I’m planning a new house and a new tank to go along with it... the house has been literally designed around the reef tank. The tank will show through a picture frame wall in to the living room, and provide views over a half-wall to the kitchen/dinette area and on the second floor over a balcony.
With this tank the emphasis will be on efficiency and low energy bills (I’ll explain more in a bit). The main display will be 8’x4’x3’ for a total of a little more than 700G. Water will leave the display through ‘mail slot’ type overflows, and drop as little as possible before entering the refugium. The refugium will be sectioned in to ten smaller tanks, each section a few inches below the last. The idea is to use the falling energy of the water to keep the flow turbulent and therefore eliminate the need for auxiliary pumps. The last tank will empty in to the sump, and the water will be returned to two ‘Carlson’ type surgers on opposite sides of the tank.
There will be two closed loops; one that is returned through the PVC rock support structure, and one that travels through a ‘pod propagation area before being returned around mid-water level where the corals can get the most contact with the ‘pod laden water. I’d love to hear about the best way to provide dense ‘pod living space. I’ve considered livesand/rock rubble, turf algae, and foam pads. Each has pros and cons.
Lighting will be provided naturally.. yep good ol’ sunshine. The tank room is planned to have a poly carbonate roof, and is on the south side of the house. This has been the decision I agonized over the most.. really because of lack of control over the light, but it’s also a big opportunity to save $$$ every month. The house will be in Maryland, and in any case will need some supplemental light. I’m am concerned about the potential buildup of heat (esp. in the summertime).. does anybody out there have experience with a ground source chiller? ..or something that uses the ground as a big heat sink?
I have no experience with HVAC stuff.. and I’m concerned I may grossly underestimate potential heat and moisture problems in the tank room. Is it best to return the air to the rest of the house or get rid of it to the outside? The tank room is a 20’x9’ concrete slab with an 11’ ceiling.
We are set to break ground on the house in October.. with at least 6 months of build time. The specifics of the tank aren’t finalized yet, and that’s why I’ve started this post.. to reach out to the vast knowledge of the community on RC. Questions/comments are much appreciated!
With this tank the emphasis will be on efficiency and low energy bills (I’ll explain more in a bit). The main display will be 8’x4’x3’ for a total of a little more than 700G. Water will leave the display through ‘mail slot’ type overflows, and drop as little as possible before entering the refugium. The refugium will be sectioned in to ten smaller tanks, each section a few inches below the last. The idea is to use the falling energy of the water to keep the flow turbulent and therefore eliminate the need for auxiliary pumps. The last tank will empty in to the sump, and the water will be returned to two ‘Carlson’ type surgers on opposite sides of the tank.
There will be two closed loops; one that is returned through the PVC rock support structure, and one that travels through a ‘pod propagation area before being returned around mid-water level where the corals can get the most contact with the ‘pod laden water. I’d love to hear about the best way to provide dense ‘pod living space. I’ve considered livesand/rock rubble, turf algae, and foam pads. Each has pros and cons.
Lighting will be provided naturally.. yep good ol’ sunshine. The tank room is planned to have a poly carbonate roof, and is on the south side of the house. This has been the decision I agonized over the most.. really because of lack of control over the light, but it’s also a big opportunity to save $$$ every month. The house will be in Maryland, and in any case will need some supplemental light. I’m am concerned about the potential buildup of heat (esp. in the summertime).. does anybody out there have experience with a ground source chiller? ..or something that uses the ground as a big heat sink?
I have no experience with HVAC stuff.. and I’m concerned I may grossly underestimate potential heat and moisture problems in the tank room. Is it best to return the air to the rest of the house or get rid of it to the outside? The tank room is a 20’x9’ concrete slab with an 11’ ceiling.
We are set to break ground on the house in October.. with at least 6 months of build time. The specifics of the tank aren’t finalized yet, and that’s why I’ve started this post.. to reach out to the vast knowledge of the community on RC. Questions/comments are much appreciated!
