GooManChew
Member
I hate that song! I prefer punk rock & alternative, vintage 80's.
The first time I walked into my house (prior to purchase in 1997), I thought to myself: There needs to be a fish tank there. There was a 1/2 wall between the kitchen (9ft ceiling) & the great room (19ft ceiling). Here we are some 15 years later & I am just finishing the design process. It is just about finalized. Here is what we have so far: Total available space is 9ft by 9ft. It is a 1/2 wall the extends 8ft & is perpendicular to the outside wall of the house.
There will be a total of 4 tanks placed in wall: Main display reef tank (Starphire on 2 viewable sides - 72"x30"x36"), Under that a display refugium (Starphire viewable on 2 side -33"x30"x18"), 2 satellite tanks on the end of the wall (Starphire on 3 viewable sides - 30"x24"x18"). At this early stage, I'm thinking an octopus in one satellite tank & seahorses in tho other. The tanks will have external scuppers. The display tank volume is about 500 gallons. With the sump (72"x26"x33"), the totals system volume will be around 700 gallons.
I made a diorama of the wall with tanks in place:
All three display tanks, as well as the refugium, will drain into the sump (in basement).
Parts list:
2x EcoTech Vortech MP60 (main tank)
4x EcoTech Radion XR30W Pro LED lights (main tank)
3x EcoTech Radion XR30WG2 (1 for each other tank)
1x Reef Dynamics recirculating protein skimmer XRC450
1x Reef Dynamics calcium reactor 250E
1x Reef Dynamics Biopellet reactor 500 gallon
2x Little Fishes chemical 550 reactors (GFO & carbon)
1x Tradewinds Chiller 1/3 hp
1x Apex Neptune controller, pH &ORP probes
1x Aqua FX 100GPD R/O filter
1x 160 Gallon vat (for mixing salt for change H2O)
1x Blue line Titanium 1000w heater
600 lbs rock, 100 lbs sand
Powder coated stand, galvanized steel safety pan
That's the crux of it!
There is so much more! Getting a whole house generator installed (my power has been out for days here, so battery back up won't cut it & would cost almost as much as a generator!). I had a structural engineer out, I need co cut holes in the basement floor to pour footings under the steel that will reinforce the floor (system weight estimation 3 tons) . . .
It will be plumbed with schedule 40 & true union ball valves. There will be a manifold to control water into & out of each tank individually. To accomplish water changes, open a valve on the sump to expel desired amount (up to 125 gallons). Then, open the valve on the mixing vat to pump to fresh salt water into the system.
If you think I'm crazy for building this as my first salt water system, tell me something I don't know! I jump off high $hit for fun & one time, not at band camp, when I had really long hair (just after I got married) I got an intentional comb over hair cut - for a goof!
Ironically, I find it much easier to jump off something than I am finding it pulling the trigger on this deal!
Peace!
The first time I walked into my house (prior to purchase in 1997), I thought to myself: There needs to be a fish tank there. There was a 1/2 wall between the kitchen (9ft ceiling) & the great room (19ft ceiling). Here we are some 15 years later & I am just finishing the design process. It is just about finalized. Here is what we have so far: Total available space is 9ft by 9ft. It is a 1/2 wall the extends 8ft & is perpendicular to the outside wall of the house.
There will be a total of 4 tanks placed in wall: Main display reef tank (Starphire on 2 viewable sides - 72"x30"x36"), Under that a display refugium (Starphire viewable on 2 side -33"x30"x18"), 2 satellite tanks on the end of the wall (Starphire on 3 viewable sides - 30"x24"x18"). At this early stage, I'm thinking an octopus in one satellite tank & seahorses in tho other. The tanks will have external scuppers. The display tank volume is about 500 gallons. With the sump (72"x26"x33"), the totals system volume will be around 700 gallons.
I made a diorama of the wall with tanks in place:
All three display tanks, as well as the refugium, will drain into the sump (in basement).
Parts list:
2x EcoTech Vortech MP60 (main tank)
4x EcoTech Radion XR30W Pro LED lights (main tank)
3x EcoTech Radion XR30WG2 (1 for each other tank)
1x Reef Dynamics recirculating protein skimmer XRC450
1x Reef Dynamics calcium reactor 250E
1x Reef Dynamics Biopellet reactor 500 gallon
2x Little Fishes chemical 550 reactors (GFO & carbon)
1x Tradewinds Chiller 1/3 hp
1x Apex Neptune controller, pH &ORP probes
1x Aqua FX 100GPD R/O filter
1x 160 Gallon vat (for mixing salt for change H2O)
1x Blue line Titanium 1000w heater
600 lbs rock, 100 lbs sand
Powder coated stand, galvanized steel safety pan
That's the crux of it!
There is so much more! Getting a whole house generator installed (my power has been out for days here, so battery back up won't cut it & would cost almost as much as a generator!). I had a structural engineer out, I need co cut holes in the basement floor to pour footings under the steel that will reinforce the floor (system weight estimation 3 tons) . . .
It will be plumbed with schedule 40 & true union ball valves. There will be a manifold to control water into & out of each tank individually. To accomplish water changes, open a valve on the sump to expel desired amount (up to 125 gallons). Then, open the valve on the mixing vat to pump to fresh salt water into the system.
If you think I'm crazy for building this as my first salt water system, tell me something I don't know! I jump off high $hit for fun & one time, not at band camp, when I had really long hair (just after I got married) I got an intentional comb over hair cut - for a goof!
Ironically, I find it much easier to jump off something than I am finding it pulling the trigger on this deal!
Peace!
