How Setup a Giant Saltwater Aquarium
Posted: Sunday, February 07, 2010
by Peter Dranitsin
Petes Original Art Inc.
If you are into "the hobby," you will most likely have dreamed of owning not only a big but a gigantic aquarium. Having a giant aquarium not only gives you an awesome view of a reef in your home, it actually has a lot more benefits compared to having small or medium-sized aquariums.
Needless to say, having a giant saltwater aquarium in your house will never fail to catch the eyes of anyone who are lucky enough to have the chance to get near it. As saltwater aquariums are also meant to mimic the parameters of the ocean, having a huge saltwater aquarium will be very liked by your fishes and other marine animals. Gigantic aquaria have more stable parameters than that of the smaller varieties. It would obviously be harder to raise the temperature of a 275 gallon aquarium than to do the same to a 55 gallon aquarium. The same rule is followed by pH and saturation.
To have a giant aquarium, however, needs a lot of effort and determination. Having a giant aquarium also entails a lot of spending. For instance, if you want a tank over 275 gallons, you will most likely have to get one custom made.
Another important factor to be considered is the location to put your giant aquarium. Considering the staggering size of the aquarium you will choose, you have to pick a spot in your house spacious enough as to allow some free area around the aquarium.
Giant saltwater aquariums also tend to hog attention, making everyone around it scrutinize every detail. The best way to deal with this is to center the aquarium or mount it behind a wall so it blends seamlessly with the room. This will also allow you to maintain the aquarium behind the scene. You can also put your aquarium appliances away from prying eyes making your reef look more natural and continuous. As much as possible, place the aquarium slightly lower than eye level to avoid a staggered view which will only be emphasized by the size of the tank.
A giant tank will also weigh tons! Acrylic tanks are preferred for this size of aquariums mainly because it is a lot easier to ship and move. Before you buy the tank, make sure the spot you are going to place it into will be able to support it. The second floor of your house is out. It will be pretty hard to bring the tank up there anyway.
Reserve a stable and even base that will be strong enough to support the tank, the water and the rocks in the tank. Use a level (construction tool) on the support, the shimming (if needed) and the tank itself. Also, keep leveling the tank as you add the contents to distribute the tank weight evenly. Especially for acrylic tanks, uneven placement will likely break the seams.
Now, the whole process of setting up a giant tank is pretty much like that on any other reef aquariums except the handling. There are a lot of cases when aquarists need to break or remove whole doors and windows just to move the tank indoor. To avoid this, make a model of the tank and move that model indoor making sure the tank can fit in every turn it needs to go through.
After you move the tank indoor, add the substrate, rocks, ornaments and plants. Then, as much as possible, add saltwater mixes by buckets carefully calibrating the salinity (specific gravity) of every bucket.
Setting up a giant reef tank is a very tedious task. Unless you have the money, get as many able family members involved. Court them with the promise of beauty your tank will definitely have.
Cedric James is a lifelong saltwater aquarium expert. For more great tips to learn about setting up a GIANT saltwater aquarium,visit http://www.saltwateraquariumeasy.com.
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