600 gal display/900+ gal build thread in the Chicago 'burbs.
- Thread starter wmilas
- Start date
- Status
Altohombre
New member
is this a house or a corporate building? It looks huuuuuge!
Framing is moving along. No they are not framing as fast as I'm posting pictures, its just that I was lax posting pictures so I'm playing catch up to real time.
In the pictures below they have nearly the whole basement minus the front wall for the fishroom framed out.
In the pictures below they have nearly the whole basement minus the front wall for the fishroom framed out.
The plan for the sub flooring was to bring the 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" tongue and groove in through the same window that the tank will be brought in through. The idea was to cut the seal and the "supposed" nails that hold the window frame in the rough opening. Well a few sawzall blades later, they were bolts, and the damn thing is still completely glued in there.
The whole frame had to be scrapped to get the window out so now in its place we have the very stylish:
Still it was easier to do this then to try and bring the sheets in through the house and down some tight stairs... and it had to be done anyways before the tank cames. Still sucks as its another expensive window and casement to purchase.
The whole frame had to be scrapped to get the window out so now in its place we have the very stylish:
Still it was easier to do this then to try and bring the sheets in through the house and down some tight stairs... and it had to be done anyways before the tank cames. Still sucks as its another expensive window and casement to purchase.
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
This build is going to be amazing. youve got a heck of a lot of work in your future! 
tagging along for the ride!
tagging along for the ride!
Ryan: thanks for the compliment.
I spent today polyurethaning a bunch of trim work and new doors in my house so not a lot in the way of new pictures. EXCEPT, some the first tank equipment! kinda.
Let me present 2x 4" inline fantech 100s, high humidity, 18 watt power draw high efficiency fans:
One will exhaust air outside via a standard dryer duct and flapper. One will be the make up and take air in T'ed off from the 6" fresh air intake that my HRV pulls from. There will be a dryer flapper in the fishroom to prevent back pressure and warm air from escaping if the HRV is on and pulling air. Both will turn on and off at teh same time maintaining equal pressure in the sealed fishroom.
This is where I think alot of people screw up with venting their fishroom. If its completely sealed from the house (like mine will be) then you need a fresh air makeup otherwise venting with a single fan wont work as you can't depresurize the room. Well, it will work, but only for a minute then the fan just spins and doesn't really do anything.
I don't want to mix fishroom air with the rest of the house for humidity reasons (basement), corrosion issues (saltwater) and smell issues (curing live rock ect).
I plan on running the fans intermittently to raise the oxygen levels in the fishroom for the skimmer and exhaust excess CO2.
If It comes to it and I need to cool it, I plan on installing a split AC unit. I don't think I'll need it as the basement is pretty cool, but we'll see.
Here is a picture of my cousin at 10:30 PM in the pitch black (aside from my flash) coring a 4" hole for the ducting to outside. He's a HVAC guy and does great work.
Hopefully I'll have another update later tonight.
I spent today polyurethaning a bunch of trim work and new doors in my house so not a lot in the way of new pictures. EXCEPT, some the first tank equipment! kinda.
Let me present 2x 4" inline fantech 100s, high humidity, 18 watt power draw high efficiency fans:
One will exhaust air outside via a standard dryer duct and flapper. One will be the make up and take air in T'ed off from the 6" fresh air intake that my HRV pulls from. There will be a dryer flapper in the fishroom to prevent back pressure and warm air from escaping if the HRV is on and pulling air. Both will turn on and off at teh same time maintaining equal pressure in the sealed fishroom.
This is where I think alot of people screw up with venting their fishroom. If its completely sealed from the house (like mine will be) then you need a fresh air makeup otherwise venting with a single fan wont work as you can't depresurize the room. Well, it will work, but only for a minute then the fan just spins and doesn't really do anything.
I don't want to mix fishroom air with the rest of the house for humidity reasons (basement), corrosion issues (saltwater) and smell issues (curing live rock ect).
I plan on running the fans intermittently to raise the oxygen levels in the fishroom for the skimmer and exhaust excess CO2.
If It comes to it and I need to cool it, I plan on installing a split AC unit. I don't think I'll need it as the basement is pretty cool, but we'll see.
Here is a picture of my cousin at 10:30 PM in the pitch black (aside from my flash) coring a 4" hole for the ducting to outside. He's a HVAC guy and does great work.
Hopefully I'll have another update later tonight.
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
cool idea. You are lucky to have an HRV to use like that, should help alot. I wish I had one 
I just have fresh air come to my fishroom through a vent in the wall coming from a guest bathroom the only downside so far is that if I'm working on the fishroom then anybody in the bathroom can hear me :lol:
I just have fresh air come to my fishroom through a vent in the wall coming from a guest bathroom
the only downside so far is that if I'm working on the fishroom then anybody in the bathroom can hear me :lol:Ok I found some time to get some shots ready of the flooring process. Here they have the plastic waffle underlayment down and have most of the 3/4" tongue and groove on top of it. The idea here is the waffle like texture of the rigid plastic allows air to circulate under the sub floor thus creating a vapor barrier and a insulator and a place for seepage to drain. In 3 places in the basement (storage room, sump pit, and mechanical room) it'll be open so air can circulate under it. I did resin inject every crack i could find no mater how small all they way through the foundation, so I'm thinking (hoping!) there will be no seepage.
The 3/4" board is there to provide a nice base for padding for carpet to go on over.
The concrete area you see will be tiled in partially for the bar area and the area in front of the tank. First the plumbers have to come in and concrete saw the floor to lay the main fishroom drain, the fishroom sink drain, and I'm going with a "resturant" style drain next to the sink drain, and still under the sink that embeds the trap in the floor so I can gravity feed waste water as low as possible from any tank I so choose. I'm hoping the plumbers will be in next week to rip the concrete.
In the next few days they will drill the underlayment and concrete and insert steel plugs to hold the whole sandwich down tight to the concrete. they have actually started on it in a few places in some of the shots... you can see concrete dust smears on some of the ply board.
Anyways, here are the picts:
The 3/4" board is there to provide a nice base for padding for carpet to go on over.
The concrete area you see will be tiled in partially for the bar area and the area in front of the tank. First the plumbers have to come in and concrete saw the floor to lay the main fishroom drain, the fishroom sink drain, and I'm going with a "resturant" style drain next to the sink drain, and still under the sink that embeds the trap in the floor so I can gravity feed waste water as low as possible from any tank I so choose. I'm hoping the plumbers will be in next week to rip the concrete.
In the next few days they will drill the underlayment and concrete and insert steel plugs to hold the whole sandwich down tight to the concrete. they have actually started on it in a few places in some of the shots... you can see concrete dust smears on some of the ply board.
Anyways, here are the picts:
Last edited:
Oh I also wanted to tank about the injector and sump pit plumbing (not tank sump) a little.
The sump pit I'm installing a second pump thats pumps in conjunction with the first, and runs off of marine deep cycle batteries. It's an industrial model, not a home depot special. I'll post picts when it goes in.
More importantly I wanted to talk about and ask about the injector pump. The plumber suggested putting a high water and sensor alarm in the injector pit which we will do, do avoid backups if the pit pump goes out and I decide I want to do a water change in my tank.
The thing thats somewhat worrisome though is that hes of the opinion that the saltwater will eventually oxidize the pump causing it to fail. He states that my pump is a good one, but I could replace it with a stainless model, although that will eventually fail too.
I'm not that worried about a failure since I'll just pony up the cash to replace it... its pennies compared to what my tank pumps are going to be, but realistically, have any of you had your injector pump fail because of salt water?
The sump pit I'm installing a second pump thats pumps in conjunction with the first, and runs off of marine deep cycle batteries. It's an industrial model, not a home depot special. I'll post picts when it goes in.
More importantly I wanted to talk about and ask about the injector pump. The plumber suggested putting a high water and sensor alarm in the injector pit which we will do, do avoid backups if the pit pump goes out and I decide I want to do a water change in my tank.
The thing thats somewhat worrisome though is that hes of the opinion that the saltwater will eventually oxidize the pump causing it to fail. He states that my pump is a good one, but I could replace it with a stainless model, although that will eventually fail too.
I'm not that worried about a failure since I'll just pony up the cash to replace it... its pennies compared to what my tank pumps are going to be, but realistically, have any of you had your injector pump fail because of salt water?
If you don't mind, I am (we are) going to live vicariously through you and your new set up! This would be like a dream come true to me You are a lucky man. Oh- and the only thing that comes close to my love for reef tanks is playing pool! I hope that table is far enough away to avoid any flying cue ball mishaps..... I am sure it is. Your planning is obvoiusly very well thought out.
Happily tagging along drooling. Keep the pictures and details coming.
You are a lucky man. Oh- and the only thing that comes close to my love for reef tanks is playing pool! I hope that table is far enough away to avoid any flying cue ball mishaps..... I am sure it is. Your planning is obvoiusly very well thought out. Happily tagging along drooling. Keep the pictures and details coming.
paulthomas
Premium Member
Tagging along too.
Well the pool table is on the other part of the "L' that is the layout of the basement... on purpose If I can ever put enough english on a clue to jump the table, pull a 90 in the air, and travel 80 feel I'll join the pro circuit!
The concrete guys just left. Having gone through today, I NEVER want to do it again. My house looks, quite literally, like some took a 100 lb bag of flour and threw it in the air.. ON EVERY FLOOR. They tried their damnedest to keep the mess down via wet cutting, and eventually reverted to hammering the stuff out by hand to stop the dust. They even lined the work areas in plastic to try and contain it.
If you are thinking of putting in a drain for a fishroom through solid concrete, think REAL HARD before you do it. Its going to take days to clean up the mess.
Here are the pictures:
If I can ever put enough english on a clue to jump the table, pull a 90 in the air, and travel 80 feel I'll join the pro circuit!The concrete guys just left. Having gone through today, I NEVER want to do it again. My house looks, quite literally, like some took a 100 lb bag of flour and threw it in the air.. ON EVERY FLOOR. They tried their damnedest to keep the mess down via wet cutting, and eventually reverted to hammering the stuff out by hand to stop the dust. They even lined the work areas in plastic to try and contain it.
If you are thinking of putting in a drain for a fishroom through solid concrete, think REAL HARD before you do it. Its going to take days to clean up the mess.
Here are the pictures:
- Status
Similar threads
