Thinking about building a tank, stand, & canopy

I am thinking about building a tank from scratch. Designing, building and everything will be done by me. I'm wanting to go acrylic but I'm not opposed to glass. I have attached a few photos of the preliminary design done with Google SketchUp. Please let me know what you guys think.

I will be adding plumbing and a sump/refugium also.

 

i cant see the pics

 

Fixed

 

yea thanks

Welcome To 3Reef

how many gallons are you thinking and why do you want to make the tank from scrach and not just buy one?

 

That's around 180 gallons if my calculations are correct.

I thinking I can do it cheaper myself. I have a some experience with acrylic so that's why I was kinda leaning that way. Gonna use 1/2" acrylic so I'm thinking shouldn't bow.

:thinking2 :crossing fingers that I'm right:

 

I would go glass, trying to keep the coraline algae cleaned off that acrylic is going to scratch it to the point of ruining the visability especially on the edges and along the sand bed.
Your size calculations are correct a standard 180 is 72 x 24 x 24.
I like the idea of putting it all together yourself if you have the know how or are the type of person that just loves the challenge of learning how and then doing it, but for the average person buying a tank is a better option.

Good luck, i'll be watching to see what you end up doing

 

i agree i have a acylic tank right now and the scratches drive me crazy

 

I have a 72x24x29 and I spent about three hours cleaning the glass on my tank on Saturday. It's a glass tank and I used a metal scraper to get the algae and coraline off. I had a 65g acrylic and yes it does look clearer than glass but in no time I developed some telltale scratches that annoyed the heck out of me. I say get a glass tank with dual overflows. If you have the cash you can get starfire glass for the front but I don't get all that caught up in all that. Any questions just send me a private message.

 

Well it certainly sounds like I will be going glass then.

 

Yeah another Sketchup user! The plans look good. nice size tank as well.