Habitat - Indoor :: My 240 gal build

[Starscream]

I don't know if I should start this here since I am not actually building the tank, but ........... here we go. I guess that it would be a good place to put all my questions and issues about doing this right.


So I got the custom tank quote from the tank company last night. 240 gal, 8'x2'x2', 3 holes cut in the bottom = $1899. I don't think that includes stand or anything.


Just to compare at glass cages.com, I can get 96" x 18" x 31" for about the same money, it includes a stand, starfire glass and overflow hole? That is where I am at right now.

[Starscream]

Nevermind, I found that tank for 759$

[slider_keeper]

For a turtle tank, you don't need it to be pre-drilled. Especially, if your gonna put sand or any other substrate in it. We typically don't used pre-drilled. I have only heard of one that had a hole for draining but he had a bare bottom tank. Can't wait to see the build in progress. You will find your never done. Veipa and I have had our builds for a while (him longer than me), and we are still adding and changing stuff as we go. It is a lot of fun;)

[Starscream]

It is looking like I am going with a bare bottom tank. The canister filers hooked to the bottom. 2 4' removable terrariums on the top, both sides, hidden by a canopy, that has removable covers. Figuring out how to light it, and make sure that enough air gets in the water for all the critters is the next step. Lighting in the tank on the leds. I am thinking flat, white led strips mounted to the terrariums. The terrariums will have 2 uv lights each. At least that is what I am thinking. I have already started the order process on the tank.


The shallow water areas that I am having built into the tank sit on both sides and measure 2' x 18" x 8" below water depth. This is both functional, and looks amazing, the down side is that the terrariums will block all of the light to the tank, especially to the shallow areas. That is what I need to light during the day. I read one turtle that died because it hid under acrylic and thought that it was getting uvb. I will not make that mistake. The terrarium bottoms will not allow any light to pass. So I think that I need to put some leds under the terrarium. I called an engineer to see what can be done.

[steve]

Unless it's a custom filter setup, I don't think you can arrange canisters the way you're describing them. Do you have a sketch of the plans so far?

[Starscream]

Not yet.

[Starscream]

Okay, here is what I know, I am getting 2 of the HW404B's. I am not sure how they are planning on them being set up. With only 2 holes though, there are only 2 ways that I can think of it working. One is both filters chained together, like an output from one hooked into the input of the second.

The other way, which now that I think about it is probably correct, one of the hw404's hooked into the holes on the bottom, and one filtering from the top. So the one on the top would have the hoses run over the sides of the tank. I assume all this, because I don't really know how they work.

[Starscream]

Update, talked to the builder today. Deleted one of the bottom holes. The other was modified to be a drain with a garden hose hookup.

[steve]

VeipaCray has a good post somewhere about why not to have a predrilled tank. Are you going with GlassCages?

[Starscream]

Yes glasscages.com

[Kado]

Interesting build. Monster fish tank! Your turtle will love the it. I remember reading on some forum that people have hooked up canister filters to predrilled tanks. Probably just need a PVC bulk head to do it. At least you won't have problems priming the filter.

P.S. probably not a good idea to chain the filters together, but you can run them in parallel with some kind of Y connectors.. the two inputs together and then the 2 outputs together. I use to do that, but got tired of having to clean 2 filters.

[Starscream]

When I was going to do the drilled holes, they both had bulk heads with valves.

[steve]

I keep a small power head to move the water out of the tank. I'm not sure how well a drain will work, though those with plastic stock tanks can use them.

[Starscream]

the idea of the drain would be a hole cut into the bottom of the tank with a bulkhead and a valve and a garden hose fitting. When it is time to do a water change, I would just attack a hose and run it outside of to a drain. Open the valve and drain the tank. Then I plan on plumbing in a waterline to add in fresh water at the turn of a valve. This is my plan anyways.

[Starscream]

Ok, so inline with my absolute lack of understanding on canister filters. Glass cages wants to sell me 2 x sun sun 404b's at 138$ each and 2 looks like charcoal media kits for 55$ each.

The other option is the aquatop 500uv for a 125$ shipped each. Which is better? and what media do you suggest in the trays?