Room dividing Tank

[Casey]

Hi guys Im starting to plan a new tank it will be a room dividing tank veiwable from 3 sides not 4 my question is I was going to put one end up against the wall that is the end the overflow would be in (centered). My quesion is I want to put the return
on the other end somehow without it showing how can I do it?
Has anyone done it? Got pics? Should I drill it throught the bottom? Sorry I have lots of ??????? thanks Casey

[Minnreefer]

I wold think that either put it thru the bottom or make a hood that allows for plumbing in the top. Is it going to be a big tank? if so the I would think about putting a rotating acctuated valve on the tank and have good flow lenghtwise.

Jon

[Casey]

Originally posted by Minnreefer
I wold think that either put it thru the bottom or make a hood that allows for plumbing in the top. Is it going to be a big tank? if so the I would think about putting a rotating acctuated valve on the tank and have good flow lenghtwise.

Jon

Jon it is gonna be a 225t tank Acrylic 72x24x30
I was thinking the bottom cause didnt wanna run pipe through the hood with all the wires and lighting in the hood,if I ran it through the bottom what about a power loss and back siphoning?

[oregon_gorge]

That sounds awesome Casey!

I am torn. I like Jons idea of running the plumbing across through the canopy. It would give you lost of flexability. have a 3'' overflow and a 2'' return branched out however it works best.

Well, thats how I am going to do my next one. Now I have 2'' in and out and its not enough. But then the thought occured to me. That is because I dont have a closed loop yet. If I had the closed loop for current, well, you know what, I couldnt do too much more current than the 4000 gph does now. DUH?

Anyway, either way, I would do the plumbing up and over just for the ease and flex. And that all I have to say about that.

If it looks anywhere close to what you have already built, it will be screaming awesome!

Good luck!

Chris

[Mrs Smith]

Sounds sweet... I swear I'm going to have one some day. Probably a 90-really-tall or something like that. Make it a predator tank, with lions and triggers and wrasses, oh my!

Good luck with the plumbing - is there a max height? You could always run the plumbing above the lights. I don't know how you'd manage the return through the stand, but it's an interesting problem. I wonder how others have done it.

Danielle, who wants to see pics, as soon as its up!

[Casey]

Thanks Chris good thoughts the stand is gonna be 24 in tall since I have short arms and it is 30 in deep can barely reach the bottom on my 90 gal now.I like the thought of running the return through the canopy except Im always taking my hood off and playing with the lights how would I do this if the plumbing was mounted to the hood? hummm another problem? Danielle you know I will post pics of this baby all the way. Casey

[oregon_gorge]

Well Casey,

I would either make the canopy look like the wall all the way ceiling to the top of the tank with doors, or my preferred way is to make overly tall (compared to the pigmy ones at the LFS) canopy.

The one I am building now has a tall canopy, bowed stand and canopy with a standard tank. It shows 6'' around the top of the stand, plus the extra because of the bow in front. The space around the tank is green marble. The style is from of a bakers rack in a catalog. It has very detailed and curved front, curved doors and raised feet. The top is the same size as the base. 5' long for a 4' tank. It sounds odd, but it really does ''work''. I am really glad Dick came up with the idea for his living room. It will be awesome.

The top will have 14'' to work with. Plenty to run a line up and over. I also build all of the ones I send out with fully opening fronts, just for folks like you and I that cant leave well enough alone. Or so Woody tells me

[Casey]

Chris that sounds awesome darn now I wanna see a pic

[125G's]

Casey, I have a 125 set up as you're proposing for your 225.

I struggled with the return issue as well. I decided to go ahead and install the return on the wall on the opposite side from the overflow (Wall right and wall left). I pointed the return at a slight down angle so by the time the water jet got to the other end it was in the bottom third of the tank. I then installed a micro ph at the surface to increase surface aggitation and to get the water moving back towards the overflow. So far, no film on the surface and it seems to be working well. In addition this gives an area of low flow for corals that prefer this condition. The micro ph is so small that it's not obtrusive IMO.

Plumbing in the canopy has another issue to be considered, besides the ones pointed out so far....Heat from the MH's.

Phil

[Minnreefer]

I guess it all depends on your room where the tank is going to go and if you have a tank room in back for it. Heat is another potential problem if the canopy is enclosed. I think that it could be very cool

Jon

[Spanky]

Casey,

Our tank is a room divider. I don't know if you can tell from this picture of one side, but the returns go over the tank and rest on the braces. There's a return in each four corner. I didn't run the returns attached to the hood so I can remove the hood if I need to.

Where the tank meets the wall, we built a floor to top cabinet about 2 1/2' square. It houses the chiller, skimmer, main sump pump, all ballasts, timers, and controls.

I think it's a nice setup, just more glass to clean.

Jerel

[Casey]

Looks good Spanky I hadnt thought of resting the return on the braces Im thinking with a tank this big and the lights I might have to get a chiller this time.I was thinking of making the stand floor to ceiling also,do you have a pic of your whole setup? To give me some ideas. thanks Casey

[Spanky]

No I don't. We have a peaked ceiling so the tank, stand, and hood are about 8ft tall.

[Reedman]

Casey,

I have a 75 setup as a room divider. The closed loop plumbing is run through the canopy below the lights. I would be real hesitent to put any water above your lights (Murphy's law and all). I really like the 3 sides viewable and it forces a lot more thought into the setup. Good luck with the tank...you'll love the result.

-Reed