Ideal sump room location

[JWClark]

If you were building your tank into your house where would you locate the sump room?

1. In a room behind the tank.

2. In thew basement below.

Below in the basement offers much more room for expansion but you have to deal with stairs as you get older and can't see the tank as you are doing stuff (does this matter much?).

 

[twon8]

Either one works, only difference is the head pressure on the pump, which favors behind the tank

 

[billdogg]

IMHO, hands down its the basement sump/fishroom. If (when) a flood happens, the wife will be much less forgiving if it is in the finished part of the house. Sure, you'll need a bigger pump to get the water to the DT. If that small expense puts you off, you just might want to rethink your choice of hobbys!

 

[rygar]

I had it in the basement. Now its behind the tank to a garage. Waaay more convenient behind the tank. Was a hassle running up and down all the time. Now its just a couple steps and Im there. Not sure how I'd feel about it being in an actual room in the house. Like he said...flooding would be an issue then. So if your only 2 choices are an actual room behind the tank or in the basement...I'd say basement. Just for that reason.

 

[ca1ore]

Basement for me. Pros and cons of course, but the pros end up in the basement. Had my fish 'room' in the garage once ...... once ...... Major heat problems in the Summer. Maybe with LED itd be less of a problem. Reality is that if you reef long enough there'll be water on the floor which makes a rear room a non starter for me.

 

[JWClark]

If the room is behind the tank we were planning to have it connected to the mud room and garage. So, essentially it would be part of the garage framing/slab but would be insulated and climate controlled--possibly w/ a dedicated system. Plan on running MH/T-5. My thought was to have it a step or two lower than the main house and the slab would be extended under the tank for support.

My wife is really worried about me constantly yelling up the steps for her to check something. At least she has been incorporating this into her plans even though we are 5 yrs out.

My biggest worry is running out of space. I think she has already planned for a 12x16 or 20 room (tank will be 8x3x27"-30").

 

[tom obrecht]

I e done both and my preference is behind the tank as long as there are some essentials. I laundry sink is a must IMO. I find it more convenient to just take a few steps over to the tank rather than up and down stairs. I've always had my sumps in an area where spilled water is not an issue. If behind the tank remember that water will get spilled and if on unfinished flooring its. O big deal.

 

[yacn]

I have mine in basement. Syphon water from sump into floor drain during water changes makes it really easy and no worries about getting anything wet. Plus no heat issues like a garage might do. I do work in basement and enjoy on 1st floor....no real need to go back and forth. I do have python siphon that is extra long when wanting to siphon from water from tank for water changes occasionally.

 

[RedStangGA]

Mine will be in the garage in the new house. Insulated so hopefully temps won't be much of an issue. Still, it'll be Florida. Chiller if I need to.

 

[Indymann99]

BASEMENT!!

So many benefits, cooler temps in the basement (natural cooling), easy access to drain (see below), easy access to Mix tank for WC. Pump noise is in basement. If designed properly, unplanned flood will be in basement.

Very easy to plumb a WC system so you never have to use buckets... or even auto WC

My DT is also in the basement but the concept would be the same if the DT was on the 1st floor.



Mix tank for WC also in the basement. Also great place for QT.. also plumbed to WC system.

 

[shifty51008]

I would always choose the basement, much more room to do alot more stuff. The only part of my tank that is upstairs is the tank, ballasts for the lights and controllers for the tunze's. From haveing my sump in the basement i am able to design my water change setup so i only have to turn 2 ball valves and can have a 35 gal water change done in less than 10 min. I can also have bigger sumps, fuge, water mixing storage containers, ect and still have room to add if needed. Also keeps the upstairs dead silent. Also being that the basement is much cooler i never have heat issues, actually even running my mh's i still have to run my heaters in the summer time.