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Considerations for Buying a Large
Tank
by Rex
Niedermeyer
First published by The Saltwater Enthusiasts
Association of the Bay Area (SEABay)
Aquarticles
Some of the things I would think about before
choosing a large tank are the following:
1. Power access
A large reef tank requires a lot of power unless you use natural
lighting, and even then it can be substantial. My 240
gal. reef uses close to 30 amps peak, which means that you will need at
least two dedicated breaker circuits of at least 15-20 amps each.
Significantly more than 240 gallons and you might need three. Unless
you are fortunate in your current house wiring at the selected location
you will likely need to add additional circuits and wiring to support a
much larger tank. Also expect fairly hefty power bills of between
$100-200/month just for the tank.
2. Structural support
Make sure that the location where you plan on placing the tank will
support its weight. As long as the tank is not too deep (greater than
30"), or you don't plan to place the tank in the middle of the room,
you should be OK for loading. If either or both of the above mentioned
conditions are true, then you need to make sure the actual loading
(total tank weight/foot print area) is within your floor's capability
(if it is a slab floor then there should not be a problem).
3. Heating and cooling
Equipment to support a large reef tank can generate a lot of heat
(assuming you are using metal halide lighting). Depending on tank
location, cooling, even with a chiller, can be a problem. If you can
remotely locate the chiller outside in a cool location (you do not want
the chillers subjected to full sunlight as they can fail if their
ambient temperature runs much above 90ºF), this can help
reduce some of the heating, but between the lighting and pumps required
for a large tank you will still have plenty. If your house is
air-conditioned this will also help, but if not try to have a
significant number of fans strategically placed to help cool the tank
through evaporation, as well as your lighting system set up with a
controller that can shut it off if tank temp. gets too high. (I also
have my skimmer pump set to turn off if temp. is too high as the pump
for that is fairly large).
4. Evaporation rate
A large tank evaporates a significant amount of water on a daily basis
(likely several gallons). I would try to have some sort of automated
top-off system planned and plumbed unless you really like having to add
this much make-up water to it every day or two.
5. Maintenance
My cardinal rule is that if maintenance is difficult to do, it will not
get done, particularly for a large tank. Make sure that all pumps,
outlets, filters, and especially the sides of the tank that need to be
cleaned are readily accessible. I would also make sure that the tank
layout and positioning allows you to reach most any point in the tank
both for maintenance as well as specimen positioning. One of the keys
to making the tank accessible for cleaning, as well as getting to
specimens, is to have a canopy or lighting system that is easily
removed, or constructed so as to not hinder access by allowing it to be
opened or hinged in some fashion.
6. Redundancy/safety precautions
Try to have back-up systems wherever possible. The cost and effort put
into stocking a large tank are such that you do not want a single
failure in any one piece of equipment to cause your system to crash.
Use multiple pumps from the sump as well as within the tank itself for
circulation. Have multiple heater units. Place the various pumps and
heaters, as well as lighting fixtures, on multiple electrical circuits
(you have to for a large tank anyway), so that if any one circuit trips
due to short or other failure mode, not all the critical equipment will
be shut down. Also use multiple GFI circuits where appropriate, to
minimize the chance of electrocuting yourself as well as your tank. The
ultimate in redundancy is to have an auxiliary power unit available to
kick-in in case of power failure (not for the faint of heart or pocket
book).
7.Cost
If you can get used stuff it's a lot cheaper, especially the tank
itself (check newspapers as well as some of the online auctions such as
E-bay). A 240 gallon tank itself could run you $600-1000 new depending
on the extras wanted (e.g., multiple overflows, black back, etc.).
Expect to pay over $1000 for lighting a 240, likely more for a larger
tank. A large skimmer could cost you $1000 or so when you add the pump
costs in as well. The pumps themselves will likely cost you several
hundred dollars depending on how much redundancy you plan on having.
Cabinet costs depend on whether you want stock or custom - if tank is
much larger than 300 gallons you will likely need a custom cabinet
unless you are lucky enough to find a used tank with its own cabinet.
Even the above equipment costs will pale compared to the
cost of stocking a large reef tank with specimens and rock unless you
are very patient and willing. Stock with fragments and then wait for
small to become large.
As to selling your old tank - one option would be to
donate the tank to SEABay and then write it off your taxes. (We are a
non-profit organization). Unless you find just the right buyer for your
tank it will be difficult to get top dollar, so the net gain for a
donation may be very similar to what you would get for selling it. (Of
course you do have to wait for tax time to get any benefit).
Believe me, I am not trying to scare you off. Large
tanks are really neat, but you should also be aware that they require
more thought and planning than a more moderate sized tank such as the
one you currently have. Let me know if you have any further questions
and I will try my best.
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