In garage refugium

[RxBandit]

Hey everyone, I have this dillema I was hoping someone could help me out with. I have a 100g reef display tank in my home. In my garage I have a 46 bowfront on a stand that is doing nothing but sitting there. I was toying with the idea of using it as a refugium for my 100g. Currently my display tank is backed up against the wall that seperates the garage from the house.

The problem I am having is that, I am quite frankly, a complete idiot when it comes to envisioning how to do through the wall work(Thats not to say I am not a complete idiot regarding other things, but the list would take too long). Would I just have to drill a hole through the wall and run some tubing to the display and use a pump for the return or am I missing some complicated planning?

Any help you can throw my way would be helpful.

 

[Marc Daniels]

That's about it in a nut shell.

You just need to make sure that you plan it out so you only have to plumb it once. Figure out where the electrical would be running through, as well as any possible plumbing. Then don't drill there! You could drill small pilot holes where you want the large holes just to get a peek in and see what's behind there.

You want a snug fit to help keep pests out of the house. Most likely should add some sort of flexable sealant. You also need to think about how the external refugium is going to affect your tank temps. Garage at 40f in the winter, or 120f in the Summer. You can easily cool the tank with evaporative cooling, but that's going to mean a lot of makeup water. I had tanks in the garage that would drop 5g a day, but they stayed under 83f. Also need larger heaters during the winter. You're going to have a large water volume in fairly cool temps for extended periods. Need to plan fo that.

 

[Reefugee]

This may be a question for Rich, but does building code allow you to drill holes between your house and your garage? I thought (and maybe incorrectly) that if you drilled any holese between your house and the garage, you broke the firewall.

RxBandit - I know some one who put their fuge outside in a shed, and during the winter, he had difficult keeping the temperature up. Just something to consider.

 

[alanscott]

I currently have my tank setup with a 100 gallon rubbermaid refugium in my garage. I placed my 75 gallon bowfront against a wall in family room. Next, we drilled pilot holes in wall, and figured out where everything would be plumbed. After holes and plumbing was completed, we used some flexible sealant to seal up holes in garage. Since we live in Fresno, I did buy a 1/3 hp drop in chiller for our hot summers. As far as evaporation, I am using a Kalk reactor with a dosing pump. My tank has only been setup for about 4 months, but so far no problems other than trying to stabilize temperature. Currenly my temperature swings about 2 degrees from day to night, which as I understand is acceptable. This summer we will see how often my chiller has to run.

 

[Marc Daniels]

Minh, didn't think about that, you may be right.

 

[Reefugee]

It's really only a problem if 1) there is an uptight building inspector who drives by and see it 2) when you sell your house. But you can always patch it back up when you sell it. Just make sure you patch it back up to code.

 

[Justin74]

Very true Minh, not only that depending on your house some have a very hard sheet metal seperating the garage and the house. Ive gone through a helluva lot bits doing that.Not exactly sure if its metal or not,but regardless the stuff is extremely hard

-Justin

 

[Reefugee]

Justin -

I didn't realize that they use sheet metal to separate the garage and house. I thought they just used a thicker drywall - but I am not positive.

Minh

From California Building Code:
http://web1.sanbruno.ca.gov/city_se...ent/building/pdf/California_Building_Code.pdf

"A fire separation is required between a residence and an attached garage. It may be vertical or horizontal or both or of whatever form may be required to completely separate the residence and the garage. Where any part of the separation is horizontal, any walls or columns which support the horizontal portion must also be protected. Protected walls must have 5/8" type X gypsum wallboard on the garage side of the wall. Ceilings framed at 24" o.Ã"šÃ‚¢. must have two layers of 5/8" type X wallboard, but those framed at 16" o.Ã"šÃ‚¢. only need one layer. Resilient channel (RC channel) may be installed @ 16" o.Ã"šÃ‚¢. perpendicular to 24" o.Ã"šÃ‚¢. ceiling framing and covered with one layer of 5/8" type X wallboard. Any door between the house and the garage must be selfclosing and be a 20-minute rated and labeled door or a minimum 1 3/8" thick, solid wood door. Where selfclosing hinges are used, a minimum of two self-closing hinges are required."

 

[RxBandit]

Thanks everyone, these are great responses...Thankfully I can do a decent drywall patch..so I am not too worried about that, now if I can just find out how to convince the wife to let me drill holes in the wall.

 

[Reefugee]

1. You can deny any holes. "What holes?"

2. What holes? It's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

:lol:

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Check out:

http://www.3m.com/firestop/

That's what we use for pipe and conduit penetrations through rated walls. There are lots of different components and rated assemblies for your different applications.

You IT types can see samples of that kind of stuff at your workplace where the network infrastructure penetrates the walls and floors.

 

[RxBandit]

Thats what my datacomm guy recommended...but the person that wears the pants in this house vetoed my plan. So now I am going to have to find another way to get a refugium