innerspark
New member
Following! Maybe one of these days I'll be able to have a out door grow out system but this is sweet.
Just a little grow out system build.. open to advice and suggestions
- Thread starter bvysochin
- Start date
rickztahone
New member
Nice build!
benibarra23
New member
Wow, awesome build.
Thanks for all the replies!
Haha, no official grand opening planned. But, once we have the place up to par, and maybe tidy up our yard a bit, we plan to have a nice bbq, everyone is invited! We've seen tanks lit by solar tubes in the past, and from speaking to people, we were not impressed. In most cases, it seemed like a good idea at first glance, and an opportunity to save on lighting costs, but once the coral started to go downhill, it no longer seemed like a good idea. We really, really, really considered a greenhouse idea, but the resale value, and the idea of having to deal with shade cloths, and trying to heat and cool it, and insulate it, was a little scary. Maybe some day we'll be able to try it, or tie an outdoor system into this new building.
Definitely will still make it.. I think it would be penny wise/pound foolish incase the water ever had contaminants in it, since we don't have control over it. I think it would be too much of a risk to try to save a few bucks. The idea of all the waste water from a traditional RO system is a bit disappointing so we're going to try to come up with a good way to reuse it, or minimize waste.
Thanks!! That's the plan. Anyone that's ever passing through will be welcome to stop in and say hi, as long as we're in town.
Thanks. No completion date in mind yet, I think it'll be a long time before its all officially done. I expect it'll be a never ending work in progress, especially as equipment gets swapped out, replaced, upgraded, etc.
Thanks for the feedback!! The HVAC system is the thing we've been kinda nervous about. Partly because I don't know if we can properly plan it out and size it until everything is running. I know that after you get out of a hot shower with the windows/door closed, and there's so much steam that you can't see ahead of you, a bathroom ventilation fan can clear it out and dry the walls in mere minutes. And I'm talking about a small fan.. I don't see how the same idea can't be applied to what we're doing.. on a larger scale, but then again, we're kind of shooting from the hip at this point. The few HVAC people we've talked to have been less than helpful. I mean, most of them don't really want to go outside of the box and unless someone is in the hobby and has experience keeping tanks, it's hard for them to relate, or that's what it seems like. On paper, and taking our climate into consideration, it seems like X amount of heating/cooling is enough. But I'm not sure how to properly take into consideration the heat generated from the halides, the large amount of water, the varying surface agitation of the water, etc. I'm hoping we'll be able to make some adjustments as we go..
Haha, no official grand opening planned. But, once we have the place up to par, and maybe tidy up our yard a bit, we plan to have a nice bbq, everyone is invited! We've seen tanks lit by solar tubes in the past, and from speaking to people, we were not impressed. In most cases, it seemed like a good idea at first glance, and an opportunity to save on lighting costs, but once the coral started to go downhill, it no longer seemed like a good idea. We really, really, really considered a greenhouse idea, but the resale value, and the idea of having to deal with shade cloths, and trying to heat and cool it, and insulate it, was a little scary. Maybe some day we'll be able to try it, or tie an outdoor system into this new building.
Definitely will still make it.. I think it would be penny wise/pound foolish incase the water ever had contaminants in it, since we don't have control over it. I think it would be too much of a risk to try to save a few bucks. The idea of all the waste water from a traditional RO system is a bit disappointing so we're going to try to come up with a good way to reuse it, or minimize waste.
Thanks!! That's the plan. Anyone that's ever passing through will be welcome to stop in and say hi, as long as we're in town.
Thanks. No completion date in mind yet, I think it'll be a long time before its all officially done. I expect it'll be a never ending work in progress, especially as equipment gets swapped out, replaced, upgraded, etc.
Thanks for the feedback!! The HVAC system is the thing we've been kinda nervous about. Partly because I don't know if we can properly plan it out and size it until everything is running. I know that after you get out of a hot shower with the windows/door closed, and there's so much steam that you can't see ahead of you, a bathroom ventilation fan can clear it out and dry the walls in mere minutes. And I'm talking about a small fan.. I don't see how the same idea can't be applied to what we're doing.. on a larger scale, but then again, we're kind of shooting from the hip at this point. The few HVAC people we've talked to have been less than helpful. I mean, most of them don't really want to go outside of the box and unless someone is in the hobby and has experience keeping tanks, it's hard for them to relate, or that's what it seems like. On paper, and taking our climate into consideration, it seems like X amount of heating/cooling is enough. But I'm not sure how to properly take into consideration the heat generated from the halides, the large amount of water, the varying surface agitation of the water, etc. I'm hoping we'll be able to make some adjustments as we go..
SchnitzelReef
Active member
I wish I could find the thread where I read about the guy replacing his whole HVAC system in his fish room. this guy paid an HVAC contractor to design and install his system. I remember it being a large system for such a small fish room...the contractor still had to rip it out and put in a larger system. I was really surprised.
I'd love to read it if you can find it. Installing a roughly 2.5 ton ac system for this 600 sq ft garage seems pretty silly as it is.. I honestly couldn't imagine going any larger. My coworker is currently installing a 4 ton system for his 2000+ sq ft home. The only thing that I was nervous about was the salt air. Someone mentioned on the other thread that the coils would be prematurely worn out due to this. I guess we'll have to see how it holds out long term.
http://www.askthebuilder.com/sizing-air-conditioning/
I think with 20000 watts of power (68000 btus) you may need a much large system. Take a look at the website. There are lots of sites that will help you calculate your total heat gain, and in turn help you calculate the cooking capacities you need. Good luck and can't wait to see it!
I think with 20000 watts of power (68000 btus) you may need a much large system. Take a look at the website. There are lots of sites that will help you calculate your total heat gain, and in turn help you calculate the cooking capacities you need. Good luck and can't wait to see it!
dodgerblew
Team RC
I have a 5 ton on a 2000 sf.
We install units with copper coils instead of aluminum in some salt air environments. The copper coils do add a fair amount to the cost but it would probably be worth the expense if you plan on keeping the grow out room running for more than 5 years.
kyle.nagel13
New member
Just curious, but I work in construction, specifically concrete, why is your floor so thick? I would have thought 4 inches with wire mesh would have been plenty. Most warehouses my company builds only have 4-6" slabs, and they are running forklifts and have giant storage systems in them. I know it's a moot point now, but just curious.
savethereef
SCRK
wow looking really good.
Do you have a sketch of the interior walls or is it wide open garage type?
Do you have a sketch of the interior walls or is it wide open garage type?
iSeeMax101
New member
Looks like a small build 
I think the bathroom fans would not be sufficient enough for the humidity. Also, you have to consider with these fans you are blowing your heat/AC right out the roof as well. I would suggest either a ERV/HRV with a dedicated dehumidifier ran inline with the HVAC. I would definitely consult with the HVAC folks on this. Have you considered installing the Sola light tubes and supplementing them with metal halide/T5/LED?
Sharkbait25
New member
Hey guys it's Simon, I don't know if you remember me but I used to go to your house and pick up corrals. You sold me a huge frag tank and delivered to me in Oxnard. If this is the same person I think it is can you message me back. I'm looking to get back in the game and have friends that would love to buy. Thanks
Simon
Simon
SchnitzelReef
Active member
Found it.
Triple-S Fish Ranch - 1700gal 164" x 48" x 56" SPS peninsula build
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2292029
It's on page 44 or 43 on tapatalk.
he has a small fish room, with a 4 ton AC. He originally had a 2.5 ton I believe. When I read his thread awhile back, I couldn't believe he had to upgrade to a 4 ton system.
B
bozoreefer
Any updates?!
cprice
New member
An AC unit that is too big will not control humidity properly. It will reach the specified temperature in too short of a time span. It won't give the unit time to remove alot of humidity. You're better off adding additional vents or a dehumidifier and then using the AC to primarily regulate temp.
SchnitzelReef
Active member
Thanks for the info. I think we're going to stick with the units as they come, for now, and see how they hold up. We plan to rinse the coils on a regular basis to hopefully prolong their life. Last time I checked, these wall units have dropped quite a bit in price, at least the ones we purchased. They're a little over $500 new now. So if we can get 5 years out of them, we're stoked.
Mainly, for strength and to allow for future growth. Incase we ever wanted to cut out a channel to bury plumbing, etc. I know it's quite a bit overkill, but we've jackhammered 4" concrete before vs 6", and the difference was huge. I can only imagine the frustration the poor soul will endure who ever decides to attempt to break this slab
No sketch yet, but we'll have something soon. There will be five aisles 8' deep, and then a large open space, which will later get occupied by a 10'x3' display tank.
Yep, considered the solar light tubes and decided against them. We're going to stick with what's been working for us, T5 and metal halide. As far as the fans go, I honestly think they are going to work just fine. I did some research into the HRV setups but I just don't think they will be necessary. With 4 fans (80 cfm each), on individual timers, I think we're going to handle the air exchange just fine. Plus, they draw about 15 watts each, so they are extremely energy efficient and we'll have some flexibility in running one/some/all/none.. As it stands now, we have a considerable number of tanks in one small room, and the only issues arise during the winter time. Currently, in our present setup, we have no fans, no ventilation installed, aside from two windows that are regularly cracked open to allow crossdraft. During the winter, the room gets cold, due to the windows being opened.. then the tanks visibly steam off the top, due to the temperature difference I'm guessing.. but the moisture is able to escape, to an extent, out the open windows. But.. then the heaters stay on, driving up our electricity bill. When the windows get closed, the temperature inside the room stabilizes, so it seems that the tanks don't evap as much, but the amount they do evap, has no where to go, so we're starting to see some moisture build up on the walls, etc. But.. our electricity bill stays down. A constant struggle.. In the summer time, the AC units will provide cooling and dehumidification, so I don't believe the ventilation fans will even need to be on.
Yep, finally made enough progress to update this thread.
I completely agree, and this is the reason why I think going with smaller AC units will be more beneficial, provided they are able to keep up. Realistically, only 1/3 of the tanks will be on, any given time. I'd rather let the AC units run and perform their dehumidification duties, then have them constantly have to cycle on and off. In the winter time, when it's cool enough, we'll have the ventilation fans going, and the AC's can be set to dehumidify-only mode if need be.
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