Jonny's Fish Room and Large Tank (1 Viewer)

[JuniorBirdHater]

I enjoy reek keeping for a number of reasons, but the primary one may perhaps be the engineering aspects. There are always opportunities to try to do something better (or at least differently). Its a hobby that can be approached and enjoyed quite basically or can be practiced with as high a degree of complexity as we care to take on.

The asset / accomplishment I most appreciate and heartedly covet of the great systems in this hobby is a top notch fish room. A great fish room serves as a laboratory, facilitating a richer experience. And it keeps the rest of the house more clean.

I have enjoyed and researched well composed fish rooms for a while. Of all of the at home laboratories and wet closets ive seen online, presumably globally, one that i have most admired turns out to be local. While i have not seen it in person, following Jonty's build and seeing pictures of his equipment room has greatly inspired my thinking build plan.

I have kept tanks ranging up to 400g, but have always been confined inside the stand. We moved into our current house about 2 years ago and since then i have only run a couple small (50g) tanks in the unfinished basement while i have planned and re-planned (and re-planned) the system i would like to build.

I have began the process finishing the basement and it all starts with the fish room.

Pictures coming...

 

[cathorn]

Good luck with the build, will wait for updates.

 

[JuniorBirdHater]

I am fortunate enough to be able to start from scratch. The basement was completely unfinished. We roughed in the walls. This current tank sits in what will be a short hall leading to under-stair storage, utility/fish room, a full bathroom, and a guest bedroom / music room.
View media item 8893

This (not sure how to make it not sideways) is where the DT will end up. it will be outside the fish room, but with the back fully accessible from the fish room.
View media item 8894

initially we framed in and insulated the utility / fish room, but after some deliberation decided to go back to concrete. This wall is below the garage and stays fairly temp neutral all year. That coupled with the air vents in this room should keep it properly temp controlled. I have a vent in the ceiling to evacuate moisture. There is a drain in the floor on the Utility side of the room that i will be plumbing to for easy water changes.
View media item 8895

Next steps:
1. the floor of the room will be 2 part epoxied, and the concrete walls will be painted.
2. Overhead lighting will be provided by several LED "tube" lights
3. Wiring the 2 breakers and all electrical outlets. Each breaker will serve 2 banks of 6 outlets, giving me a total of 24 outlets.
4. Build the shelving that will hold my water change station, work bench, sump, fuge, QT, and perhaps a frag tank.
5. Move inhabitants of the tank in the hall in to fish room tanks, so i can get that tank out of the way.
6. Find Display Tank

 

[Fishfoo]

You've got my attention. Can't wait to follow this along!

 

[JuniorBirdHater]

Its been a really busy month, but progress has been made.

I have sealed the concrete walls and epixied the floor. I am pleased with the way these turned out.
I also ran electrical: Dedicated breakers serving 12 outlets on each side of the room.

20160828_200653.jpg

• JuniorBirdHater
• Aug 29, 2016

The room looks like a hallway in these pictures. It is going to be a smallish fish room at 66 sqft, 7'4" wide and 9' long (the entire room pictured is 18'4" long, with the back 9'4" serving as the utility room. Snug for a room, but not too bad compared to under a stand.

20160828_200710.jpg

• JuniorBirdHater
• Aug 29, 2016

Next Steps:
1. Frame up the through-wall side (the side nearest in the pictures)
2. Sheet all stud walls and finish with fiberglass reinforced plastic sheeting
3. Shelving and wall mounts
4. Workbenches / stands
5. Overhead lighting
6. Move all residents in to new homes

 

[csb123]

Very cool. One suggestion is to install a big utility sink, if you don't have one already

 

[JuniorBirdHater]

I have just about completed the walls in the fish room.

view from inside:



view from where the tank will be:


I will be constructing the the shelves this week and hope to move my existing tank inhabitants in to holding tanks in the room this weekend.

Next Steps:
1. plumb drain pipe around base of room to allow for easy tank draining or water changes
2. build shelves
3. move current creatures
4. FIND A PLUMBER and have them alter the pipes in the room so that i can hook up RO/DI filter in there and a small utility sink.
5. overhead lighting

 

[JuniorBirdHater]

Very cool. One suggestion is to install a big utility sink, if you don't have one already

Thanks for this reminder BTW. It had slid off my radar. The fish room will be adjacent to a bathroom, so i had kinda checked off a sink in my head. But as i have doing some cleaning and thinking about winter, i realized how handy a proper util sink will be. gotta find a plumber to plumb one in for me.

 

[BEAV9900]

Nice progress!

Pictures all show up as the same/similar image for me.

 

[jlanger]

Very cool. One suggestion is to install a big utility sink, if you don't have one already

Thanks for this reminder BTW. It had slid off my radar. The fish room will be adjacent to a bathroom, so i had kinda checked off a sink in my head. But as i have doing some cleaning and thinking about winter, i realized how handy a proper util sink will be. gotta find a plumber to plumb one in for me.

Greatest addition to any fish room.
You would've been reminded about a utility sink right after you dump the skimmate down your bathroom sink for the first time.
Nice progress.

 

[Mandarin_Jake]

Thanks for this reminder BTW. It had slid off my radar. The fish room will be adjacent to a bathroom, so i had kinda checked off a sink in my head. But as i have doing some cleaning and thinking about winter, i realized how handy a proper util sink will be. gotta find a plumber to plumb one in for me.

My father in law is a master plumber. If you want to give me your number, I can have him give you a call. He's awesome and is more familiar with aquariums then your average plumber.