# Drop-off reef style vivarium idea



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

I believe it has been discussed on here but has anyone ever tried building a drop-off reef style vivarium? I included a few pictures in case you have never seen one before. I can picture a really awesome viv with a small stream and water fall going down the middle of it. The tank would have to be very large to be done right, but I believe it would be possible. What does everyone think?

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

Iv seen that tank before. It would make a very cool river side viv or steep slope viv.


----------



## glass frog (Dec 19, 2011)

do it......


----------



## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

just make sure they can get out of the ditch


----------



## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

I'll pay to watch that thread if you build it.


----------



## Buddysfrogs (Mar 29, 2012)

I would love to see someone do that. I would if I had anywhere to put it.

2.2 bassleri 2.3 E.A Santa Isabella 1.1 tinctorious Patricia 0.1 Green Sipplewini 0.0.3 Leucs


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

Buddysfrogs said:


> I would love to see someone do that. I would if I had anywhere to put it.
> 
> 2.2 bassleri 2.3 E.A Santa Isabella 1.1 tinctorious Patricia 0.1 Green Sipplewini 0.0.3 Leucs


Yea although I would love to try and build something like that, I would have no room for it. I am planning on moving soon so who knows what kind of space ill have to work with in the future.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## singhm29 (Jun 28, 2009)

I have never seen anything like that, that is one creative tank could definitely see someone making an amazing viv with that sort of thing. Having a smaller version of that on the second bottom shelf of a rack would be nice since i hate having completely seperate tanks on the bottom shelf!


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

goof901 said:


> just make sure they can get out of the ditch


I think if there was a small trickle of a waterfall going down the middle of the drop off, and on either sides, fake rock/peatmoss type background with some epiphytes and other plants on there, they shouldn't have any trouble getting out of the drop off (depending on species). But I think a tank like that would scream for a large group of leucs.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

or if you made it for thumbs you could have an insanely thick layer of leaf litter in the front


----------



## SNAKEMANVET (Dec 14, 2011)

That would be a cool build.


----------



## dendrorani (Jan 30, 2009)

That would be an awesome build.
I would make a waterfall in the center with a nicely staged cliff on both sides...

Amazing. I might be...no I won't I already have many tanks to finish first...

Rani


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

dendrorani said:


> That would be an awesome build.
> I would make a waterfall in the center with a nicely staged cliff on both sides...
> 
> Amazing. I might be...no I won't I already have many tanks to finish first...
> ...


Exactly what I had in mind.
Ugh man I really do want to try a build like this but it will deffinatly have to wait till I move. 
Only thing is, I have never built a glass tank myself, and im sure having a tank like this built would be pretty expensive.

You could probably just join two separate tanks, if you were good at cutting glass and removing a few panes.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Definitely an awesome concept. Do it!


----------



## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

shibbyplustax said:


> Exactly what I had in mind.
> Ugh man I really do want to try a build like this but it will deffinatly have to wait till I move.
> Only thing is, I have never built a glass tank myself, and im sure having a tank like this built would be pretty expensive.
> 
> ...


I dont think it would be that hard at all. make a plywood frame the shape you need which isnt too hard. The hardest bit would be cutting the L shaped side glass which still isnt all that challenging. silicone as normal. Id consider making a sliding door for the drop off section so you can access the bottom.


----------



## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

I thought I saw a seem in that original pick, so the "L" looks like it might be two pieces siliconed together on the seam. Could be mistaken though. Awesome idea!


----------



## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

here is the thread for that specific tank...

The Drop-Off Reef Aquarium of Philippe Grosjean


----------



## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

parkanz2 said:


> I thought I saw a seem in that original pick, so the "L" looks like it might be two pieces siliconed together on the seam. Could be mistaken though. Awesome idea!


That makes it even easier!


----------



## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

it would be nice to see a build thread on something like that (salt tank or viv, just to see if there were any special considerations in the building process)


----------



## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

Would acrylic be a better choice than glass for something like this?


----------



## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

I had a buddy on a reef forum that built one that was about 100g+ out of acrylic I want to say he used 3/4"-1" acrylic still had a few issues with leaks coming from the seams where the 90 degree is....Was an amazing reef once all the kinks were worked out. Building a viv would be much easier for this then an actual reef due to water pressures and flow issues. 

I can bet you wouldn't be making that out of 1/4" glass for a reef. But a viv you could for sure.....Something I will have to keep in mind on a future build.....There is a lot of awesome stuff you could do on a background for it.


----------



## moore40 (Jan 29, 2008)

I have been considering a build just like this! My premise would be very similar to energy's but with drop off to have a better developed water area. I also think it would be a easy (relatively speaking) build out of plywood. You could do the entire front as one piece to have under cabinet storage for the sump and supplies. Argh 8mo till I can purchase a house to house this beast.


----------



## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

eyeviper said:


> I dont think it would be that hard at all. make a plywood frame the shape you need which isnt too hard. The hardest bit would be cutting the L shaped side glass which still isnt all that challenging. silicone as normal. Id consider making a sliding door for the drop off section so you can access the bottom.


Doesnt have to be glass....acrylic would be perfect!


----------



## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Very cool. I have seen troylee's build on R2R...very neat reef idea. 

This will be much easier to do with acrylic than with glass IMO.


----------



## tgregoire (Jul 21, 2010)

I would be sooo pumped if someone built this project! It is great, it would b my 3 favorite style tank designs, peninsula, vert and for my imagination a paludarium. There is nothing like the power and smooth flow of water in nature! I see a small pool of water/land up top that turns to a small stream and overflows down the background of the step into the pool below filled with tropical fish! Would be a GREAT viv build idea!


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

I have the resources to build a smaller one (30-50 gal) very easily, if enough people wanted me to do it I would be able to, lets say if everyone on this thread posted aye or neigh (yes or no) if I got 50% aye I'll do a 30 gal, if I got 75-100% I'll do 50 gal


----------



## tnwalkers (Jul 15, 2012)

aye.......


----------



## Buddysfrogs (Mar 29, 2012)

Aye go for it

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


----------



## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Aye - 

This will be very cool...dont necessarily think that a larger "galonage" automatically makes the tank better either. 

What will make this tank great is taking your time, spending the money, and putting in the effort to go slowly, carefully, artistically. 

Cant wait to see this.


----------



## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

Aye
how will it be designed?? waterfall, river etc?


----------



## diggenem (Sep 2, 2011)

I would like to see it done no matter the size....
AYE
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2


----------



## ndame88 (Sep 24, 2010)

aye!! Are we at 75% yet


----------



## moore40 (Jan 29, 2008)

Aye..............


----------



## brinkerh420 (Oct 2, 2011)

Aye! Sounds fun!


----------



## Mike1239 (May 15, 2012)

Aye..... Let's go


----------



## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

The only problem with this is that you wouldnt be able to just have a 90* bend for the second level, you'd have to have a bit of a lip for the false bottom, substrate etc...


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

Need about 12 more people before I do a 40-50 gal, so far I'm doin a 15-20 gal. There will be a plywood cabinet that will house the equipment. My tentative interior design is a GS background on the drop off with a waterfall going into some type of pool. I will make the GS wall a little higher than the drop-off edge so I can have a few inches of ONLY leaf litter And a drainage layer with manzita branches running across the tank, like in my thread 'Dendroguys understory 30 gal tank'. There will be one or two terrestrial plants in the top section, but will be primarily focused on epiphytes. The GS wall will be covered in silicone then coco fiber, there will be mostly bromeliads and a few orchids and epiphytic ferns. The bottom section will be reminiscent of the Forrest floor, it will be darker due to a high number of bromeliads on the GS and glass, I will put a few low-light plants there around the pool if there is one, waterfalls are a pain on the a** so I might not do one. In a final note, this will either be housing a pair of pums, or I will put a 1.1 pair of thumbs and a 1.1 pair of larger frogs that are indigenous to the thumbs region (example: D.auratus/O.pumilio, Ameerega sp./R.imitator) OR what do you guys think I should put in there?


----------



## CCLAXX (Aug 2, 2012)

But one could figure out how to hide that lip. Say build the cliff background higher to naturally blend with the ground level of the upper shelf.

Oh and i say AYE. For sure.


----------



## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Just a talking point - why the hell would anyone say no?

Why the lip for the false bottom?

The way I see it, he is going to need one on the top and one on the bottom. 

The issue will be the drop off edge...however the gap there (where the false bottom comes right up to the edge) is just going to need to be concealed somehow...


----------



## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

Dendroguy said:


> In a final note, this will either be housing a pair of pums, or I will put a 1.1 pair of thumbs and a 1.1 pair of larger frogs that are indigenous to the thumbs region (example: D.auratus/O.pumilio, Ameerega sp./R.imitator) OR what do you guys think I should put in there?


I say stick to one species, especially if it's only ~50 gallons.....I vote leucs or thumbs...



kingfisherfleshy said:


> The way I see it, he is going to need one on the top and one on the bottom.


Why would you need a lip on the bottom? it's surrounded by four pieces of glass




> Why the lip for the false bottom?
> 
> The issue will be the drop off edge...however the gap there (where the false bottom comes right up to the edge) is just going to need to be concealed somehow...


Hence the lip for the false bottom...


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

CCLAXX said:


> But one could figure out how to hide that lip. Say build the cliff background higher to naturally blend with the ground level of the upper shelf.
> 
> Oh and i say AYE. For sure.





> I will make the GS wall a little higher than the drop-off edge so I can have a few inches of ONLY leaf litter And a drainage layer


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

Well so far it's going to be either a pair of pums (taking free pairs)
Or a trio if retics,benadicta,ukarii,vanzolinii, well you get the picture


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

Alright guys and gals, I'm gonna go for a 46 gallon drop-off style vivarium, I've been doing some research on the interwebs and what luck! I found dimensions for a 46 gallon drop-off, I'll post then tomorrow, right now I need some sleep

D


----------



## tfox799947 (Jun 4, 2012)

Y-AYE! Subscribed for sure!


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

I dont know how do-able this is, but here is my idea on a cheap/easy way to make a drop off. If anyone is having trouble visualizing what I am talking about, I can possibly draw it up and post a pic. Take two exact same size tanks for example 2 20g longs and remove one side pane of glass from each one. The cabinet it sits on would have to be the same height as the length of the tank. One tank will sit on top of the cabinet with the missing pane on the right side (or left it doesn't matter) the second tank will be placed vertically with the missing pane side up on the right side of the cabinet. This way there is a 90 degree angle where the two tanks meet with no panes of glass on that side. Now in order to close off the two tank and make one, you can build a glass cube with two of the sides missing that will sit right on top, connecting the two tanks. This way there is no cutting of glass (besides for the cube you make). You could have a front opening door for the vert and a standard top for the horizontal tank, so you can access all parts. I was thinking led bars for the horizontal tank and a few led spots for the vert. If you decided to make a waterfall, the only parts that would have to hold water would be the tank on top, the spot where the two tanks meet and the bottom of the vert tank. Holes can be drilled in each tank and a external cannister filter can be hidden inside of the cabinet. 
Does everyone understand what I am trying to explain?
At some point I am going to attempt this but I am in the middle of another build and school starts next week so who know when I will get a chance to start.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

This would be cheaper but much harder to make, the reason I'm doing this is because I know a stained glass worker that can cut glass for free, the easy way, but cheaper than getting glass cut at lowes or home depot


----------



## tgregoire (Jul 21, 2010)

Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye!!!!

Sorry, just a LITTLE excited!!!! 
I would love to see 50 gallons or more but anysize will do! 

Goodluck and have fun planning such an interesting tank!


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

tgregoire said:


> Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye!!!!
> 
> Sorry, just a LITTLE excited!!!!
> I would love to see 50 gallons or more but anysize will do!
> ...


Gonna be 46 gallons, pulled a few strings and got the blueprints


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

Alright guys and gals, further conversations on this topic will be moved here 
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/86476-ds-drop-off-vivarium.html#post764798


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

Dendroguy said:


> Alright guys and gals, further conversations on this topic will be moved here
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/86476-ds-drop-off-vivarium.html#post764798


To your build log? Talk about thread jacking.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

I had another idea for a double drop off. One side could be filled with water and fish where it would over flow to a stream in the horizontal tank, followed by the waterfall and small pool on the otherside. 

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

The only trouble with this would be lighting and access to the vertical fishtank.

And im not really external filter savvy, but would an external filter be able to take a small amount of water from the small pool side and have enough power to push it into the bottom of the fish tank? Or would the pressure from the fish tank filled with water just wind up pushing the water opposite the way its supposed to go in the filter?

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Pillguy (Jul 11, 2012)

That would depend on the filter and how much flow rate you are looking for. The larger cannister filters could do this as long as you are not looking for a high flow rate or a large size of "stream". An FX5 rates out at 500 gal/hr without head pressure. Unless you are looking at a major height change or a really long distance you should still get about 150 gph.


----------



## Pillguy (Jul 11, 2012)

Just to let you know, new to interest in this area, been aquarium keeping for 23 years.


----------



## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

shibbyplustax said:


> To your build log? Talk about thread jacking.
> 
> Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


No no, I didn't mean it like that, sorry if I came off as an a** for posting that, I meant conversation with my build, as to not hijack your thread with everyone talking about it on here, not at all did I mean the whole topic itself, again I apologize.


D


----------



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

Dendroguy said:


> No no, I didn't mean it like that, sorry if I came off as an a** for posting that, I meant conversation with my build, as to not hijack your thread with everyone talking about it on here, not at all did I mean the whole topic itself, again I apologize.
> 
> 
> D


Lol its okay im just messin with ya.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


----------

