when it comes to this kind of thing.
Question is...... I'm having a new tank made by a glazier, 8"L x 36'H x 18'D. The thing that worries me is the silicon being used on the tank, and the transfer of the fish to the bigger tank. How long should I wait and is there any special things I should do to get the chemicles right?
I'm sorry if this sounds silly, but when I brought my 6" tank it was from a shop and I don't know if they need some kind of flushing or treatment before you introduce fish to to the new tank.

Thanks in advance

Brad

[Woodsy]

Providing your glazier uses aquarium silicon and it has been left to cure properly, you shouldn't need to treat it before use. It will, however, benefit from a good polish using water and a bit of scrunched-up newspaper before filling, just to remove any hydrophobic dust that will show up after you fill.
That's a massive tank, so I'm not sure how long it will take to cycle, it will depend on your filtration. Once your ammonia and nitrate levels have peaked and then subsided, it will be right for fish. Check your general hardness and your pH to make sure they match up with your existing tank, and then you can acclimatise them to their new home.

One small note regarding your tank dimensions though, going 3 feet high and only 18 inches wide is a big gamble. I hope you have insurance.

[wombat1100]

Hey there Brad, personally i would be washing out the tank first,
then filling it with water to the top for a day or so just to make sure the silicone doesn't leech anything as it will be fresh.
then drain and set up using as much of the water from your already cycled tank as you can, and i would be using the filter u have on your cycled tank aswell if you can, then top up with treated water and let it cycle and check it for a week daily, technically if you use your cycled tank water and filter the tank should cycle alot quicker.
Joz has posted a couple of interesting things on cycling somewhere on the forum, might be worth looking at.
Daz

[Brad]

One small note regarding your tank dimensions though, going 3 feet high and only 18 inches wide is a big gamble. I hope you have insurance.

First of all, thanks for the replies.
Is going those dimensions a prob? I can't go any wider as the tank is being made to fit in the cavity in the wall.
The new tank is being made from 15mm glass to stop any flex. Will that help?

[wombat1100]

I cant see a problem with the dimensions, just make sure you have ALOT of support under it, that tank will weigh in excess of 1000kg when full
the 15mm glass should be OK with the deflection but i would have a horizontal strip put along the top on the front and back to aid it a little more with cross ties in it just in case, they will act as glass cove supports anyway.

[Woodsy]

No, that's not what I was worried about. Having something that's skinny and tall puts a major strain on the upper part of the tank, and unless you have say, 20ml braces across the top to take that strain, the glass is likely to split if not explode. I'm not trying to be a killjoy for you mate, but flying glass and 1000-odd liters of water rushing through your house is probably not a good thing. I discussed the tank with a bloke today, who has been a glazier specialising in fish tanks for over 30 years, and his exact words were, "With lots of bracing you might get away with it, but I sure as hell wouldn't be filling it up in my house."
That isn't to say that your glazier doesn't know what he's doing, but like I said earlier, I hope you have insurance.

[Brad]

^^ You've got me worried now.
The guy making the tank said there will 4 x 300mm wide brace pieces accross the top with a 15mm thick rail 50mm wide around the top and the bottom of the tank.
To start off with I asked for it out of 10mm but I was advised by the glazier to go 15mm, geez the price jumps up for that extra 5mm thickness. :) Hopefully I won't wake up one night in a wet dream

[wombat1100]

Geeze Woodsy i would have thought the cross braces would have been enough to sop the deflection and cracking, maybe it would be wise to get a stainless steel angle frame to surround the top edge of the tank with welded braced across it made up for support Brad? just a thought,

[Woodsy]

Like I said fellas, not trying to make it hard for you, but I've seen it happen before and it's not pretty. The only reason I gave my opinion and discussed it with another tank maker is because I'd hate to see anyone get hurt. I've been approached by many people over the years who have said, "I've made this", or, "My glazier is putting this together for me", only to have it end in disaster. I'm not a glazier myself, so I'm not going to pretend like I know more than yours does, but as soon as I read those dimensions alarm bells rang.
I hope it all works out for you Brad, and it sounds like it will make a stunning display when it's all finished. Make sure you keep us updated with photo's buddy ;)

[GoGuppy]

Hi, Just my two cents worth. Firstly I confess never to have built a tank, but you are probably aware of the following website http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/aquariumdiy/l/blcustomtank.htm which indicates you need 20mm thick glass!!
Cheers

[GoGuppy]

Hi Brad
I was in Manly (Sydney) today and dropped in at Manly Aquariums. I had forgotten they have a massive free standing display tank at the back of the shop, it's 2.4m x 1.2 m x 1.2m (or 8' x 4' x 4' for the metrically challenged) and holds 3450 litres (that's heaps of gallons, more than you'll ever need).
I thought you might be interested in the technical specs of the tank:
it is made of 19mm thick glass, the seams are a 19mm overlap with 24mm double reinforcing and is contained by a 50mm diameter steel tubular frame, that is at the four corners and around the top edge. It has three cross braces at the top, also of 19mm glass.
It sits on a massive concrete foundation. Lighting is provided by 4 x 150W metal halides.
Oh yeah, the tank value is $14,000 empty. At the moment it holds a great collection of rainbows, other fish and gorgeous plants.
Cheers

[wombat1100]

WoW GG now thats something i would love to see, i bet the rainbows love the space and are as colourful as all get out! are they native plants in it?
do they have a website with pics maybe?