in floor tank

[Future]

Do you REALLY want to walk on top of the tank? You would need some hell-a-thick glass/acrylic in order to do so. Then the chemicals used for cleaning the floor/glass will end up pooling in the seams/crevaces. Then what happens when something drops or falls onto the top of it?
You'll also have to considder "settling". When something is built, over the years it slowly changes form from weight, movements, weather, etc... You could build this pin-point perfect to the millimeter, then find the floor began to settle and is now adding an additional 2000lbs onto the aquarium surface.

Awesome idea, but too many negatives in doing it and the structural integrety just isn't there.

[l3fty999]

Originally Posted by faust

we are in the process of building our dream home. my wife as come up with the crazy idea of sinking a 4' wide x 8' long 2' deep tank in the floor. while this is do -able. cannot figure a way to light the tank other than from the sides which i dont think would let enough light for the corals.. any thoughts

Wow man, you've just overcome the biggest obsticle, you WIFE came up with this idea. And you're concerened about something as trivial as lighting.... as I've said before, she said,"It's either me or your fish!" Well, I don't miss her one bit...

[l3fty999]

Originally Posted by Clownfish518

I don't see how it will work. TO get a decent view of the tank, the glass would have to touch the surface of the water. That will seriously impede gas exchange. I bet the glass would encrust with algae, and get scratched if people walked on it over time. How do you access to do maintenance?

Sounds cool; I doubt the feasibility

Well, gee, what in the heck do you think SUMPS are for? Add a sump, I'll leave the engineering up to you.... but, as I said, the hard part is already done, your wife approves... figure out a way to lift the glass for occasional cleaning, or even better, (just for the sake of fantasy) make it big enough for somebody to dive in there and clean it from the inside... wow, I need to put down the lighter and step away from the pipe.... But seriously, if you both can support this, might as well give it a thought....