Considering Building My Next Reef Tank Q`s

About this time next summer my wife and I will likely be moving into a new home (permanently-ish...for a good 15 years at least). I've been looking at the cost of buying the tank of my dreams 84x30x24" (LxWxH) approx 260 gallons, and there are a number of contingencies to this build:
1.) must be glass,
2.) must have an external overflow box built into the back of the tank,
3.) must be starphire glass in the front panel,
4.) bottom must be drilled for OM super squirt + pump,
5.) it must stay together, (not burst, crack, explode, leak, combust, or generally make a mess on the floor/ kill all my animals in a rush of fury.)
This likely will be an in wall build, with a generous service room behind it.
I'm looking at $2300+ to have the tank constructed (plus all the cases of beer for my buddies that help move it in!) whereas otherwise, I can order the glass that I need (including the starphire front panel) for around $660, and put $100 of silicone into it and build it in place with 1/2" glass (safety factor of 3.46+ (+ with a few tricks up my sleeve). This would include a eurobraced top, but overall the tank will lack any plastic frame like you see on commercially manufactured aquariums.
Can I trust a tank this large to just silicone in the seams to hold it all together? Or should I look to build a frame for it?

 

Well since you are building it into a wall, you can make it ugier, but stronger.

What type of room would you have behing the wall? I put my same sized tank on a 4x8 stand. That way I can climb up & walk around on it. You could also frame up behind the tank a little to with it.

After tearing apart a couple of 125 tanks, I am amazed at how strong the silicone actually is so I wouldnt be too worried if you built it correctly.

 

It will likely be a downstairs family room, the tank will probably come out of the wall by 1 foot or so in order to give some side prospective. Underneath the front I'd like to build a book shelf. Do you think I need to frame it at all then?
Is your tank the exact same dimensions, what thickness of glass is it? I've pictured it in my mind, but I'd love to see something of similar dimensions first hand! I like the larger platform idea, I've thought about putting a 10" wide step on the back side of the stand for mine.

 

That is a pretty cool idea with the book shelf. If you eurobrace the top with glass I would think you would be ok with out a frame myself.

Mine is 80 x 30 x 24. I have twins, one for SPS and one for LPS. I have them behind the wall, and the opening in the wall covers the tank 2 inches each way so you dont see any of the edges.

Mine is Acrlyic. Used 3/4 inch for extra safety, but 1/2 would have been sufficient.

 

Yeah I'll likely make a faux stand with a book shelf in the face of it, and a lip that goes around the perimeter, then a built in wall canopy with a perimeter that goes around the top to frame it all in and a sliding interior shutter doors for feeding, like this material, except only shorter doors.

I think with these perimeters around the front and extending this around to the back side of the tank could provide the additional support I'm looking for.

Very cool with the twin tanks!

 

Thanks again for helping me move more stuff into my tank Andy! I will be there when you want to build your monster!!! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif