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Ross's 750g In-wall with Fish Room!


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Just now, jlfalin said:

The pictures look great. What do you plan on doing for the top of the tank?

I’m not sure yet. The tank will have a 2x4 wall around the back. The front will be pressed up against a 2x6 wall. So the front can’t move. The back wall is a small concern. I’m considering making a center part of the 2x4 wall go all the way up to the ceiling. Thus making the whole tank built into the house. 

 

I could also also just put 3 center braces and make it easy

 

no matter what I do, it needs to go in after the glass and tank is set in place. 

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You would surprised how much the top will move without proper support. Since your front window will be bonded to that you want to make sure it is well supported. I don’t think just pushing the tank up to a 2x6 wall will be enough to prevent the bow. I would add some kind of top brace after you get the glass in place and epoxy that well.  Overall looks great though. Excited to see how this progresses for you.  

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

Its been a while since ive updated this.  The house has taken most of my time, but i have gotten a few days in the past 3 weeks to work on the tank.

 

I was able to fiberglass the inside of the tank.  I made sure to overlap the corners, thus they should have 4x the coverage.  

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I then got a deal for 6 gallons of white epoxy from a local Sherwin Williams.  I dont like the white, but the price was right.  I used a pour method (1/4 inch thick) on the front, back and bottom.  Since the tank is 10' tall and i only have 9' ceilings, I had to use a roller on the sides (4 coats).

 

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Floors in the fish room have a layer of epoxy

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Stands where built and painted for the 90g frag tank, and the 60g refugium.  

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The fish Breeding system has been setup

 

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Since I hated the white epoxy, I put one layer of black pond shield on the sides.  I didnt have enough for the bottom, but it will have sand over it.

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Finally today i was able to install the front glass.  3/4" tempered glass.  weighed about 250 lbs.  Used RTV108 silicone for adhesive.

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over 1000 lbs of dryrock as been collected and im going to bleach it before creating a rock wall on the outer sides of the tank.

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Tomorrow we will flip the tank and put it in its final resting place.  Walls, will be built, tanks, plumbed and then im foaming the walls around the tank for support and to keep heat in.  Wish me luck!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Just now, dmits41 said:

Very nice! What are you doing to culture phyto and rotifers for your fish breeding setup?

Im not sure yet. I probably won't set it all up until everything else is stable.  For more it might host all my fish from my 220gallon.  

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SO...... This happened on Halloween with my kids!!!!
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I was also able to build the back walls around the tank.  I was really worried about this but after seeing it built, I think its WAY overbuilt.  
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Foam guys come in today or tomorrow.  then im gonna do a leak test later this week!!!!!!

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Its been a month since i last updated and alot has happen.  Good and BADDD.
I cut in back panels, installed overflow boxes, had and employee scratch my glass, and finally did a water test (nothing bad to report thankfully)

I cut all my holes for overflows, returns,and the rear viewing panels. Then epoxied the holes and everything that could come in contact with water on a semi consistent basis.  This included the back upper panel of the wall between the tank and the family room and the top of the wall surrounding the tank.  Im considering doing another coat before its all said and done also.

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I then picked up more live rock and a total of 700lbs of sand.  The Sand fills up a 55g barrel.  The live rock fills up 3 55g barrels.  I am currently bleaching the rock and ive rinsed out the sand as best I could.  Should I bleach the sand also?

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Now to the BAD!!!
One of my employees was doing some touch up painting around the front of the tank.  The front plywood needed sanding so he decided to use a palm sander on the wood.  He never should have gotten close enough to the glass to scratch it, but somehow he did.  He put a swirl about 1/8 inch wide all the way around the whole tank.  Its hard to get a picture, but its very noticeable to me!!!  I know he didn't mean to do it, but i was sick when i saw it.  Ive called up my glass guy and he has a big sander for just this type of thing.  So before I fill it up for good, my employee has offered to come on a weekend and fix it for me.  


You can see the scratch right in the middle of this picture

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Last week i got the glass installed on the back viewing area and finished some of the drains and electrical.  Im waiting on the internet to get installed in the house to setup my smart things switches.

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Finally I have water!!!!!
I just did a leak test yesterday and after 28 hours things are all good.  I hope to have all the plumbing up and running on monday to test the rest of the plumbing.

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1 hour ago, ReefNewby82 said:

Wow this is crazy Ross!  I think the meeting host post is up or will be soon.  You're gonna have to host and show this beast off towards the end of 2019!  Good luck with plumbing tests!

I would love to host a meeting,   I hate that they are on Saturdays and so far away!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The tank was running with fresh water in it this weekend.  I had to replace a seal on the reeflo hammerhead and there is still a small leak, i hope to fix it soon.  

I got a new GFCI circuit on a switch for the powerheads.  I had to use a GFCI because there are plug in on the wall surrounding the tank.  I aint takin no risks!!!

 

I installed the cabinets in the fish room to create a nice working area and storage.  I hope to someday paint them gray like the color on the stands.

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We move into the new house this weekend.  So i hope to have alot more time after the kids go to bed to work on the tank. 

Things I still need to do:

Put a plywood skin around the back side of the tank and paint it gray.

Put another coat of black epoxy on top of wall.

Build water changing station in corner between sink and refugium with the 4 55g barrels that are holding rock and sand.

Make a walkway around the tank that folds down when not in use.  This should be high enough that i can reach most of the tank when walking on it.

Build light racks for main tank and frag tank.   (recommendations for blue actinics to go with my MHs?)

Build rock wall

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looks amazing, Ross! Congratulations on the new house and new tank build. I keep a large reef in my basement and use  400 watt halides, which supplement heating the water as well. It would not be cost effective to run LED lights in my basement because without the halides, I would need to add a lot more heaters to my system just to keep the system warm enough.

I noticed you mounted your halide ballasts directly to your I-beams. Just a suggestion, but those halide ballasts can run very hot at the end of the day and the materials used to construct those I-beams on your house consists of flammable glues pressed into the wood. It could be a potential fire hazard.  I mount my halide ballasts using unistrut attached to my I-beams (see attached pictures). Hope this helps you.

Amazing work !!!

Tim

 

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Edited by aquavista99
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On 12/19/2018 at 11:19 PM, aquavista99 said:

Looks amazing, Ross! Congratulations on the new house and new tank build. I keep a large reef in my basement and use  400 watt halides, which supplement heating the water as well. It would not be cost effective to run LED lights in my basement because without the halides, I would need to add a lot more heaters to my system just to keep the system warm enough.

I noticed you mounted your halide ballasts directly to your I-beams. Just a suggestion, but those halide ballasts can run very hot at the end of the day and the materials used to construct those I-beams on your house consists of flammable glues pressed into the wood. It could be a potential fire hazard.  I mount my halide ballasts using unistrut attached to my I-beams (see attached pictures). Hope this helps you.

Amazing work !!!

Tim

 

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Hey Tim,  

Thanks for the heads up.  I will definitely take your advice on this.  I had not thought about the heat issue, its been a while since ive had MH lights!!!   

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WE ARE MOVED IN!!!!!!

Christmas also gave me a little time to work on the tank this week and evening after the kids go to bed are my fish tank time (unless its wife time :love1:)

I was able to move all the live rock that was outside inside my "safe room".  Its a room off my fish room that has 8" of concrete on all sides.  In all actuality, it was cheaper to make the room than it was to fill it up with pea gravel to pour the front porch.  So i have plenty of storage.

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I then put 3 of the 55g barrels in the final resting place.

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I then got the back of the tank skinned and the foldable walkboard installed.  Also added plugs on the wall on a GFCI.  These will be for my powerheads.

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Got some Salt for Christmas!!!  Still need more though 
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Finally a FTS in the basement Family room.  I still am going to build a bar behind the couch that the 4 bar stool sit behind.  This should give eating space during ballgames or watching movies.

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Last but not least!!!!!  My new MERMAN!!!!!!


Not really, its just me in the tank before I drained the freshwater leak test.  3 weeks and no leaks, not even a hint of bowing in the walls or glass.

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The tank is drained and ready for the rock this weekend.  I also am going to put another coat of pond shield on a few areas and the walk board.  Hopefully by this time next week I will be making water.  

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The Aquascape is complete!!!

Over all im pretty happy.  I want to have more open swimming space than most tanks (one reason why i went so big).  The Rock wall really allows me to have my corals and still have open space.  

I worked on the wall Saturday and realized fast that i didnt have enough rock to finish the islands.  So I had to pickup another 200 lbs of dry rock.  I also put 8 five gallon buckets of sand in the tank.  I might add a little more later as the sand creeps into the back of the rocks.

Time for the pictures!!!!


FTS
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Left side.  Open water side
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Right Side.  Island side
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Top View
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Port holes
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Finally got the last coat of epoxy on the top wood railing around the tank and the walkway.  Starting to look really good in the fish room
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