the new 17,000 gallon reefzilla thread

[Hop]

Guess I had to subscribe to this board just so I can follow the progress here and live vicariously through you guys

[TallDude]

I thought it would be somewhere around 25,000 pounds or so.. I wouldn't want to be the person to carry that into the tank piece by piece.

[frankandmaura]

Man...at $6.99 per pound...that is llike $175k for rock!!! I bet there is some discount for a quantity buy...lol!!!

Even at $3.00 a pound that is quite expensive...$75k!!!

[20 20]

How much of the rock will be base rock?

[clekchau]

i think he is going with tuffa(sp) rock which he is importing from canada for pretty cheap, from what i remember

[spazz]

Originally Posted by TallDude

I thought it would be somewhere around 25,000 pounds or so.. I wouldn't want to be the person to carry that into the tank piece by piece.

ya well i just volunteered you to be the guy at the bottom of the tank to catch the rock as i throw it down to you. i think both energy and i will be going down for a weekend to help install the mountain of rock bill will be ordering. so make sure to have your grub clothes on and be ready to handle 10 tons of rock by hand. you will be begging for before the first 3 tons are in the tank.

[spazz]

Originally Posted by clekchau

i think he is going with tuffa(sp) rock which he is importing from canada for pretty cheap, from what i remember

yep this is what he is planning on having in the tank. but things change as the tank gets gets built.

[spazz]

i hope to have some great update pictures next week some time. i have a trip planned to chicago on monday and plan to take alot of pictures. so check back next week some time.

[Geoff]

why have sand in the tank? i would think that not having sand any would keep the maintenance down. i know most of the huge recently renovated aquariums i have been to do not have sand in the bottom of them.

G~

[spazz]

Originally Posted by Geoff

why have sand in the tank? i would think that not having sand any would keep the maintenance down. i know most of the huge recently renovated aquariums i have been to do not have sand in the bottom of them.

G~

this may be true but i think bill wants to make this as close to the ocean as possible. part of the reason for the tank being 8 ft deep is to go diving in the tank all the time. its like having the ability to dive the reef right from your back yard. bill has been throwing the idea around to get a fairly large shark for the tank. the sand bed would be good to have in there with a shark. he also mentioned a stingray for the tank. but the stocking list will be determined once the tank is full and the availability of fish is determined. i personally wish bill would get a couple of sharks that will mate in the tank. this tank is big enough to handle a breeding pair of sharks. or maybe a breading pair of stingrays. so i feel the sand bed will be needed for the bottom doweling fish and inverts. for easier maintenance, bill plans to build a powered sand siphon unit so the sand can be sifted easier. and the glass will just be scraped from the inside by hand. and im sure there will be enough visitors willing to scrape the tank glass just to dive the tank. ha ha ha

[Geoff]

i am just worried that after about 3-4 years the sand bed will need to be replaced. not a project i would like to undertake on a tank of that size. not to mention the risks to the critters if large dead areas are uncovered.

has he thought about using silica sand instead of aragonite? less chance for phosphate accumulation. the phosphate ladden bacteria are not able to benetrate the tighter crystaline structure of the silica sand. the drawback is that it does not absorb as much as aragonite sand, so if it is not cleaned out regularly the life expectancy of the sand bed is prolly less than an aragonite bed.

just some food for thought.

one impressive setup to say the least!!!

G~

[purebullet417]

signed up for this forum just to watch this tank btw he has a nice porsche

[rppvt]

bill has been throwing the idea around to get a fairly large shark for the tank. the sand bed would be good to have in there with a shark.

Man, some guys have to go MILES to be bitten by a shark... Bill can do it after a hard day at the office! Say, pal, hate the wife's poodle? BAM! Chum!

[Kent Em]

I'm only one man and my opinion may mean very little, but I think the shark is a poor idea. One, that takes the fun out of diving in the tank very quicly the first time you seem tasty. Second, livestock is expensive and I spoke with a man who cares for the cocoa beach surf shop and he said the relatively small black tips get very expensive meals when ever they are quick or stealthy enough.

Buying livestock might not be a problem for Bill, but it could be annoying and... fingers are harder to come by.

[old_man_river]

we need to see more pic