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03/31/2008, 05:49 PM | #1 |
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Scott's 50-Gallon In-Wall Build
Hi everyone, it's that time again... another build thread. Quick background, I have had 3 reef tanks in the past and when I moved to Las Vegas, everything I had in my tank died. That was 2 years ago and I've been without a tank since then. In April 2007 we bought our first house and about 2 weeks ago, I asked my wife "what do you think about building a tank into the wall right here?" (while I proceeded to tape up a 24"x24" piece of newspaper on the wall). To my surprise, her answer was, "yea, that would look SO cool!"
Needless to say, I jumped on that comment and have already started the ball rolling. I'm going to look for a lot of input from everybody here, but I'll give you a rough idea of what we're looking to do. The tank will be around 50 gallons. It will be setup as a reef tank, but I expect that the first 6-months to 1-year it will be run as a FOWLR tank. It may end up as FOWLR and anemone, we'll just see. Here is a listing of equipment that I already own and expect to use for this tank:
Now for the fun stuff... I'm going to need your thoughts on a tank, sump, and other stuff for the project. The tank I'm planning on building (but am open to other ideas) will be 18" W x 28" L x 24" Deep. Unless I want to do some serious construction, I will be limited to the 18" width. The viewing pane (18"x24") will be Starphire while the sides and back will be painted black. There will be an "overflow" that will be the full width of the tank about 4" from the back. There will be 2 inlets drilled in the main area for Closed-Loop inlets and 2 drains drilled in the overflow area that will drain to the sump. All returns will be over the top of the tank. The one area I'm struggling with is how the tank should be "braced", either standard black plastic around the top and bottom or "Euro-Braced" around the top. I'm leaning towards the eurobrace because this will give me a perfectly flat/flush front viewing pane, and it will be much easier to get a clean look to the trim around the viewing pane if I don't have to contend with the thickness of the black plastic brace. Does this make sense? This is where the tank will be going: For those that are curious, behind the wall is the garage. I'm thinking about walling-off a small corner and making it into a fish closet. Here's what I've envisioned for the tank: Well that's it for now. I've still got to work on the design of the rest of the system including sump, closed-loop, etc... Looking forward to hearing everybodies thoughts. -Scott |
04/01/2008, 10:44 AM | #2 |
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Okay, quick update. I have cut open the wall from the garage side. Here is a sketch of what the garage looks like and where the tank will sit:
And an actual picture after I pulled out my trusty drywall saw: So as you can see, there are some studs in the way. In the picture, you can really only see 3 studs, one on the left, one in the middle, and one on the right. In reality, there are 5 studs... two left, one middle, and two right. If I just cut out the middle stud, there is PLENTY of support and 19 3/8" between the studs, that's why I'm shooting for an 18"-wide tank. On the other hand, if I were to cut 1 left, the middle, and 1 right stud, I would have about 24" and could get a bigger tank. I personally think that taking out 3 of 5 studs is too risky and not worth the extra ~5" in tank width. What does everybody else think? On a similar note, are there any general contractors out there (or framing experts) who could give me some pointers on how to properly remove the center stud? Thanks! -Scott
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04/01/2008, 11:22 AM | #3 |
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by the looks of those pics you should be able to pop that stud right out, as it is not really supporting any load from above. To stop any flex of the floor on your landin above I would however replace that stud with a header above the tank being held up with 2 jack studs fastened to the 2 side studs. hope that made sense.
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04/01/2008, 11:43 AM | #4 |
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That makes perfect sense because I just read through this page:
http://www.homeadditionplus.com/fram...ow-Opening.htm I've watched enough "This Old House" to know what to expect, I just wanted confirmation. Thanks, Stan. Any thoughts on the tank? Wondering if people have an opinion on the normal brace versus euro-brace. -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/01/2008, 11:46 AM | #5 |
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Awesome idea, about how long until you will want to open it up again and go bigger? I know that it would last about 2 months for me until I would want a larger tank haha
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04/01/2008, 11:50 AM | #6 |
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Thanks jadams!
Well, if I want to keep the tank in that location, the largest I could go would be ~5" wider and that would require a bit more construction. I don't think the extra 5" is worth it. Other than that, if I want to go bigger, I have to change the location of the tank. I'm not really a bigger-is-better person, I just pay more attention to the little details. Hope you enjoy the build. -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/04/2008, 01:11 AM | #7 |
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Okay, I got a few quotes on the tank today. More than I was expecting to spend, but isn't that just how things go in this hobby?
I'm looking for some feedback from you guys about lighting. When I had my last tank setup, I used a Phoenix 14,000K 250W DE bulb. I loved that bulb, but I would like to have the control of multiple bulbs. For this reason I'm thinking about using my 250W DE bulb and a pair of 24" T5's. In your opinion, what would make a better mix, and keep in mind that I really liked the look of the 14,000K bulb: 1) 14,000K MH with 2 Actinic T5's 2) 10,000K MH with 2 Actinic T5's 3) 20,000K MH with 2 10,000K T5's 4) 14,000K MH with 2 10,000K T5's 5) Something else... please explain. Let me know what you guys think. Personally I am leaning towards option 4 and have the T5's turn on one at a time, then the MH after both T5's are on. Thoughts? -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/06/2008, 11:48 PM | #8 |
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Still looking for thoughts on the tank. I've gone around town and had a few local shops give me quotes. It's funny to see how much each store marks up the price since they are all quoting me a Lee-Mar tank. I'm assuming that Lee-Mar tells them all the same price and they each mark up the tank on their own.
-Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/14/2008, 11:38 AM | #9 |
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Hey Everyone, got quite a bit of work done on the build yesterday. Still haven't ordered the tank, but I want to make sure everything is in place so that when I order the tank I can just plumb and go.
So I opened up the wall completely, and found a small surprise... there were some cross-braces that I didn't want to touch since it looks like the stairs inside the house are supported by these cross-braces. Not a big deal. Here's a closer look at the cross-bracing: And for those who need some perspective, a cold one doing it's part to help out: I installed a couple of 2x8's that will serve as the main supports for the stand, they are bolted to the existing 2x4's for both lateral and vertical support: It was a tight fit getting the washer and nut onto the lag bolt, but I was able to have 3 bolts on each of the two 2x8's: Here is a close-up of how I had to cut some notches (sp?) in the 2x8's so they matched the shape of the foundation and 2x4 base: And another shot showing the cut-out around the 2x4 cross-brace: And here's where it stands right now. The stand is about 5.5' tall: This will put the bottom of the tank at about 4.5' high from the inside of the house (because the foundation is about 1' higher inside compared to the garage. Remember that I can walk up 2 or 3 stairs to get closer to the front of the tank, in which case my eyes will be right at the top of the tank. Hope you enjoy the updates... it was a lot of work yesterday since I started at about noon and had 2 trips to Home Depot. -Scott Last edited by scbauer; 04/14/2008 at 12:15 PM. |
04/14/2008, 11:57 AM | #10 | |
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I have been using T5's only on my 90 gallon for about a year now with great results. It took me a little while to get a good combo of bulbs. I ended up with two 10K geismans, 2 Actnics, and 2 true blues. They are coralife bulbs. I get a nice clear white light with all of them on and with just the Actinics and blues I of course get a sunrise/sunset bluish look.
My suggestion would be go with number 2 in your choices. The 10K MH should give a nice bright white and shimmer and then with the T5's Actinics you should get a nice sunset and sunrise affects. By the way...that placement in the wall looks like it will be great. and you will have a great area in the garage to put equipment. Quote:
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04/14/2008, 12:34 PM | #11 |
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Hey Kalied, thanks for the thoughts. I've actually heard a lot of good things about the Iwasaki 14,000K 250W DE bulb. On my last tank I used the Phoenix 14,000K bulb and really liked it, but I don't want to have just 1 bulb. That's why I'm planning to add 2 or 4 T5's. With that in mind, I was thinking about the Iwasaki 14,000K since it has a reputation for being a fairly crisp white (when compared to the Phoenix bulb), then add 2 or 4 T5's. Most likely I will use 2 Actinic and 2 Blue Plus.
My first MH bulb was an Ushio 10,000K and it was just a little too yellow for me... that's why I'm thinking about the 14,000K. Honestly, I'm not really thinking about SPS growth but florescence and color (must keep the wife happy ). -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/14/2008, 12:37 PM | #12 |
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One more note on the construction. In this picture, you can see a 2x8 that is about half of the way up the stand, sticking out past the back. This will be the "step" where I can stand to work on the tank. There will be another 2x8 on the opposite side, and they are both bolted to the 2x4 and 2x8 verticals using 2 lag bolts.
-Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/14/2008, 03:14 PM | #13 |
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I'm starting a 54 corner that has a strange top. I'm going with just a 14k 250SE in this!!!
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04/14/2008, 03:45 PM | #14 |
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Thanks for the input, Jesse. I thought you weren't supposed to click the link? You better not let the others know.
-Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/15/2008, 12:12 AM | #15 |
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Got some more work done tonight on the stand but no pictures
Basically I added a standing platform that is about 3/4 of the way up the stand that will allow me to stand over the tank for cleaning, etc... Pictures tomorrow. -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/18/2008, 11:00 PM | #16 |
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Crazy looking setup Scott. Can't wait for more pics. P.S. Vegas baby in the house!!!
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04/19/2008, 12:34 AM | #17 |
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Wow! This is gonna be cool!
Spleify
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Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH |
04/19/2008, 05:08 PM | #18 |
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Hey mcintosh and spleify, thanks! I can't wait for this to get going, either!
I got some work done last night, too... not much, just built some steps so I can "climb" up to the "standing platform" without a ladder. The most important thing that I got done, however, was pull my 3 large moving boxes out of storage labled "FISH TANK STUFF"! I'll be opening the boxes up tonight and cleaning things off. I'll probably start working on some of the electrical tonight or tomorrow. I will be running some conduit from the main breaker box with a dedicated 100A breaker over to a subpanel near the tank, dedicated to the tank equipment. I'll keep the thread up-to-date as much as time permits. Thanks again for the comments. -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/19/2008, 05:10 PM | #19 |
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This is a cool build! I like the location and creative use of space
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04/19/2008, 06:23 PM | #20 | |
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Quote:
-Scott |
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04/19/2008, 08:16 PM | #21 |
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Thanks Scott, I cant wait to see yours start to come together.
The thing I like best about it is that its so unique. Keep us posted. SPleify
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Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH |
04/28/2008, 03:29 AM | #22 |
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A few people have asked me for updates... don't have much. My equipment list is 99% complete. I purchased a UV sterilizer, some Salifert test kits, and a refractometer last week. Prior to that, I bought the Current Prime Tower 1/3 HP chiller and the RO/DI unit.
Not sure if I mentioned it earlier in the thread, but I installed the RO/DI unit a few weeks ago, and man is the wife happy! I happen to have a water-line installed just on the opposite side of the wall that is for my refrigerator's water and ice maker. I drilled a hole through the wall and ran 2 lines... a line that goes into the RO/DI unit and a line that brings clean RO water back to my fridge. I must say that I am amazed at how much different our ice looks now that it is made with the filtered RO water. The ice used to look "foggy" but now it is crystal clear. The water from the dispenser tastes SO clean! We used to spend about $20 per month on bottled water, so the filter will have paid for itself in about 6 or 7 months. So, back on topic... as I said, the equipment list is 99% complete. Unfortunately, I'm missing the one thing that is crucial to a saltwater fish/reef tank. THE TANK! I've requested quotes for the custom tank from quite a few places, and surprisingly, some of the local stores who are going through the same manufacturer have had SIGNIFIGANTLY different prices. One store quoted twice as much as another, and a third was somewhere in the middle. I also got a quote from ELOS, and all I can say is... I wish I were wealthy enough to afford a tank from them. I'll keep everybody updated as the build progresses. Next step will be to install the electrical and order the tank. -Scott
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offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I値l be back one day! |
04/28/2008, 06:58 AM | #23 |
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The set-up is looking good. I like the spot for the tank for sure. Just to let you know. The "cross braces" you found are nailers for the stairs and drywall above the stairs. Good idea not tearing them out because it usually wrecks the drywall on the other side. The stand looks well made. I would have used treated lumber whenever lumber touches concrete (like your sill plate below your wall). It is probably not a big deal. Probably not worth changing. Regular lumber (spf) like you used has a tendency to suck moisture out of the concrete. That is why people use treated. Anyway, thought you might want to know that.
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04/28/2008, 09:20 AM | #24 | |
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Quote:
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04/28/2008, 09:22 AM | #25 | |
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Quote:
By the way, LOVE your avatar! -Scott |
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56 gallon column, anemone, deep, in-wall |
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