FAQ

What was your total investment in this tank?

My total investment is about $2,500. I did already have power tools though.

I am wondering if I would have room for this. What are the dimensions of the tank?

I would plan for at least a 10′ x 12′ room. with a 8′ ceiling. If not you’ll be rigging this to work and fit.

Will a tall person fit comfortably? What is the inside length of the tank used?

I’m 6′ and I’ve got room to spare. I had a friend who’s 6’4″ use it and he was close to the edges.

Do you leave this turned on all the time? If so how much of an impact has the pump, heater, etc. had on your electric bill?

I do leave it on all the time.  I didn’t use a powerful heater or pump on purpose so it would be efficient and I could do this. I haven’t even noticed it on my power bill! 🙂

How did you decide what size pump, filter, heater, etc. to use? Was it calculated based on the tank used and estimated water level or was it more guesswork or…? Any issue with any of these parts being used in salt water?

I hired a salt water aquarium dude, and he knew I planned on leaving it on 24/7.  The parts are tried and true in salt water.

How quiet is the pump? Do you hear it and/or feel it when you’re in the tank? Do you feel the water being circulated when you’re in the tank and if so, does this disrupt the experience at all?

The tank is pretty quiet. If you’re outside of the room and the doors closed you don’t notice it.  When I float I turn everything off. Only the room heater stays on. The tank is insulated so well that it doesn’t cool fast. after an hour you’ll only lose a couple degrees. Not even noticeable.

Why did you overlap the 5mm plywood cover pieces instead of just butting them up next to each other?

I couldn’t get the alignment to work and look right. The insulation and thin pieces of wood wouldn’t go together right. You could probably fuse the boards together before pinning down? 

Where did you install the air vent? I can’t get a reference from any of the pictures.

The air vent is on the opposite side of the heater, pump, etc.  Its in the lid of tank above where your head will be.

Although you bought waterproof LED lights, these are actually installed OUTSIDE and underneath the tank, not in the water, correct? Why use lights at all?

I thought that might be misleading. The lights are outside the tank. I just wanted the water to glow for a cool look. In fact, I was curious about using the tank with different color lights to experiment what it was like.

Why 800 lbs of Epsom Salt? You state to save a bag of salt for later use, so does that mean you really only put in 750lbs on initial fill?

Yeah I really only used 750 lbs I guess. To be honest I couldn’t find good info on the salt levels but I kept hearing 800 lbs of salt. So I just winged it and bought 800 lbs. After mixing in 750 I was like “THIS IS PLENTY!” lol I’m up for suggestions in this area people.

Why did you use attic insulation?

My concern was if I ever had a leak or wanted to change something I wouldn’t have easy access everywhere. With attic insulation I can just pull it out and work.