Acrylic Tank Dilemma

[Smells Fishy]

Basically I'm a bit fed up. I currently have a 200l with some fancy goldfish and guppys and i had plans to move the fancys to a empty 140l 4ft and do a planted community tank with 200l. Planned on doing a sort of breeding fish for profit type thing and maybe making my own guppy strain. The thing is i like big fish, I've had jaguars, oscars etc in the past, to me because they are much larger than poxy guppys they seem much more like real pets because they actually have personality and don't swim around aimlessly like some fish do. So I've come full circle again and want a massive tank. I've had a 4ft glass tank that was really big, i never knew how many litres it held because i bought it off a mate who didn't know either but at a guess 400l ish. While having that tank i moved twice and each time it got damaged because it was so heavy moving it up and down stairs or even just getting it out of the car boot, that sucked. After the second time it needed siliconing i didn't bother because the tank was to much trouble.

Im also sick of looking into the tank and seeing a green tint, i hate it when pictures are being took with the tank in the background with its lights off because it just looks bad and ruins the pictures. So I've asked around online for some quotes and what i got back was "we don't do small aquariums" "we only build aquariums of 5000l upwards". On the aquarist-classifieds theres this guy called David who does acryilic tanks and sumps upto 4x2x2 and thats exactly what i would want. I've emailed him today asking for a quote. The website on the advert fista filtration for some reason won't load for me so i wonder what the deal is there?

The main worry for me is that i live in a flat four floors up. Im paranoid that disaster will happen with the tank being to heavy. The water volume works out at 430l, minis water displacement but with a couple of externals it could still easily be 430kg when filled up. What about the actual tank, what would that weigh? I know acryilic is ment to be light but how light for a tank this size? Then there is the stand, i think i will DIY that. Has anyone ever had\has a large tank while living off the ground?

Thanks in advance.

 

[HiNtZ]

4 foot tank 400 litres?? Are you sure??? I couldn't see it being any more than 250 litres, 300 at a push.... unless it's super deep top to bottom and front to back.

 

[Daveslaney]

4ft by 2ft by 2ft =450ltrs .

 

[AlbaAquarist]

I don't have any experience with them, but looking around Acrylic Aquariums seem like they do consumer sized tanks. As for the weight of the tank I use this weight calculator to give me a rough idea. According to the calculator a 4'x2'x2' 1/2 inch thick acrylic aquarium full of freshwater would weigh around 458kg, about 52kg less than a glass tank of the same specifications.

I've never had a large tank higher than the ground floor, but thats quite a lot of weight and doesn't include decor or the stand/equipment. As for whether it's a good idea, I don't have the knowledge to say.

 

[Smells Fishy]

I don't have any experience with them, but looking around Acrylic Aquariums seem like they do consumer sized tanks. As for the weight of the tank I use this weight calculator to give me a rough idea. According to the calculator a 4'x2'x2' 1/2 inch thick acrylic aquarium full of freshwater would weigh around 458kg, about 52kg less than a glass tank of the same specifications.

I've never had a large tank higher than the ground floor, but thats quite a lot of weight and doesn't include decor or the stand/equipment. As for whether it's a good idea, I don't have the knowledge to say.

I thought i emailed that site and got bad news, not sure i emailed a few. Feeling a bit bummed as i got in touch with the landlord regarding a tank this size and its a no go. He said for me to try to keep it at 3x2x2. Wounded.