A Great Way to ruin a perfect wall; My 400 Gallon Project
- Thread starter SERVO
- Start date
NewMariner
Reef Tank Aficionado
More Mermaid Pics...I mean Tank Pics...yea more tank pics
SERVO
New member
Sorry for the LONG lag, any way; progress is being made!
I'll show the pretty pictures first (Sorry boys; none of my wife, only the tank.
) It is really tough to take pictures of this thing. In the day when the "dinning room" is really bright, the light that comes in from the garage glares off of the glass. All of the pictures therefore look bad. The night views are cool, as you see, however, I can't get a good AP projection. Here is a view of the front of the tank, now trimmed out in the wall. The oblique view makes it look about the size of a 180. Trust me, it is 8 feet long. The trim will be painted with posted pictures later.
Now, with in wall systems, there is a lot of "how can I make adequate front panel acess without having drawers or light shinning through. I am REALLY happy with this. THere is a piano hinge at the top of the tank screwed into a piece of wood that was fixed into the wall supports. It closes flush and has two hinges (one was added later that post dates this picture) to hold it up. As you see, only one is needed, but two were placed for stability. This thing is around 40 -50 pounds.
here is a front view
I need to take some better pictures of the room. I'll post soon.:strooper:
I'll show the pretty pictures first (Sorry boys; none of my wife, only the tank.
) It is really tough to take pictures of this thing. In the day when the "dinning room" is really bright, the light that comes in from the garage glares off of the glass. All of the pictures therefore look bad. The night views are cool, as you see, however, I can't get a good AP projection. Here is a view of the front of the tank, now trimmed out in the wall. The oblique view makes it look about the size of a 180. Trust me, it is 8 feet long. The trim will be painted with posted pictures later.
Now, with in wall systems, there is a lot of "how can I make adequate front panel acess without having drawers or light shinning through. I am REALLY happy with this. THere is a piano hinge at the top of the tank screwed into a piece of wood that was fixed into the wall supports. It closes flush and has two hinges (one was added later that post dates this picture) to hold it up. As you see, only one is needed, but two were placed for stability. This thing is around 40 -50 pounds.
here is a front view
I need to take some better pictures of the room. I'll post soon.:strooper:
tigerarmy40
New member
man this stup is going to be bad a$$!!! I cant wait to see water in it!
SERVO
New member
Good idea Steve! I'll post a "macro". My stupid batteries just died, so it looks like I'll put that on my to do list.
To keep the room cool and not have to have the chiller run all of the time, we are putting in an AC unit with a dehumidifier. Here is the hole.
Next to that is the door into the room. I originally wanted it on the wall close to the door out into the garage. We were going to have the builder move the attic door, however this will actually work out well. First off, to move the door would be a pain because we would end up cutting more joists in the ceiling. This would potentially cause instability because they are already cut from the original door. Anyway, I get to put the ballasts up in the attic. This is a small heat generator, but the nice thing is that they will be out of the way in the room.
Here is a shot looking thru the future eight foot high door with the attic door cracked, when the ladder is extended, it will come thru the door into the "garage".
The AC unit should keep the room nice and cool. To suppliment this, we are having a duct run off of our heating and cooling to be ran into the room. This will keep the room toasty warm in the winter!
For circulation, I have two ducts for fans hooked up. The upper fan will draw stale air out, while the lower duct will help draw off the heat that is generated from the chiller that will sit on the floor under it.
And the lower vent
So this
has turned into this
Funny how you can see my reflection, while I was peeking into the front window to get the shot!
I'll post more equipment and electrical soon. Thanks for tagging along! I really can't wait to get some water in this thing!
:strooper:
To keep the room cool and not have to have the chiller run all of the time, we are putting in an AC unit with a dehumidifier. Here is the hole.
Next to that is the door into the room. I originally wanted it on the wall close to the door out into the garage. We were going to have the builder move the attic door, however this will actually work out well. First off, to move the door would be a pain because we would end up cutting more joists in the ceiling. This would potentially cause instability because they are already cut from the original door. Anyway, I get to put the ballasts up in the attic. This is a small heat generator, but the nice thing is that they will be out of the way in the room.
Here is a shot looking thru the future eight foot high door with the attic door cracked, when the ladder is extended, it will come thru the door into the "garage".
The AC unit should keep the room nice and cool. To suppliment this, we are having a duct run off of our heating and cooling to be ran into the room. This will keep the room toasty warm in the winter!
For circulation, I have two ducts for fans hooked up. The upper fan will draw stale air out, while the lower duct will help draw off the heat that is generated from the chiller that will sit on the floor under it.
And the lower vent
So this
Funny how you can see my reflection, while I was peeking into the front window to get the shot!
I'll post more equipment and electrical soon. Thanks for tagging along! I really can't wait to get some water in this thing!
:strooper:
Gerard Alba
New member
So cool, good luck ....
rockmyfish
New member
Man, man, man!!! this is awesome.!!! YOur project makes me drooling and your mermaid will be in a bikini makes me even more drooling!! More pix of the mermaid, please.!!! oops, i mean more pix of the tank with water and corals, please!!!!.:lol:
mrpet
Member
did u do the trim around the tank yourself? im doing a 96x36x30
in a few months i have been looking at all kinds of ways to do the molding etc... yours rules love it gonna steal it to
it rocks awsome job plus showed my wife "boss" loves it as well i was really worried about getting into the tank from the front well not anymore thanks for the great idea. can not wait to see more progress....scott
in a few months i have been looking at all kinds of ways to do the molding etc... yours rules love it gonna steal it to
it rocks awsome job plus showed my wife "boss" loves it as well i was really worried about getting into the tank from the front well not anymore thanks for the great idea. can not wait to see more progress....scott
melev
Well-known member
Ryan, I sincerely doubt you'll need or even want the heater ducts added to your fish room during the winter. I have no problem being wrong, btw. However, with my own experience, there is plenty of heat generated by the tank lighting for almost 12 hours day, plus the heat of pumps, the humidity from the water, etc. What I did was run my A/C unit at 81F, and the room stayed nice and warm. It did turn on if it got hotter than 81F, which kept the tank at the proper temperature without too much additional cost.
Because of the way I have two doors going into my fish room, I can have a breeze blow through during mild days to raise pH and avoid the expense of heating or cooling. For the past two months, I've saved a bundle. Just in time to get hit hard for the sump.
I love the woodwork, and that canopy is awesome. You totally can't tell it would flip up. Would you consider adding air shocks to help lift it up and ease your arm & back a tad? A couple of guys recently bought some and are very happy with them.
Thanks for the update!
Because of the way I have two doors going into my fish room, I can have a breeze blow through during mild days to raise pH and avoid the expense of heating or cooling. For the past two months, I've saved a bundle. Just in time to get hit hard for the sump.
I love the woodwork, and that canopy is awesome. You totally can't tell it would flip up. Would you consider adding air shocks to help lift it up and ease your arm & back a tad? A couple of guys recently bought some and are very happy with them.
Thanks for the update!
Please hurry with those plumbing and electrical pictures. My new 11 foot long - 425 gallon in wall tank (garage fish room) will be arriving May 28th. It will be quite a lot like your set up.
Sears had their ACs on sale. I got a high efficency 6,000 BTU for my fish room (and also have the same chiller as you). Also, they had a 3 year service contract for $30. I don't usually buy service contracts, but I thought for this application it might be in my best interest?
I was going to run duct work through my lighting to utilize or exhaust the heat from the lights. I will have two fans in the duct work controlled with a temp probe. One will exhaust out and one will pull in, depending on the temp. of the tank water.
Sears had their ACs on sale. I got a high efficency 6,000 BTU for my fish room (and also have the same chiller as you). Also, they had a 3 year service contract for $30. I don't usually buy service contracts, but I thought for this application it might be in my best interest?
I was going to run duct work through my lighting to utilize or exhaust the heat from the lights. I will have two fans in the duct work controlled with a temp probe. One will exhaust out and one will pull in, depending on the temp. of the tank water.
SERVO
New member
Tesfeld, we have plenty of room to park the cars! If I ever get a third car, there is always the driveway and then the street! (Thanks Kent E!!!)
Cathy, I will post electric and plumming ASAP!!! Unfortunately, I don't have either finished. Both are being professionally done and I am waiting on them. The electric may be done next week?
Mrpet PM me if you want to talk to the guy that did the framing, I'll see what I can do to get you guys to communicate together. He is a professional carpenter and did a FANTASTIC JOB!!!!!
OK, so I have some updates;
Here is a close up of the hinge. It is simple and looks insufficient, however there is a 6 inch wood screw at the base that goes into a lateral support and through the beams into the wall. It is very stiff.
The room is finally mudded and ready for texture and paint!
Green board is up inside the room.
The neat thing about this picture is that you can see the plumming next to the tank. I will have my RO set up and a sink there. You can also see one of two vents that will be used for circulation. THe lower vent will be used to blow out the rising hot air from the chiller, while the upper vent (not pictured) will be used for circulation.
THis shows the upper vent and the left wall of the room.
The wall has been sprayed and textured and is awaiting the painter!!!!
Here is what the room looks like and how it takes up a two and 1/4 car garage!!! Again, it is textured and awaiting painting. You can see the insulation on the ground; of course the walls are filled with it.
I'll post more soon.
I am totally stoked, I just got an offer on my house in Columbus that I've had on the market since Nov of 2003!!! Now it will clear up a $1000 a month that I can use on the tank and not on an empty morgage!!!!!:rollface: :rollface:
Thanks for all of the feedback!!!!
Cathy, I will post electric and plumming ASAP!!! Unfortunately, I don't have either finished. Both are being professionally done and I am waiting on them. The electric may be done next week?
Mrpet PM me if you want to talk to the guy that did the framing, I'll see what I can do to get you guys to communicate together. He is a professional carpenter and did a FANTASTIC JOB!!!!!
OK, so I have some updates;
Here is a close up of the hinge. It is simple and looks insufficient, however there is a 6 inch wood screw at the base that goes into a lateral support and through the beams into the wall. It is very stiff.
The room is finally mudded and ready for texture and paint!
Green board is up inside the room.
The neat thing about this picture is that you can see the plumming next to the tank. I will have my RO set up and a sink there. You can also see one of two vents that will be used for circulation. THe lower vent will be used to blow out the rising hot air from the chiller, while the upper vent (not pictured) will be used for circulation.
THis shows the upper vent and the left wall of the room.
The wall has been sprayed and textured and is awaiting the painter!!!!
Here is what the room looks like and how it takes up a two and 1/4 car garage!!! Again, it is textured and awaiting painting. You can see the insulation on the ground; of course the walls are filled with it.
I'll post more soon.
I am totally stoked, I just got an offer on my house in Columbus that I've had on the market since Nov of 2003!!! Now it will clear up a $1000 a month that I can use on the tank and not on an empty morgage!!!!!:rollface:
:rollface: Thanks for all of the feedback!!!!
bkztrini465
New member
Well its time for me to start following this thread. Looks like its coming along real nicely. That wall is huge!!!!! :eek1: Didnt look that big in the first pic, the I saw the builders/destroyers next to it and it hit me. Any new pics???
Me before this thread
Me after the thread
This :hammer:
to
This :wildone:
Again nice tank.
-Kris
Me before this thread
Me after the thread
This :hammer:
to
This :wildone:
Again nice tank.
-Kris
Similar threads
