???'s about structural integrity.

[JimNasty]

Hi all,

Got a question about tank integrity for anyone that can answer.
Employee of LFS makes me an offer that I cannot refuse. $10 for a 42 gal Oceanic Hex (tank only, $10 only to cover his costs fro DRILLING). I take him up on the offer, but now am starting the think of the potential disasters of putting this tank in my living room. The tank has 2 holes (2in I believe) drilled side by side in the center of the bottom of the tank. There is about 1/2" between the two holes, and when the bulkheads are installed, you cannot see the separation. The idea of having a nice hex tank drilled so it can be a nice centerpiece of the room is an attractive thought, but I don't know if the tank will hold up under the weight of the water and rocks.

Should I add some bracing to the tank (suggestions?) or just scrap this tank idea and count the $10 investment as a "learning experience"?

Thanks for any input, and thanks for giving your time at this forum.

Jim

[Reefland]

Hi JimNasty and Welcome to Reefland!

I am no engineer but to me, it seems that the tank will be ok with the holes drilled in it. People are drilling holes in glass all the time and I have yet to hear a story of this causing the glass to weaken to the point it breaks.

If your worried about it, set it up temporarily, perhaps in a garage or the backyard, and fill it with water and add some additional weight to it and see how it handles. I think you'll be fine though.

Why was the person interested in selling the tank? Just curious.

Regards,
Scott Z.

[JimNasty]

Hi and thanks Scott.

Actually, the person that I got the tank from was a disgruntled LFS employee that was moving. Atthe same time, he also got rid of a 200g, 150g, and a few 55g tanks, and all ofthe livestock. The hex was just a planned tank at the time that he was moving, so it was easy for him to unload.

I have already attached the bulkheads and some drain pipes, and the tank has been sitting filled for about 2 weeks now, much to my wife's dismay. Soon I will move it back into the living room, but I need to finish some other projects first.

BTW I wouldn't mind some suggestions for making my own sump for a hex stand. Anyone ever make one? Designs? I'm starting to think about how to best assemble the pieces of acrylic that I have to fit the coutour of the stand, but I'm no engineer either.

Thanks for the hel

Jim.

[Reefland]

Ahhh, very nice; your already a step ahead of us. If it has been full of water for a couple of weeks and there are no signs of any stress then I would say your just fine. I see no reason why this tank drilled would be different than any other drilled tank.

AsS far as making a sump for this system, I wouldn't even attempt a hex sump. Just go with a square that you can easily fit into the stand.

What kind of lighting do you plan to use? That's usually a tricky question for Hex Tank owners.

Regards,
Scott Z.

[JimNasty]

You touched on both of my current problems/projects. First of all, since the stand is Oceanic (has a friend who is a dealer, and got a great deal on it ), that means I am stuck with the limiting access door to get and kind of sump in. I think the access is about 8" across, when most pre-made boxes are at least 9" (I could be wrong on this, but I know that I have measured before). That was why I was thinking of making my own sump...not hex shaped, but sort of modular (attaching one to another with 45 deg plumbing ). That's where I start having my brain farts.

Secondly, since the tank is drilled in the center, I was thinking about building a small box in the tank to conceal the drain and return. This limits my lighting choices to NOT include anything that hangs as a pendeant or such. I would just lose too much of the light to the box. Not enough for the tank. So, I have started planning a canopy that would allow for placemenet of some sort of fixtures around the perimeter. This is another place where I am at a loss. I have always bought premade lighting systems for my other tanks and never tried this on my own. I mayjust have to give up on the hopes of this being a tank with anyhing other than fish

Thanks for the guidance.

Jim