A Golden Reef Tank

[halmus]

I've been reading through these big threads for years and it's finally my turn. I started planning this build over four years ago. After moving into our new home two years ago, I first built a shop in the garage to work out of. I am a cabinet maker in my spare time and love DIY projects.

The next big step was finishing the basement where the tank is going. That's about where this project picks up.

This is a rough 3D rendering I did while planning the basement remodel and tank setup.

 

[halmus]

I'm pretty far along in the project now, but I wanted to share it with ReefCentral because I know how much I loved reading through other's builds. So, this will be a huge photo dump to catch everyone up to today.

These are the drawings I sent off to the manufacturer to get the ball rolling on the tank and stand. It's a peninsula tank about 4' x 4' x 3' deep with a built in bar around three sides.

 

[worm5406]

Well planned out so far.

Nice renderings.

What are you wanting to keep? Fish Only? Coral? Anemones?

 

[halmus]

I had contractors in to frame out the basement. I just had them get to the point where drywall was complete and I could do all of the trimwork.

The future filtration room.

 

[halmus]

Well planned out so far.

Nice renderings.

What are you wanting to keep? Fish Only? Coral? Anemones?

Thanks. My primary goal is SPS. I'm not a huge fish guy, but I will probably be looking at a lot of anthias and wrasses.

 

[halmus]

Drywall going up.

 

[halmus]

It was over a year ago when the tank and stand arrived! It was a huge effort getting it down into the basement. Thanks to the local Colorado club! Great group of people here along with a great store (Aquatic Art).

The back end sticking into the filtration room. I covered it with insulation while all of the construction was happening to protect it.

 

[halmus]

I leveled the floor in the aquarium room with 50+ 50lb bags of self leveling. The contractors put the floor drain in the highest point in the room. (This is where I'm glossing over how dissatisfied I am with their work...)

After the self leveling cured, I installed this rubber flooring in the filtration room.

...and I unwrapped the back side of the tank.

 

[halmus]

I built some cabinets for the far wall next to the sink.

I built custom formica window sills and finished the windows trim.

 

[halmus]

I picked up shelving from Grainger and staged it to start planning out the space.

2 x 150 g tanks for the water mixing station.

Some MRC equipment came in. Orca Pro II skimmer, reactors, Kalk stirrer, and Calc Reactor.

 

[halmus]

This is the original paint color we went with in the basement. I didn't like it but was compromising with the wife. (The color changed once I started building the cherry wainscoting).

This is where the aquarium was basically on hold for 9 months while I completed all of the trim and cabinetry in the basement. (A LOT of nights and weekends!).

 

[halmus]

My first time doing masonry.

 

[halmus]

I spent a few weekends building formica covered shelves for everything in the aquarium room somewhere between trimwork.

 

[worm5406]

Looking good.

Was it your video that I saw a lizzard stuck down in the hole by the window and the cat was looking at it?

 

[halmus]

I finished the trim work in the main basement areas including all of the custom doors. Carpet was installed.

 

[halmus]

Looking good.

Was it your video that I saw a lizzard stuck down in the hole by the window and the cat was looking at it?

No, I don't remember any lizard videos. I have been pretty active on the local forums, but have been mostly lurking on the RC forums for years enjoying everyone's work.

 

[halmus]

So, all of those posts account for over a year and half of work up until last December when I was finally at a breaking point with the rest of the basement.

Starting in December, I was finally able to really focus on the aquarium build.

 

[halmus]

I pulled out some of the tanks that I had been accumulating for the last few years and started staging everything.

 

[halmus]

I finished the cabinets in the corner and installed the uppers and doors.

 

[halmus]

The washing machine was an old one we had around. Part of the remodel was building my wife a new laundry room with new machines. I had the contractors rough in for the spare washing machine. Now I can clean the dirty fish towels in the fish room.