JoelATX Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 (edited) Hi All,I would like to upgrade my tank between now and the new year. When I did my remodel I left an opening under the stairs (see pictures). Currently it has a 29gal tank with a 23 plus year old Tomato clown living in there. I like the idea of having part of the tank come out into the room, but a full 24" would start invading the space. And I would like suggestions on size, placement and the like.1) Rimless or not; I like the look, but splash and jumpers concern me or is it just a fad?2) Is there an advantage in having the tank on both sides of the wall. 6" inches on inside and 12" or 18" on the other?3) Size - 75 to 125 - Cost could be an issue. The space is 46" wide and 59.5" high. Height can be raised without much trouble. The width could go to 48" but there could be framing issues. 4) Is tiling the floor and adding a drain worth the trouble? I will be building a custom stand using the cabinet doors in photos. I'm still holding out for nicer wood floors.5) Can a tank this size benefit from a PVC bottom? What about a colored back?6) Bean Animal's / Herbie OR traditional overflow? Facebook Album Edited November 19, 2013 by JoelATX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 great idea planning that space ahead of time. My one piece of advise would be to make sure you've got plenty of room to be able to get into the tank for normal maintenance. If you go with a tank that not very wide you'll have less space to reach into the tank with a wall hanging over the tank. My suggestion would be to put it flush either inside so it doesn't stick out into the room (but you'll need good ventilation for the humidity in the small space) or all the way out so you can keep all the equipment in the small room and you can enjoy viewing from all three sides. James 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 This is totally the advice I was looking for, didn't even think about top access. Ventilation is something I have a plan for. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Hi All, I would like to upgrade my tank between now and the new year. When I did my remodel I left an opening under the stairs (see pictures). Currently it has a 29gal tank with a 23 plus year old Tomato clown living in there. I like the idea of having part of the tank come out into the room, but a full 24" would start invading the space. And I would like suggestions on size, placement and the like. 1) Rimless or not; I like the look, but splash and jumpers concern me or is it just a fad? Probably wise to cover it with a mesh top if you do decide to go that route. Some like the look of it, others dont like the visibility of the water motion on top. Comes down to personal preference IMO. 2) Is there an advantage in having the tank on both sides of the wall. 6" inches on inside and 12" or 18" on the other? Seems again like a personal preference thing. The look of it is better served IMO to have it all in or all out, but tomato/tomahtoe. 3) Size - 75 to 125 - Cost could be an issue. The space is 46" wide and 59.5" high. Height can be raised without much trouble. The width could go to 48" but there could be framing issues. Most equipment will be transferable from a 75 to a 125 on account of length/negligible difference in volume. The old reefer adage applies, go as big as is practical. 4) Is tiling the floor and adding a drain worth the trouble? I will be building a custom stand using the cabinet doors in photos. I'm still holding out for nicer wood floors. Does adding a floor drain involve busting up slab? It would be nice, for sure, but would be very difficult to justify. 5) Can a tank this size benefit from a PVC bottom? What about a colored back? PVC bottoms are nice because the reduce your risk of a bottom break from a LR topple. Just fits with your theme of risk tolerance vs cost tolerance. 6) Bean Animal's / Herbie OR traditional overflow? I'll defer to those who run sumps, I'm a reluctant AIO guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 About adding the drain, my house is pier and beam. I'm already going to be under there to beef up the support, if needed. In that area under the house you can sit with your legs crossed. And there are two sewer line to choose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Oh dang, in that case, floor drain away man! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 About adding the drain, my house is pier and beam. I'm already going to be under there to beef up the support, if needed. In that area under the house you can sit with your legs crossed. And there are two sewer line to choose from. Technically I don't think you're supposed to drain salt water into a sewage line, but I've only heard that because my friend at Austin Water says that all the saltwater pool conversions are required to pump their water out to trucks rather than drain to the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Probably has more to do with single batch volume than the actual content of the water. Where else would we drain our tanks to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 whenever i make pasta hate having to strain it in the backyard. it really complicates things as carry-over cooking is affected by the outside air temps. that said, i'm lazy and would probably run my in case of emergency drain into the yard rather than plumbing it into the sewer line. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 (edited) I ordered a Planet Aquarium 90 Gal rimless, with center internal overflow. That's as wide as would fit, and as deep as my wallet could go. Was excited about it arriving next week then, remembered ThanksGiving. So no working on the install next weekend. Still wrestling with the Clear vs Black silicone, not sure which I'll like more. I ordered clear. Flooring: I'm looking into Home Depot's TrafficMaster Allure, it's a floating vinyl plank. I'll level the floor with an ever-so-small slope to a drain that is just behind the tank. Floor will extend 1ft on the sides and front and about 3ft at the back of the tank stand. Thanks, for the suggestions... Keep them coming. Edited November 24, 2013 by JoelATX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Thursday I picked up a 75g Planet Aquarium rimless with external back overflow over at RCA. They are nice looking tanks. Jake had just gotten in a custom tank for someone that was awesome...a rimless 30Lx40Wx20H all starfire...never seen one with these dimensions before. Wonder who the lucky owner of that is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted November 27, 2013 Author Share Posted November 27, 2013 Anyone know what size bulkheads will be drilled into my 90 gal tank from Planet Aquarium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 Mine has two 1" and one 3/4". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted December 3, 2013 Author Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) I got the old tank move to it's temporary home. Took about 5 hours and included cleaning all the pumps and rigging up a holder for the lights. Edited December 3, 2013 by JoelATX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 This is totally the advice I was looking for, didn't even think about top access. Ventilation is something I have a plan for. Thanks When Charles Delbeek was brought in as consultant and then curator for a major world class exhibit at San Francisco, he said that the first thing he did was bring the architect to some of the displays. When the architect was asked to simulate performing maintenance at the bottom of the tank, the light came on. Immediate new drawings were issued to allow ample vertical clearance so as not to discourage and impede maintenance.With respect to ventilation, consider that an outside air source may be a desirable supply of air with normal CO2 concentrations. Most current homes have air tight goals and standards that tend to raise CO2 concentrations in your home. It sounds like you have a reef keepers ferver, it is usually accompanied by a need to upgrade. Enjoy the ride. After 44 years, I am still in awe. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted December 3, 2013 Author Share Posted December 3, 2013 Once I get the tank I'll figure out how much space to leave myself. I can tell I'm going to need to add a vent fan that will draw air from living room and vent at top of stairs. I've had saltwater tanks since the late '80s. I got Homie around 1990. This is his 5th or 6th tank and second city. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 I took advantage of Bulk Reef's Black Friday deals on rock. BRS Bulk Pukani - 40LB Box BRS Tonga Complex Multi-Branch - 14LB Laying on my kitchen table, it looks like a lot. This plus what I have in the current tank hopefully will be a good start. UPS didn't do to much damage, center bottom pile is all the rubble. Just a handful. The Pukani is has lots of holes and crevices. It would have been nice to have a little more branching on the Tonga. I have like a week till the tank gets here, maybe more. What should I do to prep the rock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) I'm off to a rocky start... I messed around with aquascaping this evening. And it's going to be a little more of a challenge than I thought. I'm going to have to break out the saw, chisel, and rods in order to get the rocks piled in an interesting way. Here is my plan; Do basic Aquascaping, build few islands with some connecting ledges then start curing the rock. Is this correct? When I moved into my house I found this big piece of coral, should I incorporate it into the tank? There are some long dead remnants of life on the rocks, would power washing help speed the process? Below are some more pictures of the rocks, the cardboard is the size of my tank. The red outlines are the rock in my old tank. If you see any inspiration let me know, I'm a little overwhelmed. Edited December 6, 2013 by JoelATX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 I got the drain installed (but not the plumbing) and the floor leveled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted December 29, 2013 Author Share Posted December 29, 2013 Stand is coming along. The plan was to adequately build and not to over build. All joints are glued and nailed. Each corner is constructed from four 1x6, main 2x4 frame is resting on a 1x6 corners. Anyone see any red flags, I'm hoping to keep the full front and back open for easy access to the sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Second dry fit of the tank and I got the space above the tank cut out today. I will need to sand and re-stain the cabinet door, but I've got plenty of time for that. I need to do three things before the install; some plumbing from my mixing station, trim out the opening, and add rubber pad to the stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Coming along really nice! What did you decide with the aquascape? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Thanks! For the aquascape, I'm going to shoot for a bonsai looking shape with a longish shelf on one side. The other will be an island atoll, main mountain with hills making a circle. Now I with I had 24" to work with, instead of the 18" depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Awesome. So are you going to drill the rock and use rods? I'm glad you mentioned wishing you had 24" vs 18"depth. I've been debating which to go with for my new tank. I'm looking forward to pics of your aquascape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted January 23, 2014 Author Share Posted January 23, 2014 I have the tank in place. Using a simple Herbie overflow setup. 1" main, 3/4" emergency over flow, 3/4" return. The pump may need a bleed off value there is a lot of water moving in there. But it's almost silent. Water has been flowing for 2 days, I need to tighten one of the PVC pipes at the bulkhead. The sump is temporary, I'll be building a much larger one before everything goes live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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