taking another shot at my "monster" project.

[korweabo0]

it seems i don't have any local custom glass cutting stores near my location. so my previous project went down the drain. - i'll put that project on hold for now.

i've now decided to build a 222g tank - with a width limit of 55 1/2 inches(proceed to the attachment picture for better understanding of this) i believe. i'm still punching numbers around to find out what height and length i need to get my 222 desired gallons. so i need to firstly find out the remaining dimensions. any assistance with this?

i'll be making my own stand, without a canopy. after i finish punching numbers to find out the remaining dimensions of my tank, i'll move onto this step.

i'll be using three AC70(AquaClear 70) or three Penguin 350 HOB filters until i manage to get a 55g or so from CL, then make a sump out of it. i'm undecided to which filter i should get, but people say the AC70 is by far the best.

i'll be doing sand substrate, with rock decoration. but i'm undecided as to what color or kind i should get. i want a color that would make my fish stick out - so i guess i'll have to decide on the fish i want before i decide on the color of the sand/tank. any semi-aggressive suggestions?

i might drill in overflow boxes and such, but this will come after i've finished the schematics of the tank and stand.

any help is appreciated!

[Crispy]

AC110s instead of 70s would be much better... and yeah, a tank that big deserves a 55g wet/dry sump!

[Scrup]

Few questions.

are you wanting to put it in the wall?

What are you going to build it out of? glass acrylic or plywood?

222 gallons? where did that come from?

You do know sumps can be anything as long as it holds water and doesn't leach right? Sterlite bins are DIRT cheap. unless you want the sump for decorative purposes, then I could see requiring a tank for it.


as far as gravel go, darker colors will make fish's colors deeper, almost more vibrant, where lighter colors will bleach them out.

for the glass tubing, one place you may call, as weird as it sounds, is a "head shop". they sell products for smoking..stuff. But they may be able to point you to a good glass supplier

[korweabo0]

Few questions.

are you wanting to put it in the wall?
What are you going to build it out of? glass acrylic or plywood?
222 gallons? where did that come from?

You do know sumps can be anything as long as it holds water and doesn't leach right? Sterlite bins are DIRT cheap. unless you want the sump for decorative purposes, then I could see requiring a tank for it.

as far as gravel go, darker colors will make fish's colors deeper, almost more vibrant, where lighter colors will bleach them out.

for the glass tubing, one place you may call, as weird as it sounds, is a "head shop". they sell products for smoking..stuff. But they may be able to point you to a good glass supplier

question1: no, not in the wall. but on it.
not sure if that made sense, but hopefully you understand that.
question2: glass and plywood.
question3: well on my other project i didn't want it to go over 70 gallons because of the space it would consume(width-wise). i was going to put the tank i was previously wanting to build in my basement where no space is being consumed. but this tank i was given consent of where to put it, and it so happened to be there on that wall. i'll take actuall pictures for better understanding.

well, if i build my stand with space under, and perhaps a door - i'll most definitely getting bins, and make myself at least 2 or 3 wet/dry towers(i'll find a picture to explain this).

thanks for clearing the gravel part out.
"head shop" ? - please elaborate.

AC110s instead of 70s would be much better... and yeah, a tank that big deserves a 55g wet/dry sump!


thanks for the filter suggestion. i'll look into that!

[SunSchein89]

"head shop" ? - please elaborate.

A head shop is a place where you can buy mainly glass pipes (bowls), water pipes (bongs), or any other assortment of smoking pieces, scales, grinders, etc. They also normally sell incense, shirts, and other cool "hippy" things. Check around online or even look in your local mall for that store with all of the stone dragons, swords, and black lights; they normally have all the smoking stuff towards the back or in a separate room you need to ask permission/show ID (be at least 18) to enter. Anyway, the point is that most of these stores will have local glass artists that make these pieces for them and if you get in contact with them, may be willing to make some sort of custom piece of glass for you, just make sure you tell them at least twice that it's not supposed to have a toke hole :hmm3grin2orange: .

[korweabo0]

right before a water change!!

here are pictures of the wall i'm speaking of. replacing the canvas and vase you see there with the tank i'm hoping to build.
p.s. don't mind my sister toys lingering around.

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]




A head shop is a place where you can buy mainly glass pipes (bowls), water pipes (bongs), or any other assortment of smoking pieces, scales, grinders, etc. They also normally sell incense, shirts, and other cool "hippy" things. Check around online or even look in your local mall for that store with all of the stone dragons, swords, and black lights; they normally have all the smoking stuff towards the back or in a separate room you need to ask permission/show ID (be at least 18) to enter. Anyway, the point is that most of these stores will have local glass artists that make these pieces for them and if you get in contact with them, may be willing to make some sort of custom piece of glass for you, just make sure you tell them at least twice that it's not supposed to have a toke hole :hmm3grin2orange: .

woah. i'll go ahead and look around for those!

[SunSchein89]

Thought you might like this. I did a quick google search for "aquarium gallonage (real word?) calculator" and came up with this site. [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]. It doesn't have a reverse option, but with just a few tries I came up with a tank that is 55.5" wide, 30" deep, and 30" tall coming out to 216.23 gallons which is pretty close to what you're looking for. If you realllly want it to be 222 gallons, I'm sure you could tweak it, but with all of the stuff you'll be putting in there, it won't be really 222 gallons anyway, and I'm sure even measurement numbers would be much easier to work with. Just don't forget that adding a stand might make it stick out a couple extra inches overall if you need to stick to that 55.5" wide measurement and that the tank itself will need a good few inches out from the wall for equipment and such.

[korweabo0]

Thought you might like this. I did a quick google search for "aquarium gallonage (real word?) calculator" and came up with this site. [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]. It doesn't have a reverse option, but with just a few tries I came up with a tank that is 55.5" wide, 30" deep, and 30" tall coming out to 216.23 gallons which is pretty close to what you're looking for. If you realllly want it to be 222 gallons, I'm sure you could tweak it, but with all of the stuff you'll be putting in there, it won't be really 222 gallons anyway, and I'm sure even measurement numbers would be much easier to work with. Just don't forget that adding a stand might make it stick out a couple extra inches overall if you need to stick to that 55.5" wide measurement and that the tank itself will need a good few inches out from the wall for equipment and such.


it will weigh more with the plywood and internal decorations and fish. 222 was just a rough number i came up with to have an idea of how big the tank would be.

but thanks for the find!


edit: i'll go with 32Lx55Wx32H. i'll cut down the L and H to decimals in order to cut the wood more properly.

[Scrup]

Important thing to remember before you get too into this, unless you are building this on a concrete slab, you might wanna make sure the floor can support it, or brace the floor in the basement if you can.

its about 8.57 lbs per gallon. 222 gallon tank will have a little over 1900 pounds of water in it, with the tank and stand, its easily over a ton. Dont put the tank anywhere you wouldn't park a car.

this might help ya a bit-
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[korweabo0]

Important thing to remember before you get too into this, unless you are building this on a concrete slab, you might wanna make sure the floor can support it, or brace the floor in the basement if you can.

its about 8.57 lbs per gallon. 222 gallon tank will have a little over 1900 pounds of water in it, with the tank and stand, its easily over a ton. Dont put the tank anywhere you wouldn't park a car.


i'll be sure to remember this. if anything, i'll just build the tank in the basement - it's pretty much a game room for me.

thank you.

edit: thanks for the link as well.
edit2: is this a forum glitch, or is it just me? whenever i make a thread i can only edit my starting post once, then i can never edit it again!!!

[Scrup]

it times out, you get about 5 min to edit them, then its locked in.

[SunSchein89]

edit2: is this a forum glitch, or is it just me? whenever i make a thread i can only edit my starting post once, then i can never edit it again!!!

Thought I was having the same problem before myself. There's a 15 minute or less time limit on editing posts. Anything after that time a moderator will have to edit it for you if need be (thanks again william :ssmile: ).

[korweabo0]

it times out, you get about 5 min to edit them, then its locked in.

Thought I was having the same problem before myself. There's a 15 minute or less time limit on editing posts. Anything after that time a moderator will have to edit it for you if need be (thanks again william :ssmile: ).


thanks guys. i thought it was just me (blush)

also, i've decided to go with black sand substrate and a Fluval FX5 canister instead of 3 AC110's.
less nonsense taking space inside the tank.
now i need somewhere to get the rock.

[Crispy]

thanks guys. i thought it was just me (blush)

also, i've decided to go with a Fluval FX5 canister instead of 3 AC110's. less nonsense taking space inside the tank, and black sand. now i need somewhere to get the rock.

Go with an FX5 and one or 2 AC110s... your fish will thank you. :ssmile:

[korweabo0]

Go with an FX5 and one or 2 AC110s... your fish will thank you. :ssmile:


i will definitely get at least two AC110's after i rack up some more money.

[Crispy]

i will definitely get at least two AC110's after i rack up some more money.

I have an overstocked 190g full of monsters and I run 2 AC110s, FX5, and 55g wet/dry (awesome filtration)... do you have an idea of your stocking?

[korweabo0]

I have an overstocked 190g full of monsters and I run 2 AC110s, FX5, and 55g wet/dry (awesome filtration)... do you have an idea of your stocking?


i have no idea yet of what i want....

i may -- big may, go african cichilds. although i fell in love with the double red cockatoo, but it's N.W..
i like the fig8 puffer, but don't want a brackish water tank.
and i like the tire track and fire eel, but they get rather big..

i would like a vast amount of variation in this tank because it will be big. but i don't want to have to get schools of fish. semi-aggressive is definitely what i'm aiming for.

[Crispy]

i have no idea yet of what i want....

i may -- big may, go african cichilds. although i fell in love with the double red cockatoo, but it's N.W..
i like the fig8 puffer, but don't want a brackish water tank.
and i like the tire track and fire eel, but they get rather big..

i would like a vast amount of variation in this tank because it will be big. but i don't want to have to get schools of fish. semi-aggressive is definitely what i'm aiming for.

Many people get bored of africans after awhile... they are colorful and nice, but all have same body shape and same personalities for the most part. I would pick an awesome centerpiece fish and build around it. Those eels would be fine in a 220 along with other fish. You thinking monster fish or medium sized? Predators or no?

[korweabo0]

Many people get bored of africans after awhile... they are colorful and nice, but all have same body shape and same personalities for the most part. I would pick an awesome centerpiece fish and build around it. Those eels would be fine in a 220 along with other fish. You thinking monster fish or medium sized? Predators or no?


well. this tank may be the last tank i'll ever make or own. so i wouldn't want something that will grow so big it would eat anything i put in it.

medium sized as in 8 inches? or smaller?
predators sound really nice. any recommendations?

also, how many water changes a week/month do you do on your tank? and do you buy a monthly dose of new media for your canister&filters?

[korweabo0]

let's say i would get fish that would move the sand substrate a bit and make the water slightly cloudy - would that pose as a problem when i have a FX5 and two AC110's while running a sump of atleast 55g? i don't want to have cloudy water most of the time even when the tank is being heavily filtrated.

it's a scenario - but i will most likely have these items in the future.

[Crispy]

If sand gets sucked into your filters, they will wear down the impellor quickly.

BTW, you get 15 mins to edit posts.

[korweabo0]

If sand gets sucked into your filters, they will wear down the impellor quickly.

BTW, you get 15 mins to edit posts.

firstly, could you take a look at the post above the one you just answered?
secondly, let's say my impeller wore down - could it be replaced, or would i need to buy another filter or canister? also, did you mean "wear" down as in breaking, or slowing down?

and yeah, thanks to Scrup and SunSchein89 i was made clear of the 15 minutes for edits.

[Crispy]

firstly, could you take a look at the post above the one you just answered?
secondly, let's say my impeller wore down - could it be replaced, or would i need to buy another filter or canister? also, did you mean "wear" down as in breaking, or slowing down?

Sand wouldn't affect a wet/dry sump much, just gotta watch your other filters. Impellors can be replaced, but they're costly. Sand can do both; wear down the impellor or break it completely. It's a gamble.

[korweabo0]

Many people get bored of africans after awhile... they are colorful and nice, but all have same body shape and same personalities for the most part. I would pick an awesome centerpiece fish and build around it. Those eels would be fine in a 220 along with other fish. You thinking monster fish or medium sized? Predators or no?

well. this tank may be the last tank i'll ever make or own. so i wouldn't want something that will grow so big it would eat anything i put in it.

medium sized as in 8 inches? or smaller?
predators sound really nice. any recommendations?

also, how many water changes a week/month do you do on your tank? and do you buy a monthly dose of new media for your canister&filters?


Sand wouldn't affect a wet/dry sump much, just gotta watch your other filters. Impellors can be replaced, but they're costly. Sand can do both; wear down the impellor or break it completely. It's a gamble.

i may have take that gamble. i'm too decided on the sand substrate..:scry:

[Crispy]

Many people use sand with their HOBs, just watch out for fish that will really stir it up. FX5 intake sits close to the substrate and that is one filter you don't want mucked up. HOBs sit a bit higher and won't take in as much sand usually.

As for recommendations, there's a ton of options for that size tank... if you picked a few fish you really want, I could help you with tankmates, but it's all up to you. Afterall, it's your tank.

Since the bioload of my tank is huge, I do twice a week waterchanges (40% mondays, 25-30% fri or sat).

My filters I clean at different times when necessary (one filter a month usually)

[Scrup]

Getting a sponge pre-filter helps quite a bit with big stuff getting into the filters too. I clean the filter cartridges probably once every 2-3 months, and the prefilters every water change.

[korweabo0]

Many people use sand with their HOBs, just watch out for fish that will really stir it up. FX5 intake sits close to the substrate and that is one filter you don't want mucked up. HOBs sit a bit higher and won't take in as much sand usually.

As for recommendations, there's a ton of options for that size tank... if you picked a few fish you really want, I could help you with tankmates, but it's all up to you. Afterall, it's your tank.

Since the bioload of my tank is huge, I do twice a week waterchanges (40% mondays, 25-30% fri or sat).

My filters I clean at different times when necessary (one filter a month usually)


i'll care more for my canister then. of course i have none of this now, i'm just planning ahead of time.

for the fish, anything aggressive or semi-aggressive will do. i'm not good with picking fish, i just pick them because of the way they look. but since i want peak performance and scenery i'll have to say i'd like fish that will look good with a dark(black sand substrate[hopefully if i find it...] and black rocks, or a very dull red(like the colors of bricks. perhaps even duller))

but my mind has been made up, either a fire eel or a tire track eel is my up-most first choice in fish.


top-dwellers, middle-dwellers and bottom-dwellers!

Getting a sponge pre-filter helps quite a bit with big stuff getting into the filters too. I clean the filter cartridges probably once every 2-3 months, and the prefilters every water change.

so would it be wise to put a small aquarium sponge on the entrance to both the FX5 and AC110 filters? - like where the water enters and starts to get filtered.

[Crispy]

so would it be wise to put a small aquarium sponge on the entrance to both the FX5 and AC110 filters? - like where the water enters and starts to get filtered.

It would be wise, but it hasta be small enough to not allow sand to enter but not too small to restrict flow. Eels are cool and can get along with most semi-aggressive predators. Ever thought of a frontosa colony? They are the kings of the african cichlids and look great with black sand/rocks. They would be bottom/mid-level swimmers as they like cover. Some of the exotic plecos are really cool and pretty rare in a nice showtank.

[korweabo0]

It would be wise, but it hasta be small enough to not allow sand to enter but not too small to restrict flow. Eels are cool and can get along with most semi-aggressive predators. Ever thought of a frontosa colony? They are the kings of the african cichlids and look great with black sand/rocks. They would be bottom/mid-level swimmers as they like cover. Some of the exotic plecos are really cool and pretty rare in a nice showtank.


okay, so would it be okay to put let's say a sponge from a AC110, and cut it in half then cut a small hole in the middle to insert onto the FX5 and the two AC110's?

since i'm not really considering cichilds i wont say i wouldn't put them in my tank, but they look nice. and i will get a plceo, but i'm still undecided about which one. i'm leaning towards the rio-negro pleco(L135)-[peckoltia sp. platyrhyncha] or the rio de para pleco(L075)-[peckoltia sabaji] OR the redtail leopard pleco(L114)-[pseudoacanthicus leopardus]

[gadget228]

If your going to build your own aquarium here is a couple links that you may want to check out, These will work for both saltwater and freshwater,

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Scrup]

for prefilters I use something like this -[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Home depot sells them for about $7 for 2 near me, and I cut them in half and use each half on an intake. If it is too big for the intake I use a little black ziptie and fasten it in place around the top and bottom. AC filters would work as well, just make sure its fine enough.

[korweabo0]

If your going to build your own aquarium here is a couple links that you may want to check out, These will work for both saltwater and freshwater,

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

thanks, i'll look into that.

for prefilters I use something like this - [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Home depot sells them for about $7 for 2 near me, and I cut them in half and use each half on an intake. If it is too big for the intake I use a little black ziptie and fasten it in place around the top and bottom. AC filters would work as well, just make sure its fine enough.

thanks for that!

[korweabo0]

quick update.

found two 55g's, one ac110 and two emperor 400s on CL. let's hope luck is on my side and the seller replys!