Continued from page 1Weight:
Saltwater is denser than fresh water and weighs about 8.5 lbs. per gallon. In considering how large an aquarium to purchase, careful attention has to be paid to the weight of the aquarium when it is fully stocked. I like to round off the figure to about 10 lbs. per gallon in order to give myself a margin of error.
Why is weight important? For the average home aquarium of up to about 55 gallons, weight should not be a problem in most homes or apartments. When you start talking about bigger tanks or even the huge monster ones I spoke of, then weight is a subject that needs to be considered carefully. This is in order to avoid having the tank falling through the floor and creating a huge swimming pool in your or your neighbors home!
Tanks should be placed perpendicular to the beams supporting the floor. This will distribute the weight of the tank across as many beams as possible and give a low lb/sq.ft. A four foot long tank will have a higher lb/sq.ft. than a six foot long tank as the weight is distributed over a longer distance and is therefore more stable. Most homes have more support along the walls and tanks should be placed along a good solid support wall. Never place a large tank in the center of a room as the support there is not as great.
Consider also the weight of the aquarium empty as this can be a problem for some people in moving the tank if the need arises. I know I can get help in initially bringing in the aquarium into my home but when I need to move the tank a year down the line I usually have to do it alone!
Space Available and Ease of Servicing:
Think about how much space you have available BEFORE you make a purchase. Too often we will buy a tank, and then figure out where to put it. The result is a tank that really never looks good where it is placed and/or is difficult to service and maintain.
Measure the area for your planned aquarium carefully taking into account the space needed for the plumbing of the tank, the filtration components, electrical outlets and water sources. Ideally, you want to have several electrical outlets nearby for all the associated equipment as well as a means of bringing and draining water from the tank conveniently.
Space should also be provided for external equipment such as protein skimmers and dosing pumps as these should be place where they can be serviced easily.
Types of Inhabitants:
Another area which most people do not think about when choosing a tank is the type of inhabitants they will house in it. This is important as corals have different requirements from each other, and this needs to be taken into account at the beginning of the entire project.
Tall tanks make impressive displays but require very strong lighting fixtures if one wants to keep high light loving corals like Acropora elsewhere in the tank aside from the top. Large rapid growing soft corals like Sarcophyton can eventually grow out over the top of the water line and would need to be moved further down in the tank or moved to another tank altogether.
Servicing the bottom of the tank or picking up fallen objects becomes more difficult with increasing depth of the tank. Additionally very tall tanks can suffer from decreased oxygen levels near the bottom if not provided with sufficient water movement and gas exchange via protein skimming.
Finances:
Ultimately the amount of available finances will determine the size and type of aquarium you will set up. Acrylics tanks are more costly than glass tanks as more work is involved in their construction. Acrylic tanks are stronger than glass and have greater light transmission and temperature retention qualities than glass. They are, however more easily scratched by algae and the hobbyist him/herself.
Glass tanks are much heavier and more fragile than acrylic but are cheaper to buy initially. They are also harder to scratch but scratches do occasionally occur. On glass tanks, scratches are permanent, on acrylic they can be removed via buffing.
In my opinion, glass tanks are more suitable for reef tanks because of the inhabitants we tend to keep in them. Coralline algae that grows on the tanks surfaces can be difficult to remove, especially in acrylic tanks. Many snails that housed in reef tanks will scratch the acrylic with their radula and result in many tiny scratches which are difficult and time consuming to remove.
The Stand and Canopy:
The stand for a reef aquarium should be strong and roomy. A cabinet stand is usually the best choice as it provides a way to house and hide the associated equipment from view. Look for a strong stand. Choose one made out of a hardwood such as oak. Do not use a stand that is made form particle board material. This type of stand will absorb moisture, swell eventually break down. This could be a disaster!
A 90 gallon reef tank in a custom made enclosure belonging to Frank Savino of New York City
My preference for stands and canopies is oak as it is furniture quality, durable, and strong. However it can also be expensive. Make sure the stand you choose is well supported internally without sacrificing room. Most commercially made stands will meet these criteria.
The canopy should allow you to place either a pre-made hood with your lighting or to bolt the lighting directly to the top of the canopy. The bulbs should not be so close to the water so that splash could present an electrical hazard. Most canopies are made with Fluorescent lighting in mind. If you are looking to use metal halide lighting, a custom made canopy or doing it yourself is recommended.
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