I can’t reach the far back of the tank. what now?

mbrady · 01/15/2016, 12:46 PM

I am setting up a new 120 gallon 48 X 24 X 24 tank. It will be located in a corner of the room. The back of the tank will be right up against the back wall. One side of the tank will be right up against the side wall. While I wait for it to be delivered, it suddenly occurred to me, I must likely will not be able to reach all the way to the far back of the tank even if I stand on a ladder.
I looking for others who might have this size tank placed in a corner who can reassure me it will not be a problem.
Am I overthinking the problem?

CStrickland · 01/15/2016, 12:49 PM

I'm 5'2" and can just barely touch the back bottom corner of my 120 with my fingertips. I have a tall husband on reserve for emergencies. Once you get the rocks in it will be hard to get back there, but you won't have to very much at all, cause you won't see it behind the rocks.

sde1500 · 01/15/2016, 12:52 PM

Yea I'd suggest then filling that corner in with rock so then you would have no further need to reach back there again.

lifeoffaith · 01/15/2016, 12:53 PM

Reaching the back is not usually something we need to do unless we are removing rocks. Most people just let the back of the tank grow coralline/coral and don't mess with cleaning it. As long as you can still reach the sand with a siphon, I wouldn't worry about it.

BlackTip · 01/15/2016, 12:54 PM

I can't reach the back corner of the tank without getting my nose wet. Cleaning or getting anything from the overflow box is a major challenge. I am 6' tall.

vhuang168 · 01/15/2016, 01:00 PM

I have 18" long tweezers for the way back stuff. Plus as others have noted, you can fill it with rocks. Having 2 sides against the wall has it's advantages.

Dmorty217 · 01/15/2016, 01:02 PM

Keep stuff that can hit the sand bed away from the back of the tank

mbrady · 01/15/2016, 04:54 PM

Original post

Thank you all. When I order the tank it never occurred to me that this would be a problem. But I now feel like it is something I can learn to live with. I guess there are truly some downsides to the larger tanks.

BrianKC · 01/15/2016, 05:24 PM

A stool helps a lot too

Sk8r · 01/15/2016, 09:39 PM

If you mount the whole tank on teflon or felt (depending on surface) skids, you can move it a bit by lowering water level. Putting a concrete block or similar object behind the tank may let you take in your breath and squidge back there. Also a mirror and flashlight (or a selfie stick) may let you see inside your downflow. I have a wedge corner tank, so I'm used to the no-way-back-there problem.

joshbrookkate · 01/15/2016, 10:10 PM

I have my 75g in a corner as well, but I set it up on an angle. I can get behind by crawling through the cabinet - sump on one side, my access area on the other. Quite the sight I would imagine as I am crawling through, but it works for me. The angle of the tank lets us see the tank full-on from every seat in the room.
Just an idea...

CStrickland · 01/15/2016, 11:32 PM

Hehe that's a good idea, I never thought of crawling through my sump lol
I've been playing around with my 120, it's in the far corner of the room and it's really hard to position it right. Once the water is in the tank it distorts the light in some interesting ways. It flattens out the depth, making your rock scape look more like a wall; as you pass the tank the scape shifts and bends; and the corners bend the light to make "double vision" in the two pieces of glass that meet. I still like it better than the bow front tanks (my eyes are really sensitive to that, and the bendy glass gives me a migraine), but it really is a challenge to put a tank it the corner and have it look right. I've settled on a slight angle so that nowhere is the tank at a very bad angle, and the couch is the best view.

Once you figure out the access to the back area to service your powerheads, and vacuum your sand, and (hopefully very rarely) pull out a carcass, don't be surprised if you hate the first many iterations of aquascape. This is the fun part of getting the tank right for you, in a few months you'll look back fondly when it's all automated and thriving

01/15/2016, 12:46 PM	#1
mbrady Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 96	I can’t reach the far back of the tank. what now? I am setting up a new 120 gallon 48 X 24 X 24 tank. It will be located in a corner of the room. The back of the tank will be right up against the back wall. One side of the tank will be right up against the side wall. While I wait for it to be delivered, it suddenly occurred to me, I must likely will not be able to reach all the way to the far back of the tank even if I stand on a ladder. I looking for others who might have this size tank placed in a corner who can reassure me it will not be a problem. Am I overthinking the problem?

01/15/2016, 12:49 PM	#2
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	I'm 5'2" and can just barely touch the back bottom corner of my 120 with my fingertips. I have a tall husband on reserve for emergencies. Once you get the rocks in it will be hard to get back there, but you won't have to very much at all, cause you won't see it behind the rocks. __________________ If you're havin tank problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a fish ain't one Current Tank Info: 3/2016 upgrade to 120g. Chalk bass, melanurus, firefish, starry blenny, canary blenny, lyretail anthias, engineer gobys, kole tang. Softies / LPS / NPS. <3 noob4life <3

01/15/2016, 12:54 PM	#5
BlackTip Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 1,598	I can't reach the back corner of the tank without getting my nose wet. Cleaning or getting anything from the overflow box is a major challenge. I am 6' tall. __________________ 325G DT. 100G sump. In-sump refugium. SRO-5000SSS. 2 Gyres 150. 2 Water Blaster HY-5000. 2 Razor 320W. Apex Gold. MR2 GFO. 2 800W Heaters. Tunze Osmolater. 2 20g-long QT tanks. Geo 624 CA. 80W UV

01/15/2016, 01:00 PM	#6
vhuang168 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,136	I have 18" long tweezers for the way back stuff. Plus as others have noted, you can fill it with rocks. Having 2 sides against the wall has it's advantages. __________________ Vincent 40g custom AIO --> DSA190Pro

01/15/2016, 01:02 PM	#7
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	Keep stuff that can hit the sand bed away from the back of the tank __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

01/15/2016, 12:52 PM	#3
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Yea I'd suggest then filling that corner in with rock so then you would have no further need to reach back there again.

01/15/2016, 12:53 PM	#4
lifeoffaith Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Grand Rapids MI area Posts: 737	Reaching the back is not usually something we need to do unless we are removing rocks. Most people just let the back of the tank grow coralline/coral and don't mess with cleaning it. As long as you can still reach the sand with a siphon, I wouldn't worry about it.

01/15/2016, 04:54 PM	#8
mbrady Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 96	Original post Thank you all. When I order the tank it never occurred to me that this would be a problem. But I now feel like it is something I can learn to live with. I guess there are truly some downsides to the larger tanks.

01/15/2016, 05:24 PM	#9
BrianKC Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 388	A stool helps a lot too

01/15/2016, 09:39 PM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If you mount the whole tank on teflon or felt (depending on surface) skids, you can move it a bit by lowering water level. Putting a concrete block or similar object behind the tank may let you take in your breath and squidge back there. Also a mirror and flashlight (or a selfie stick) may let you see inside your downflow. I have a wedge corner tank, so I'm used to the no-way-back-there problem. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/15/2016, 10:10 PM	#11
joshbrookkate Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Windsor, ON Posts: 618	I have my 75g in a corner as well, but I set it up on an angle. I can get behind by crawling through the cabinet - sump on one side, my access area on the other. Quite the sight I would imagine as I am crawling through, but it works for me. The angle of the tank lets us see the tank full-on from every seat in the room. Just an idea...

01/15/2016, 11:32 PM	#12
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	Hehe that's a good idea, I never thought of crawling through my sump lol I've been playing around with my 120, it's in the far corner of the room and it's really hard to position it right. Once the water is in the tank it distorts the light in some interesting ways. It flattens out the depth, making your rock scape look more like a wall; as you pass the tank the scape shifts and bends; and the corners bend the light to make "double vision" in the two pieces of glass that meet. I still like it better than the bow front tanks (my eyes are really sensitive to that, and the bendy glass gives me a migraine), but it really is a challenge to put a tank it the corner and have it look right. I've settled on a slight angle so that nowhere is the tank at a very bad angle, and the couch is the best view. Once you figure out the access to the back area to service your powerheads, and vacuum your sand, and (hopefully very rarely) pull out a carcass, don't be surprised if you hate the first many iterations of aquascape. This is the fun part of getting the tank right for you, in a few months you'll look back fondly when it's all automated and thriving __________________ If you're havin tank problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a fish ain't one Current Tank Info: 3/2016 upgrade to 120g. Chalk bass, melanurus, firefish, starry blenny, canary blenny, lyretail anthias, engineer gobys, kole tang. Softies / LPS / NPS. <3 noob4life <3