Help me design this 300 gallon tank

EyeReef

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#1
Hey guys,
Just got this nice 300 gallon tank
delivered to my office in San Marcos. The original plan was for it to go behind one of the walls of the waiting room. Unfortunately the tank was too big for that room and so I decided to move it into the actual waiting room. Now it’s a complete eyesore. No pun intended! I’m looking for design ideas on how to skin this guy. Also should I go hanging lights or canopy? Thanks in advance!


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#2
Awesome tank! I would skin with plywood painted white or black, although I prefer lights to hang or be on a bracket I think since this tank will be in a waiting room, a canopy for the light will be better to help shield the light and not blind/annoy people who are sitting down there.


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dontavo27

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#3
I would sand up to 600 grit and stain the plywood with an antique white, and agree with a matching canopy, to keep the lighting out of your customers eyes. I’m sure customers with dilated eyes would be bothered by it.
 

dontavo27

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#5
@ndrwater does some really nice woodwork / skins.

I would go with something that matches your other décor.

I agree on the canopy... good point @dontavo27 but normally speaking I personally like the look of hanging lights.
I prefer the look of hanging lights my self, and I think the canopy just complicate things, makes it harder to feed coral/fish etc. But in a business that deals with vision, I’m sure it’ll be almost necessary.
 
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EyeReef

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#6
Hey guys def will go the enclosed route. Not sure why I even questioned that. Lol yes lots of dilated eyes will not appreciate all that blue light penetrating their retinas.

Here is another view of the tank in it’s current resting spot. I was originally going to put the tank in the adjacent room (which currently is a kids play room) and viewed as an inwall but unfortunately it didn’t work out. At least in the current spot, it can be seen pretty much anywhere in the office.



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djrice69

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#7
Does blue light really mess up people eyes?
 

Ericquach

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#9
That is a nice tank and stand. Just curious, do you know the maker of the tank and how you found it? Great find! Did you paid a lot for it? I am looking for just something like this but smaller 72”x30”x24”. Thanks.
 
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#10
Agree with adding a canopy. I would stick with a gloss or semigloss black skin. The mention of kids play room next to it will attract children to the tank & from my experience, kids will be kids & their curiousity drives them to touch things. A friend of mine owns a body shop & has a small acrylic freshwater tank in the lobby. Almost every time a child spots the tank, they gravitate towards it. The kids like putting there face & hands right against the front pane, leaving little fingerprints all around it, worse when their hands are full of sugar from candy. A couple of times, kids have drawn on it with crayons. The worst was a kid running his hot wheel on the acrylic & scratching the entire tank. A gloss finish would make it easier in cleaning up any sticky sugary hand prints & stains wouldn’t be that noticeable. Plus black gloss paint is easy to find & cheap if the skin needs retouching. Also recommend signage asking parents in respecting the animals & not to tap on the glass, I’ve seen it plenty of times. My $0.02. Hope it helps & good luck.
 
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