600gal (96x48x30)
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
asnatlas
New member
The house was a "spec" but since we found it early in the build process we were able to change a few things on it... We wanted to custom build but with the relocation for work and because we have so many pets (3 dogs and 4 cats) we were kinda limited on time and temp housing...
asnatlas
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12100879#post12100879 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCTewks
you gotta love walkout basements....Our house has one and I don't think I'll ever own another house without onethey kinda make you feel like a little person in a giants world when you stand at the back and look up
I agree, I am loving it, my next house will have one as well
juststartingout
New member
Nice place Shawn! I love the doors/trim. Now, about thhat tank in the basement, don't downsize, if theres a will... theres a way ;-)
asnatlas
New member
Thanks starpolyp, If I were to setup a tank against the long wall, there is a drain right on the other side next to the geothermal unit...
In this pic the drain is right on the other side...
If I setup a tank it will not be as elaborate of a setup as before, it will be alot more "basic". I will also be looking into a steel stand, or at least a centerblock one with I-beams... Also starting out it will only be a FOWLR and might add some softies and LPS... I would still have the 4x 250w MHs over it...
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Shawn,
That basement looks like it is just asking for a nice looking room divider and a FOWLR would serve that purpose nicely.
I'd also like to add that I just found this thread today - and read the entire thing. I felt like I was reading a novel - I could not put my laptop down and now I must sleep
.
FWIW, there are only two things I would have done differently. I would not have bought fish until the display tank was ready to accept them. Secondly, and this is given my own carpentry/handyman skills, I'd pay somebody with a lot more experience to build my stand. Again, that's given my own skillset. I'm a software developer. I don't work with my hands - I just over complicate everything with my mind.
I admire your demeanor throughout this thread. Others should strive to emulate you on these forums.
If anything ... get yourself a nice little nano and a Nemo ... yeah, I said Nemo.
Good luck,
Steve
That basement looks like it is just asking for a nice looking room divider and a FOWLR would serve that purpose nicely.
I'd also like to add that I just found this thread today - and read the entire thing. I felt like I was reading a novel - I could not put my laptop down and now I must sleep
.FWIW, there are only two things I would have done differently. I would not have bought fish until the display tank was ready to accept them. Secondly, and this is given my own carpentry/handyman skills, I'd pay somebody with a lot more experience to build my stand. Again, that's given my own skillset. I'm a software developer. I don't work with my hands - I just over complicate everything with my mind.
I admire your demeanor throughout this thread. Others should strive to emulate you on these forums.
If anything ... get yourself a nice little nano and a Nemo ... yeah, I said Nemo.
Good luck,
Steve
erics3000
Active member
I like the width of the 3 feet wide, I should have went with a 36 instead of a 30. i was afraid I didn't have enough room. It would have been worth it too lose 3 inchs in each room. I guess I will just have to wait until it gets crowded. hehhe
Good Luck with your new tank.
Good Luck with your new tank.
asnatlas
New member
Man... I have been hanging out here on RC too much lately... I REALLY have an itch now... I am even thinking about rebuilding the 600gal that is still created in the garage...
We were thinking about adding a room at the far end (in the pic below)... Well we could still do that and it could become a "temp" fish room... We don't NEED a 5th bedroom, we were just looking at resale It could be a fish room until we are ready to move (which I hope is not for a good while)... Would be easy enough to start as a fish room and then put the finishing touches on it to make it into a usable bedroom...
ROFL I will have to speak with the wifey (boss)...
I can't believe this is even going through my mind right now... I just don't think I would be able to settle for anything smaller... I don't have the funds to go bigger and as it stand right now I would have to find the funds for another skimmer as I sold the BK400 shortly after I moved if I did stay with the 600gal Also would like a steel stand this time around...
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...
We were thinking about adding a room at the far end (in the pic below)... Well we could still do that and it could become a "temp" fish room... We don't NEED a 5th bedroom, we were just looking at resale
It could be a fish room until we are ready to move (which I hope is not for a good while)... Would be easy enough to start as a fish room and then put the finishing touches on it to make it into a usable bedroom...ROFL I will have to speak with the wifey (boss)...
I can't believe this is even going through my mind right now... I just don't think I would be able to settle for anything smaller... I don't have the funds to go bigger and as it stand right now I would have to find the funds for another skimmer as I sold the BK400 shortly after I moved if I did stay with the 600gal
Also would like a steel stand this time around...Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...
asnatlas
New member
Up all nite...
Up all nite...
Well I have been up all nite playing with Google SketchUp...
The basement has 9ft ceilings and I would like for the stand to be 42" high... If I did do 42" I would have to have it in two sections as I would not be able to get it in via the sliding door...
Here is what I came up with...
The bulk of the fishroom is roughly 120"x145"... Since my current 600gal has three panes of Starphire I wanted it to stick out into the room and not just be an in-wall. In the sketch I have it sticking out 36" with a 3.5" lip around the tank that would be tiled...
Up all nite...
Well I have been up all nite playing with Google SketchUp...
The basement has 9ft ceilings and I would like for the stand to be 42" high... If I did do 42" I would have to have it in two sections as I would not be able to get it in via the sliding door...
Here is what I came up with...
The bulk of the fishroom is roughly 120"x145"... Since my current 600gal has three panes of Starphire I wanted it to stick out into the room and not just be an in-wall. In the sketch I have it sticking out 36" with a 3.5" lip around the tank that would be tiled...
mcliffy2
New member
Do it. I live in a 2B condo and turned my second bedroom into a fishroom/guestroom (sleeper sofas are great), so whats a 5th bedroom? 
Also, in sketchup, you can actually export to a .jpg and it will look cleaner than doing a screen capture. Just go to File>Export>2D Graphic, and select .jpg as the file format.
Also, in sketchup, you can actually export to a .jpg and it will look cleaner than doing a screen capture. Just go to File>Export>2D Graphic, and select .jpg as the file format.
asnatlas
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13461480#post13461480 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Do it. I live in a 2B condo and turned my second bedroom into a fishroom/guestroom (sleeper sofas are great), so whats a 5th bedroom?
Also, in sketchup, you can actually export to a .jpg and it will look cleaner than doing a screen capture. Just go to File>Export>2D Graphic, and select .jpg as the file format.
LOL thanks I figured there was, but I am running on like 3 hrs of sleep in the past 48 hrs
I got lazy LOL...
mcliffy2
New member
Also, the plan looks great, but have you thought about doing it open top? The convenience is great, it helps with ventilation, helps with cooling the tank, and IMO it looks nice. If your stand + tank is 72", no one under 6'6" would be able to see into fish room, so the rooms would still feel seperate.
One other thought...and I'm going against my own rule that I hate when people always suggest whats worked for them, but the room setup looks perfect to wrap your tank in a bar. I have found the granite bar to be awesome from a functional standpoint. I don't have to worry about water spill, I can pull corals out and do the fragging right there, and best its a great platform for working on the tank, I just hop on up and have a birds eye view.
One other thought...and I'm going against my own rule that I hate when people always suggest whats worked for them, but the room setup looks perfect to wrap your tank in a bar. I have found the granite bar to be awesome from a functional standpoint. I don't have to worry about water spill, I can pull corals out and do the fragging right there, and best its a great platform for working on the tank, I just hop on up and have a birds eye view.
