In-wall 380gal tank - cut out options

Cyclist - I am having some difficulty with my original plan but the idea of a complete stand tear down is as unappealing as the vision of water wicking up the inside of my stand...

So how about using silicone between the concrete and wood? GE professional window silicone should do the job. What do you think? Will the silicone adhere well to the concrete an epoxy-painted wood?
 
karimwassef said:
When I first needed to move the tank into the garage, I copied the design and just stacked the components behind the wall. Now that I'm looking at it from a more objective view, I'm considering different plumbing

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Given that both the protein skimmer inlet and the surge resevoir are much higher than the sump, AND the overflow box in the main tank is end-end, I decided to take the main drain bulkhead as the pump inlet rather than the sump. This reduces the head needed by about 4 feet (half the original head).

The resevoir emergency overflow pipe doesn't need to flow to the sump, so I redirected it to the main tank overflow box instead. This allows the pipe to go behind the main support beam for the resevoir platform.

These changes open up the area for accessing the top and front of the tank and should increase flow to the skimmer and surge resevoir.

The return pump also becomes dedicated which should make the in-tank penductors a lot more effective.

I realize that this is unconventional plumbing. I'm also concerned with the structural support for the resevoir tank. Please let me know your thoughts on how to improve this design.
Click to expand...


I just wanted to point out if I'm not mistaken I believe if you plumb the return for the skimmer out and straight into the sump as it is drawn here the water level in your skimmer will only be that high. I think in order to maintain the proper water level in the skimmer the return pipe needs be plumbed as high as the desired water level.
 
karimwassef said:
Cyclist - I am having some difficulty with my original plan but the idea of a complete stand tear down is as unappealing as the vision of water wicking up the inside of my stand...
Click to expand...

I've been there man, I really have. I've nearly finished with a phase of a project and come to find I've missed one step that could cause me headaches down the road. Then I start to come up with all kinds of ways around the issue until that voice in my head says, "Do it right now, or do it over later".



So how about using silicone between the concrete and wood? GE professional window silicone should do the job. What do you think? Will the silicone adhere well to the concrete an epoxy-painted wood?
Click to expand...

This could potentially work but only you can decide if you're willing to accept any risk here. Because will you really know if all the bare spots got covered with the silicone? You'll need to determine how wet it might get (don't forget errent spills from routine maintenance), will the wood be able to dry out completely if it does get wet (how's your humidity?), what is the worst case scenario and are you willing to live with that evenutality (having to tear down a fully mature tank to repair the stand).

I know, I know, I sound like Chicken Little (THE SKY IS FALLING!) but you really need to think this one through. NOW is the time to make the right fix since the tank is not yet on the stand.

If it was me, I would cuss and moan about it, heave a big sigh, have a beer or two, and tear into the next day by pulling the stand apart and painting where ever the wood touches concrete.
 
The wood will all be painted except the flat bottom against the concrete. So the silicone will bridge concrete to epoxy painted wood...

We use silicone for aquariums, and this is a much more benign application.
 
I would do preasure treated wood where it is in contact with concrete. Concrete is poarse so even thought it seems dry sometimes it is still gonna be damp.
 
I have epoxied my grage floors. It adheres well to wood too. I had wood step leading from garage into house. Don't get the cheap stuff you find at home depot or lowes if you plan to do the garage floor, as it will peel up from hot tires.

I would suggest maybe using treated lumber that touches the grage floor as mentioned.
You also could put some flat aluminum stock between the floor and wood as well. That will hold up very well too
 
Thank you. I wish I had used treated lumber but it is too late now.

I will have to use paint and caulk to make it as water resistant as possible.
 
karimwassef said:
Thank you. I wish I had used treated lumber but it is too late now.

I will have to use paint and caulk to make it as water resistant as possible.
Click to expand...

remember concrete is porous and even if your silicone the edge and stain the wood face, the bottom surface can wick water from what the concrete that soaks in adjacent to it.

You may want to epoxy the garage floor and onto the wood base atleast so water doesnt soak into concrete than into wood. Especially if you plan to wash the floor down often.

Or don't get the concrete near the stand wet very often and when you do make sure to put a fan there and dry it very well.
 
thanks for the feedback. I'll have to be careful with my garage floor going forward. I looked into painting it but it'll take some conditioning first.
 
Ok. Progress update.

Taped up the green drywall with green tape.
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Pink mud (still wet)
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Filled, dried and sanded
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3/4" plywood top glued and screwed
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Painted with water-protectant
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1" foam top
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Might go back for a second coat and touch ups. Still need to silicone the base and edges.

The tank is delayed (freight) so might be in next week.
 
Nice work! (Since the tank is delayed, a second coat never hurts). What a joy to see this come together.
 
Thanks Lavoisier. Since this is my first in-wall (vs. free standing), I have to say that there is a lot more work involved. It's a marriage between a home renovation and a tank build with all the work of both. It feels good to make some progress, even if it is slow.

Does anyone have an off-the-shelf silicone recommendation for concrete to painted wood?
 
The paint I decided to use is from Sherwin Williams. It's called Pro Industrial Pre-Catalyzed Water-based Epoxy K46-150 Series. It's intended for industrial kitchens, hospital, schools. It's not a 2 part epoxy but since it's not intended to be in contact with the tank water, it should be ok to protect the area around it.
 
ok. decided to use "great stuff" polyester foam and then cut it back. Works for the big gaps. Then I applied GE 100% silicone over the seams.

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Ok. The moment of truth ... cutting out the drywall. No turning back now.

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I used a straight piece of wood screwed into the drywall (scrap side) and a jigsaw. Made an experimental cut in the middle first to get the hang of it. The jigsaw "drywall blade" made a nice clean cut. Hooked up my small shop vac to the jigsaw exhaust and had very little dust.

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Covered it up with plastic sheet - went down to 30 F overnight in Texas and might even snow! Garage was painfully cold - added a space heater.

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constructed the trim from several pieces, brads and wood glue. Then stained and cut.

I used one corner piece (3/4" x 3/4"), then a forward facing trim and another for the lip (horizontal bar). One more flat 3/4" piece allowed the forward facing trim to sit flush against the wall.

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Here is the scrap end, but it shows the cross section

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Here it is assembled into the frame. The trim actually allowed me another chance to make some level corrections to the drywall cut.

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Corner pieces will come later.
 
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