Due to rain, Jason took the 4x4 beams home yesterday to cut them to length and to notch them for the stand framework. The main support beams were built 10/1 -- they were made with sub floor sandwiched and glued between two 2x6 pieces. Due to splashing water from sump and/or humidity, these beams will be painted with Kilz primer to prevent any damage. The 4x4 beams are pressure treated, so this will not be required. Any part of the undercarriage not pressure treated will be primed.
The tank was originally going to be slightly under 500g (4' x 8' x 2' tall). Basically, it is just double the 240g aquarium I built at my house. However, after considering the fact that this new stand is over-engineered, we have decided to take it to 30" tall. This might not sound like much, but it brings the capacity to 598 gallons, and adds an extra 1,000 lbs. of water weight! The sharks are fine with a depth of 2', but the added water volume will allow for more swimming area. More importantly, the increased capacity will add to the overall stability of the ecosystem.
