Grace's Dad
New member
Ah, that was easier than doing the search myself. I feel like one of my lazy students now.
New construction - tank room advice
- Thread starter mpcart
- Start date
mpcart
New member
Well, construction on the new house has begun and they started framing this week. The tank room has a drain and its own sink so that should make life easier for me down the road.
I also bought a portable generator and will have a transfer switch installed. It's not as convenient as a whole house generator but it will provide some piece of mind.
The plan right now is for the tank "room" to actually be a corner of the unfinished portion of the basement with the tank being an in-wall between the tank room and the finished portion of the basement.
However, I'm worried about humidity control and having rust problems with items stored in the basement . . . so I have a couple questions.
1) The electrical panel was going in the tank room but I had it moved to the finished portion of the basement to avoid rust. Does this seem like a good decision? It didn't cost me anything but it's less accessible for upgrades in the finished room.
2) I'm thinking about framing around the room and putting in a dehumidifier to keep the humidity from affecting the rest of the house? Good idea?
3) If I do frame, should I have them use regular drywall or green board? Since the room is in the basement corner I'd only have them put up two walls and leave the basement walls bare.
I pretty excited about this project. Right now I have everything crammed under the stand of my 58. When this room is done I'll have a 9 x 14 foot dedicated tank room - plenty of room for more equipment and bigger tanks!
-Mike
I also bought a portable generator and will have a transfer switch installed. It's not as convenient as a whole house generator but it will provide some piece of mind.
The plan right now is for the tank "room" to actually be a corner of the unfinished portion of the basement with the tank being an in-wall between the tank room and the finished portion of the basement.
However, I'm worried about humidity control and having rust problems with items stored in the basement . . . so I have a couple questions.
1) The electrical panel was going in the tank room but I had it moved to the finished portion of the basement to avoid rust. Does this seem like a good decision? It didn't cost me anything but it's less accessible for upgrades in the finished room.
2) I'm thinking about framing around the room and putting in a dehumidifier to keep the humidity from affecting the rest of the house? Good idea?
3) If I do frame, should I have them use regular drywall or green board? Since the room is in the basement corner I'd only have them put up two walls and leave the basement walls bare.
I pretty excited about this project. Right now I have everything crammed under the stand of my 58. When this room is done I'll have a 9 x 14 foot dedicated tank room - plenty of room for more equipment and bigger tanks!
-Mike
Im Lon 2
Premium Member
Congrats!
1. Good idea to get the electrical panel out of the Fish room area.
2. Framing the room I think is a good idea, but I don't think a dehumidifier will keep up, plus it produces a lot of heat in the room it's self. I would put the dehumidifier on the finished side. And try to go with some type of Fresh air intake. I would also try and get a Cold air Return line in the Fish room as well.
3. Yes I would use Green Board. I would also seal the floor Joist some how were moister cannot get to the wood. Big things I over looked when putting in my in wall tank, and it took a year plus to start noticing the effects the humidity was starting to do.
If you frame off the fish room will this leave an area for the electric panel to still be on the unfinished side for easy access later?
1. Good idea to get the electrical panel out of the Fish room area.
2. Framing the room I think is a good idea, but I don't think a dehumidifier will keep up, plus it produces a lot of heat in the room it's self. I would put the dehumidifier on the finished side. And try to go with some type of Fresh air intake. I would also try and get a Cold air Return line in the Fish room as well.
3. Yes I would use Green Board. I would also seal the floor Joist some how were moister cannot get to the wood. Big things I over looked when putting in my in wall tank, and it took a year plus to start noticing the effects the humidity was starting to do.
If you frame off the fish room will this leave an area for the electric panel to still be on the unfinished side for easy access later?
StupidsReef
Premium Member
Try insulation between the floor joist and then dry wall it with the green board, Tape it off and paint it with Kills formula for mold and mildew it should be a water resistant paint. I would think that would keep the humidity from penetrating.
Mr.Firemouth
In Memoriam
Hello mpcart,
I built a fishroom onto the back of the garage when I put an addition on the house. It is 14'x14' and is too small already!
I poured a 6" raised floor above the garage floor. This was to prevent any fuel fumes from coming into the room and strengthened the floor. there is about 1,000 gallons in there!
I used fiberglass insulation on all walls and above ceiling is blow in.
I used 5/8" greenboard everywhere including the ceiling then used a moisture sealer paint for basements as base coat.
The room has a slave board with 8 20amp breakers and GFCI on every receptacle.
There is a ceiling fan and a/c unit for cooling the room. There is a 3000w wall heater for heating the room(thermostatically controlled. It has not turned on once this winter! The lights and pumps keep the room between 72F and 78F.
For humidity I use a gauge and keep the humidity between 50-60%. Lately I leave the door open to the garage for more ventilation. This summer I will have to get a larger dehumidifier. The one I am using is ancient/noisy/and guzzling electric!
Ventilation=evaporation! Dehumidifying is a better control method. Evap too much and humidity goes crazy! Weather outside effects the room's humidity also. Check the gauge daily!
I did not use a sink or drain and have not had a problem yet. I use hoses and the sink is in the laundry room 25' away. I siphon waste water to the driveway via a hose. Works OK. I have a long tube from RO/DI to the kalk reservoir for make up water that puts up easy when done filling on weekend.
I would caulk the bottom of the walls. I didn't and bugs find their way in every summer. I hate bugs! Spiders especially!
Make sure you mount studs above where you think the tank will go on the ceiling for light suspension cable mounting.
If I could change anything I would of used the money for a glass sunroom off the back of the house and had indoor ponds and tanks there. Again environmental controls would be a PITA.
Remember the utility cost also when planning. My elec is $126 mo for fishroom according to calculators. Keep it in mind.
I built a fishroom onto the back of the garage when I put an addition on the house. It is 14'x14' and is too small already!
I poured a 6" raised floor above the garage floor. This was to prevent any fuel fumes from coming into the room and strengthened the floor. there is about 1,000 gallons in there!
I used fiberglass insulation on all walls and above ceiling is blow in.
I used 5/8" greenboard everywhere including the ceiling then used a moisture sealer paint for basements as base coat.
The room has a slave board with 8 20amp breakers and GFCI on every receptacle.
There is a ceiling fan and a/c unit for cooling the room. There is a 3000w wall heater for heating the room(thermostatically controlled. It has not turned on once this winter! The lights and pumps keep the room between 72F and 78F.
For humidity I use a gauge and keep the humidity between 50-60%. Lately I leave the door open to the garage for more ventilation. This summer I will have to get a larger dehumidifier. The one I am using is ancient/noisy/and guzzling electric!
Ventilation=evaporation! Dehumidifying is a better control method. Evap too much and humidity goes crazy! Weather outside effects the room's humidity also. Check the gauge daily!
I did not use a sink or drain and have not had a problem yet. I use hoses and the sink is in the laundry room 25' away. I siphon waste water to the driveway via a hose. Works OK. I have a long tube from RO/DI to the kalk reservoir for make up water that puts up easy when done filling on weekend.
I would caulk the bottom of the walls. I didn't and bugs find their way in every summer. I hate bugs! Spiders especially!
Make sure you mount studs above where you think the tank will go on the ceiling for light suspension cable mounting.
If I could change anything I would of used the money for a glass sunroom off the back of the house and had indoor ponds and tanks there. Again environmental controls would be a PITA.
Remember the utility cost also when planning. My elec is $126 mo for fishroom according to calculators. Keep it in mind.
I think there's tons of great advice here.
The one thing that I wish I would have done different would have been having access to the tank from the front. Aquascaping, adding coral, etc. is a ROYAL PAIN when you look at where you want it, have to go into the fish room and guess, go back to the tank and look, go back into the fish room to adjust, yada, yada, yada.
The one thing that I wish I would have done different would have been having access to the tank from the front. Aquascaping, adding coral, etc. is a ROYAL PAIN when you look at where you want it, have to go into the fish room and guess, go back to the tank and look, go back into the fish room to adjust, yada, yada, yada.
Mr.Firemouth
In Memoriam
My buddy John in Chicago has the same problem with his 240g inwall. I stand on the view side and tell him to the left, towards me, down, OK drop it! That is a wierd way to put corals in a tank.
However the wall looks great with the tank in it!
Great thread!! I have given a lot of thought to my room and had some great help from Greg on the HVAC ideas....I will probably have to add a fresh air intake in order to get the humid air out in winter. I am kind of afraid to recalculate my electrical consumption though
mpcart
New member
A lot of progress in the past month.
Here is a bad picture of the future fish room.
A rendering of the room from the same view. I'll put up the 4th wall myself.
Another rendering from the finished portion of the basement. I haven't finialized the tank size but I'd like something that sticks out into the room.
-Mike
Here is a bad picture of the future fish room.
A rendering of the room from the same view. I'll put up the 4th wall myself.
Another rendering from the finished portion of the basement. I haven't finialized the tank size but I'd like something that sticks out into the room.
-Mike
Koddie Doo
Czar of All ThingsAwesome
are you building in ofallen i live in stonewolf in fairview heights love the plan i will tag along as you go
