new house big reef tank ideas and suggestions PLEASE COME IN!!

ultimatemj said:
As someone that has their tank in their "TV room", I would make sure your tank location and seating arrangement allow you to see it. If you have to walk to it, and stand to look at it, you will not look as much. We have only 1 seat in our TV room that allows you to see both the TV and the tank...and everyone prefers that seat :)

I haven't heard what "style" of reef you are planning...SPS, LPS, softie, mixed, predator, etc...but this choice could have a big impact on how you want to build it out.

You asked about 30" depth, but if I had the room for it....and since I'm not an "in wall" fan and agree with your comments about "side views", I would go at least 30" wide! Not sure if NewFish sold their 600?, but that was an awesome shape (I think it was 96"x60"x24").

I would also put some thought into maintenance...with a big tank the water change method, water mixing station and a sink need more planning than dosers, skimmers and such. And don't forget a QT approach.

If you are going for SPS, you may want to reach out to [MENTION=1673]ReefDweller[/MENTION] and see if he'll let you check out his impressive in wall setup.
http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php/23885-Ending-with-the-yr-Photos-of-my-piece-of-the-ocean
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thanks for the kind words

i will have all of the supporting equipment mixing station qt combos ect... that is already being planned on along with a utility sink and a counter top in the fish room area

the reef will mostly be mixed but mostly lps/zoas and a nem or two.... i'm over sticks at the moment... maybe a few extra hardy ones but that's about it one or two big colonies....

i would love to have it next to the tv but not sure how that will be able to be worked out.... my biggest concern is fitting the tank in the basement then building the basement around it...

i'm starting to thing 6 ft long is my best option its stupid $ to get one built at 7' long which i know will fit for sure... Im sure Mario is going to kill me since i keep quoting different options to see which is the best value lol.. AQUATICA HANDS DOWN HAS BEEN AWESOME TO ME AND IS MY #1 FOR ANY EQUIPMENT BUYs AND FISH.... Reefwise still has me for coral though!


maybe a 72x30x24 is in my future it will still be cooler than a 180 and add swimming space
 
ultimatemj said:
oof....what are the landing dimensions?

A big glass tank will be an adventure...acrylic would be much easier to work through there.

Wait, how big are the windows? MAYBE the room needs more light anyway...if the walls are stick construction, make the openings/windows bigger and bring it in during the minor construction :)
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its a basement no windows or doors thats the only way in its a big ass townhouse
 
its a great size tank just what do i do with those two holes? i guess i can always cap them and put sand over the top, then drill the back how i want it... or maybe a closed loop flow sytem?
 
1000rrstunna said:
its a great size tank just what do i do with those two holes? i guess i can always cap them and put sand over the top, then drill the back how i want it... or maybe a closed loop flow sytem?
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Well you could set them up as drains for water changes or you could also hook up a pump to them and put lock line on their under the rock to keep detritus afloat just an idea

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Not some massive pump just to keep the water moving so nothing settles down their
 
Looking at the video, you might not be able to pull this off but I had the same concern about my basement stairs and taking my 240 (2'x2'x8') down. My best option was to punch a 3x3' hole in the wall so it was more of a straight shot and then put the studs/drywall back together (easy decision because basement wasn't finished yet). Mine is in-wall and I like it. No issues with moisture so far, but it's only been in 3 months or so.
 
caragol said:
Looking at the video, you might not be able to pull this off but I had the same concern about my basement stairs and taking my 240 (2'x2'x8') down. My best option was to punch a 3x3' hole in the wall so it was more of a straight shot and then put the studs/drywall back together (easy decision because basement wasn't finished yet). Mine is in-wall and I like it. No issues with moisture so far, but it's only been in 3 months or so.
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my basement isnt finished yet either...... so i could also do that.... pics or it didnt happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe i can come see yours this weekend im close to plainfield? message me
 
xj_matt said:
That would be my ultimate favorite tank right there I love my 20 inch high tank
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seriously considering this.... i could just cap the bulkheads... or run a closed loop.. just tighten the bulkheads down and silicone them from the inside should never leak.... . or a waterchange drain on a ball valve...
 
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1000rrstunna said:
my basement isnt finished yet either...... so i could also do that.... pics or it didnt happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe i can come see yours this weekend im close to plainfield? message me
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This close to the holidays I'll never get the time to have anyone over, maybe in Jan. :) Holidays are nuts in my family. :) Also I didn't think to take pics (I never think to) which irritates my wife. I really wish I did, I had 7 people over moving this thing, I estimate it weighs a bit over 400 lbs and it's glass so there's just no way to carry it easily. I built the stand based on the popular stand building thread here, put that on the other side of the hole in the wall, and we walked it down, through the hole, and right onto the stand (which was on a tarp). From there we slid the tank and stand together on the tarp into where the fish room was going to be. I then built the basement around that. I can get current pics of the tank/fishroom/etc tonight, the hard part is remembering when I get home :) I promised a build thread and never delivered.

Everything is DIY really, stand, sump, plumbing, I even bent my own return pipes because I'm a cheap bastard and didn't shell out for LocLine.

I'll put a reminder in my phone to get some pics.
 
text me some pics please 630-417-3110 I need to make a decision asap on the ordering of this tank... .... i will post them for you in the thread as payment! also how does the glass cages tank quality seem to be..
 
1000rrstunna said:
text me some pics please 630-417-3110 I need to make a decision asap on the ordering of this tank... .... i will post them for you in the thread as payment! also how does the glass cages tank quality seem to be..
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Will get pics tonight... I'll talk to my wife about sneaking you over too if you want to see it (not exciting yet, still getting started but there's water and inverts in there). I think the quality is fine, but I don't have much to judge it by as I've never had anything this big. My current sump is bigger than the last tank I had. The nice thing was the delivery, I ordered from Aquascape in Channahon and he delivered as part of the deal to my garage... it's just that it sat there for a few years before I actually got off my butt and moved it down.

But, after sitting in my uninsulated garage for almost three years, it holds water like a champ and seems rock solid. Filling it for the first time on my DIY stand in my newly finished basement scared the crap out of me, but it would have been too much for me to fill and drain before all the drywall dust, etc.
 
caragol said:
Will get pics tonight... I'll talk to my wife about sneaking you over too if you want to see it (not exciting yet, still getting started but there's water and inverts in there). I think the quality is fine, but I don't have much to judge it by as I've never had anything this big. My current sump is bigger than the last tank I had. The nice thing was the delivery, I ordered from Aquascape in Channahon and he delivered as part of the deal to my garage... it's just that it sat there for a few years before I actually got off my butt and moved it down.

But, after sitting in my uninsulated garage for almost three years, it holds water like a champ and seems rock solid. Filling it for the first time on my DIY stand in my newly finished basement scared the crap out of me, but it would have been too much for me to fill and drain before all the drywall dust, etc.
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coolio id love it I would be in and out would be nice to see how you did things im flexible also and about 20 minutes away

glenn
 
Joe5688 said:
I wouldn't be to concerned with a tank/sump in the furnace room. As long as it's not a sealed room u'll be fine. My 40 sump has been in my furnace room for 3.5+ years and i have no issues with any of the house plumbing or furnace showing signs of rust. I do think that it keeps the house more humid which is fine for me cause then my humidifier doesn't need to run lol
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Humidity, it what I struggle with. Definitely no humidifier needed. I've added a dehumidifier upstairs, still a challenge.
 
May want to talk to an Hvac person...an exhaust fan pushing air out of the room may require enough 'make up air' to avoid pulling co2 from the furnace into the room. Not sure about it, but better to ask than find out the hard way.


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Congrats! I'm going to just put this out there... I have a bad back. :) I do have access to furniture straps, the kind two guys use to haul refrigerators. Neighbor has a big one, I used it to move my 8' tank, one guy one each end and others supporting the sides, I ended up not renting suction cups because I wasn't sure they'd help much lifting they way we were. What are you doing for a stand, DIY or buying one?
 
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