Some aquarium keepers live for the build. They are obsessed with the project more than the tank itself and often go to extremes in planning out the build. We all know at least one of them, and recently one such extreme aquarium planner gave us a peak into the great lengths he is going through on his latest build. Local aquarium hobbyist Will del Re hasn’t just put his thoughts to pen and paper like most of us, but has created an elaborate digital version of his future aquarium, complete with even the most intricate of details. Using Photoshop and a digital drawing pad, Will hashed out the plans in a 57-layer drawing that took roughly two and a half hours to build. This style of planning has become increasingly popular over the last few years. With programs like Google Sketch Up, which is free, hobbyists have been able to design 3-dimensional models of their aquariums or specific pieces of equipment. This allows them to get a good idea of how the tank will sit in their home, along a particular wall or dividing a room.
Despite being able to draw out the tank plans, what good would they do if you couldn’t execute them properly? Fortunately for our viewing pleasure, Will is better with a lumber than he is with a digital pen. He will hand craft all of the wood work, which he is extraordinarily good at if I must say, making sure to match the stand with the wood panels that surround his 180-gallon in-wall reef aquarium which sits in the same room. The new build is still up in the air as far as total volume goes, but what we do know is that it will be a walkaround cube-shaped aquarium that will be viewable from every angle. We will be following this build closely, as I’m always impressed with Will’s craftsmanship, and if you would like to follow along as well, hit up The Reef Tank forums.
