IF you could redesign your HOUSE around your TANK...

ReefEze · 08/21/2006, 03:51 PM

Okay, so what would (or have) you guys do if you had the ability to build part of your house around your tank??

My parents are building a new house, and they say that they want a nice inwall aquarium, more FOWLR than reef.

I'm thinkin that the aquarium will be between two walls, so it can be seen from both sides, but i'm not sure.

Anyway, any ideas of things that I should make sure are included in the building plan for the tank? Hopefully there will be room for a nearby fishroom, but the stuff may need to be located in the basement, and pumped up from there...

Any ideas?
TIA

TKByrnes · 08/21/2006, 04:05 PM

well when i build my house...... the tank would be visable frome 3 sides built into the wall.. if you know what i mean. basicly it would be on the end of a wall where you would walk by it to get to the other room. the overflow would take up 1 end of the tank instead of the back corners. here is a quick sketch of what im talking about.

Bebo77 · 08/21/2006, 04:08 PM

http://www.livingcolor.com/res_aqu_gallery.cfm

if only i had the money...

Ciarán · 08/21/2006, 04:18 PM

Despite the fake corals, i love that tank! Not the best for keeping live corals and light demanding inverts. Aeration in relation to volume would be a problem too, but as a FO tank it would be great. No LR though - you'd need huge wet dry filters or the like.

davocean · 08/21/2006, 05:11 PM

Fake corals or not, that is so rad!
I help a local DJ who told me about a wall tank owned by Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
He said it was a huge wall, and when you go to the master bath on the backside, the shower(also huge) wall is the backside of the aquarium, so you can shower while watching your fishies!
That's along the lines of my dream home.
Wish they'd show that on cribs!

hahnmeister · 08/21/2006, 05:48 PM

I would simply pick a good size room (long and narrow like a galley over more square would be my pick) that borders on a wall you would like to put the tank into. If possible, the room should have a floor drain, or at least a utility sink/tub to drain things into. A water supply for the RO, top-offs, and mixing tanks are a good idea as well. If you can, having a seperate power vent (like a bathroom fan) put into this room will help with humidity and cooling, if not a small window for ventilation. Also, having a seperate circuit or two on the circuit breaker (if not 3 15amp circuits just in case) is a good idea.

And the untimate is to have a south facing skylight or two right over the tank... talk about saving alot on lighting...

Oh, and one thing for sure, be sure to have the floor or whatever the tank is going to sit on reinforced with extra joists and posts underneath (unless on a concrete floor) for unlimited weight support.

jezzeaepi · 08/21/2006, 06:07 PM

What I would do If I were designing a house around a tank?
1000 gallon sump in the basement with plumping for multiple show tanks through the house. That way you could have 4 or 5 show tanks but only one system to care for. A clam tank, a seahorse tank, a sps tank, a softie tank, a zoa tank, a lps tank, a FO Aggressive tank etc etc. You could keep everything and youd have a very stable system.

masterqaz · 08/21/2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

http://www.livingcolor.com/res_aqu_gallery.cfm

if only i had the money... [/B]

Dang... you beat me to it. I would want the 5000 gallon tank and i would fill it with small reef fishes. Huge school of chromis. All i need is 325 000 to buy, 30000 to install and 5000 to stock.

I love the one we have at work.

tinyreef · 08/21/2006, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hahnmeister
And the ultimate is to have a south facing skylight or two right over the tank... talk about saving alot on lighting...

ditto.

or a southern-facing sunroom/solarium.

goda · 08/21/2006, 07:36 PM

ever been to an aquarium where the tank is all around you ( georgia aquarium) yeah... that would be my tank.. well more like a house built inside a tank :P

no but really

make sure tyo have room for pumps at the aquariums level so that you dont loose head height
also if you want a tank to be viewed from bothside make it atleast 3 ft wide or else you wont beable to stack your rock

Avast Marine · 08/21/2006, 11:38 PM

one day.....

xtm · 08/22/2006, 12:49 AM

I would build my watertight house inside the tank

Bri Guy · 08/22/2006, 01:24 AM

I think the sump in the basement is a great Idea, get all the equipment and such out of the way, and you could have the tank in a more open environment upstairs by not having a sump room next to the tank.

They should reinforce that part of the floor right away also.

Id put mine in a spot that was easily seen in the house but not in a high traffic area, not near the front entrance or between the kitchen and livingroom.

Nano Chris · 08/22/2006, 01:31 AM

Lol, i could not afford any of those tanks, i bet they are pricy... Maybe one day...

KDodds · 08/22/2006, 05:32 AM

I'd do the room idea, a nice small room, maybe 12x12 or a little larger. Open up a viewing wall for the front, install everything in that room, soundproofing it first, including the floors. The hole I'd open would be 10'x3', starting about 3' off the floor. I'd install platforms around the tank in the back to make cleaning easier. I think I'd go with a tank that went back maybe 6'. Of course, the humidity would become an issue, so the room would have to be vented.

Michael7979 · 08/22/2006, 07:01 AM

I'd like an 'in wall tank' thats about 8' long. Have the stand and canopy built into the walls, so they would look like a normal built-in cabinet, but with real access. The tank would be around 3' deep so it can stick out of the wall about a foot, for looking lengthwise down the tank. Hope said that to where you guys can follow, really you see half the depth from the viewing room.

Behind the tank I would have a 'tank room' with easy access to all equipment and for cleaning/WC's. With sink, drain, vent, etc., etc.

And I would add several "Solartube" skylights for natural lighting. To save some money on that.

RichConley · 08/22/2006, 09:40 AM

Greenhouse adjacent to the house (on the south side). Tank is basically a pool in the greenhouse. Make it like 8x4x4, up against the foundation of the house, sunk 3.5' down. Put a 8x4 viewing window into the foundation so that the tank can be seen from the side in the basement (inwall style) and seen from above in the greenhouse.

would be hot.

Avast Marine · 08/22/2006, 09:53 AM

My dream tank would be a zero edge tank in the basement that was in wall. The actual tank part would be below grade and incorperate geothermic cooling. The ceiling of this room would be 2" thick tempered glass and also be my patio/deck and light source.
Basically a huge one of these....

...of course money is no object

.

stereomandan · 08/22/2006, 10:23 AM

Wow, there is so much to keep in mind.

First, do they for sure want it on the 1st floor of the house?

Personally, i think a finished basement area is the best idea. Less damage risk, and temperatures are more consistant. If you have it on the 1st floor, you almost have to run your AC all the time in the summer unless you get a nice chiller.

Wherever you put the tank, prepare the area for potential major spills, as this is likely to happen sometime. Near a sump is a great idea as others have said.

When you try to expose both long sides of the tank to viewing, you make it much more difficult for equipment choices, and how you route all of your plumbing.

I like the idea of the picture frame look, or you could extend the tank out from the wall and frame in a supprt for the tank and drywall it underneath. Then you could have your equipment rooms, drainage behind the tank.

Dan

Hal · 08/22/2006, 10:36 AM

Quote:

[i]Anyway, any ideas of things that I should make sure are included in the building plan for the tank?

Either a fishroom immediately behind the tank, or a fishroom in the basement below the tank. Your choice. A must have.

Other nice things to have in the fishroom/basement (Some have already been mentioned):
1. floor drain (I can't tell you how much I wish I had one of these in my basement fishroom)
2. water source for your RO
3. separate circuit power supply - I recommend 2 circuits, one for the pumps and one for the lights.
4. shelving for reactors, test kits, refugium, frag tank, QT, etc.
5. floor space for a garbage can for new SW.
6. venting to outside for humidity
7. air conditioner supply to keep the room/tank cool - may also help with humidity
8. ceiling space for a lighting track so tank maintenance is easier when you swing the lights out of the way
9. edging in the room to contain spills.

Don't worry, no matter how much you plan, you'll still find something that you forgot. As long as you have adequate floor space, a water supply and drain, and extra electrical capacity you will be fine.

ReefEze · 08/22/2006, 06:16 PM

Awesome ideas guys, thanks for the responses.

The tank is going to be on the 1st floor (or maybe the basement, that was a good idea). Skylights would thus probably be difficult, but maybe not impossible.

Keep 'em comming!

hahnmeister · 08/22/2006, 06:24 PM

if skylights are impossible, sometimes even placing the tank under a good sized basement window with a reflector to angle the light in works fine. That way you get the benefits of daylight as well as ventilation. or, sometimes sola-tubes will fit where skylights wont...

ReefEze · 08/23/2006, 08:33 AM

hahnmeister -- good idea, im going to look into the sola-tubes

08/21/2006, 03:51 PM	#1
ReefEze Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Posts: 1,276	IF you could redesign your HOUSE around your TANK... Okay, so what would (or have) you guys do if you had the ability to build part of your house around your tank?? My parents are building a new house, and they say that they want a nice inwall aquarium, more FOWLR than reef. I'm thinkin that the aquarium will be between two walls, so it can be seen from both sides, but i'm not sure. Anyway, any ideas of things that I should make sure are included in the building plan for the tank? Hopefully there will be room for a nearby fishroom, but the stuff may need to be located in the basement, and pumped up from there... Any ideas? TIA __________________ "True happiness I have nowhere found; but certainly here it dwells."

08/21/2006, 04:05 PM	#2
TKByrnes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fairfield, PA Posts: 1,331	well when i build my house...... the tank would be visable frome 3 sides built into the wall.. if you know what i mean. basicly it would be on the end of a wall where you would walk by it to get to the other room. the overflow would take up 1 end of the tank instead of the back corners. here is a quick sketch of what im talking about. __________________ Baby it was on sale half price I PROMISE!!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gal mixed reef-55 gal sump-mag 9.5 return pump-10 gal frag tank 15 gal refugium. 2x 150 watt HQI outer orbit 4x pc actinic

08/21/2006, 04:08 PM	#3
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	http://www.livingcolor.com/res_aqu_gallery.cfm if only i had the money... __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

08/21/2006, 04:18 PM	#4
Ciarán Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 268	Despite the fake corals, i love that tank! Not the best for keeping live corals and light demanding inverts. Aeration in relation to volume would be a problem too, but as a FO tank it would be great. No LR though - you'd need huge wet dry filters or the like. __________________ "You can take the man out of the bog, not the bog out of the man." Saying in Ireland basically meaning - Once a hick always a hick!! Current Tank Info: 20g anemone species tank with some zoos, LPS, SPS, Ocellaris and Flameback Angel - 275 gal empy due to study!

08/21/2006, 05:11 PM	#5
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	Fake corals or not, that is so rad! I help a local DJ who told me about a wall tank owned by Lars Ulrich (Metallica) He said it was a huge wall, and when you go to the master bath on the backside, the shower(also huge) wall is the backside of the aquarium, so you can shower while watching your fishies! That's along the lines of my dream home. Wish they'd show that on cribs! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

08/21/2006, 05:48 PM	#6
hahnmeister Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brew City, WI Posts: 10,156	I would simply pick a good size room (long and narrow like a galley over more square would be my pick) that borders on a wall you would like to put the tank into. If possible, the room should have a floor drain, or at least a utility sink/tub to drain things into. A water supply for the RO, top-offs, and mixing tanks are a good idea as well. If you can, having a seperate power vent (like a bathroom fan) put into this room will help with humidity and cooling, if not a small window for ventilation. Also, having a seperate circuit or two on the circuit breaker (if not 3 15amp circuits just in case) is a good idea. And the untimate is to have a south facing skylight or two right over the tank... talk about saving alot on lighting... Oh, and one thing for sure, be sure to have the floor or whatever the tank is going to sit on reinforced with extra joists and posts underneath (unless on a concrete floor) for unlimited weight support.

08/21/2006, 06:07 PM	#7
jezzeaepi Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 385	What I would do If I were designing a house around a tank? 1000 gallon sump in the basement with plumping for multiple show tanks through the house. That way you could have 4 or 5 show tanks but only one system to care for. A clam tank, a seahorse tank, a sps tank, a softie tank, a zoa tank, a lps tank, a FO Aggressive tank etc etc. You could keep everything and youd have a very stable system.

08/21/2006, 07:36 PM	#10
goda Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: fortlauderdale florida area Posts: 1,874	ever been to an aquarium where the tank is all around you ( georgia aquarium) yeah... that would be my tank.. well more like a house built inside a tank :P no but really make sure tyo have room for pumps at the aquariums level so that you dont loose head height also if you want a tank to be viewed from bothside make it atleast 3 ft wide or else you wont beable to stack your rock

08/21/2006, 11:38 PM	#11
Avast Marine RC Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 2,446	one day..... __________________ Dan Don't rush art, you get bad art.

08/22/2006, 12:49 AM	#12
xtm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Panorama City, CA Posts: 4,703	I would build my watertight house inside the tank __________________ Function before fashion Current Tank Info: 120g SPS Tank (48x24x24)

08/22/2006, 01:24 AM	#13
Bri Guy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin Posts: 2,995	I think the sump in the basement is a great Idea, get all the equipment and such out of the way, and you could have the tank in a more open environment upstairs by not having a sump room next to the tank. They should reinforce that part of the floor right away also. Id put mine in a spot that was easily seen in the house but not in a high traffic area, not near the front entrance or between the kitchen and livingroom. __________________ For my birthday i got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out. (Steven Wright) Current Tank Info: 40BR w/ 250w 14K Phoenix + 192w PC, 10g fuge w/ 55w PC, 10g sump, Eheim 1250 return w/ SCWD, ASM Mini G skimmer, Gravity fed ATO, Kalk doser, 1/10 HP chiller, 1 Vortec + 3MJs, all on an AC Jr. - Born on date 8-06 Pics in gallery! + 55g FOWLR w/ macro

08/22/2006, 01:31 AM	#14
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	Lol, i could not afford any of those tanks, i bet they are pricy... Maybe one day... __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

08/22/2006, 05:32 AM	#15
KDodds Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Suffern, NY Posts: 2,731	I'd do the room idea, a nice small room, maybe 12x12 or a little larger. Open up a viewing wall for the front, install everything in that room, soundproofing it first, including the floors. The hole I'd open would be 10'x3', starting about 3' off the floor. I'd install platforms around the tank in the back to make cleaning easier. I think I'd go with a tank that went back maybe 6'. Of course, the humidity would become an issue, so the room would have to be vented. __________________ The sum of my knowledge is great, the sum of my ignorance greater still Kieron Dodds Administrator Inside Aquatics Current Tank Info: 450 Reef/180 FOWLR/125 ARLC/40 Seahorse/12 Planted/12 Planted

08/22/2006, 07:01 AM	#16
Michael7979 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Keizer,OR Posts: 923	I'd like an 'in wall tank' thats about 8' long. Have the stand and canopy built into the walls, so they would look like a normal built-in cabinet, but with real access. The tank would be around 3' deep so it can stick out of the wall about a foot, for looking lengthwise down the tank. Hope said that to where you guys can follow, really you see half the depth from the viewing room. Behind the tank I would have a 'tank room' with easy access to all equipment and for cleaning/WC's. With sink, drain, vent, etc., etc. And I would add several "Solartube" skylights for natural lighting. To save some money on that. __________________ MIKE THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN!! 240 RE-build in progress!.....(slowly) Current Tank Info: 240g, 4- 400w Radiums on PFO HQI ballasts, 4- 110w VHO on IceCap 660 ballast, Euro-Reef Skimmer

08/22/2006, 09:40 AM	#17
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	Greenhouse adjacent to the house (on the south side). Tank is basically a pool in the greenhouse. Make it like 8x4x4, up against the foundation of the house, sunk 3.5' down. Put a 8x4 viewing window into the foundation so that the tank can be seen from the side in the basement (inwall style) and seen from above in the greenhouse. would be hot. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

08/22/2006, 09:53 AM	#18
Avast Marine RC Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 2,446	My dream tank would be a zero edge tank in the basement that was in wall. The actual tank part would be below grade and incorperate geothermic cooling. The ceiling of this room would be 2" thick tempered glass and also be my patio/deck and light source. Basically a huge one of these.... ...of course money is no object . __________________ Dan Don't rush art, you get bad art.

08/22/2006, 10:23 AM	#19
stereomandan Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,888	Wow, there is so much to keep in mind. First, do they for sure want it on the 1st floor of the house? Personally, i think a finished basement area is the best idea. Less damage risk, and temperatures are more consistant. If you have it on the 1st floor, you almost have to run your AC all the time in the summer unless you get a nice chiller. Wherever you put the tank, prepare the area for potential major spills, as this is likely to happen sometime. Near a sump is a great idea as others have said. When you try to expose both long sides of the tank to viewing, you make it much more difficult for equipment choices, and how you route all of your plumbing. I like the idea of the picture frame look, or you could extend the tank out from the wall and frame in a supprt for the tank and drywall it underneath. Then you could have your equipment rooms, drainage behind the tank. Dan __________________ 90g Tank, 75 lbs Live Rock, T5, T8 and VHO Lighting, Closed loop on Snapper Pump 1.5" Sand in main tank, DSB in 38g Sump, B-ionic Daily, Temp 79, SG 1.026 LPS, Softies Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon Reef

08/22/2006, 06:16 PM	#21
ReefEze Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Posts: 1,276	Awesome ideas guys, thanks for the responses. The tank is going to be on the 1st floor (or maybe the basement, that was a good idea). Skylights would thus probably be difficult, but maybe not impossible. Keep 'em comming! __________________ "True happiness I have nowhere found; but certainly here it dwells."

08/22/2006, 06:24 PM	#22
hahnmeister Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brew City, WI Posts: 10,156	if skylights are impossible, sometimes even placing the tank under a good sized basement window with a reflector to angle the light in works fine. That way you get the benefits of daylight as well as ventilation. or, sometimes sola-tubes will fit where skylights wont...

08/23/2006, 08:33 AM	#23
ReefEze Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos Posts: 1,276	hahnmeister -- good idea, im going to look into the sola-tubes __________________ "True happiness I have nowhere found; but certainly here it dwells."