Fish room ideas? doing a shed for a fish room.

[Milad]

Anyone have some do's and don'ts for fish rooms? Im going to be building a 4x7 shed outside my place and putting a small hole through the wall and plumbing everything outside. should I worry about thing? anyone ever built a shed for a fish room? anything I should worry about??

Im also going to plumb a cube frag tank into the bedroom and maybe throw a carpet and some clowns in it.

[Buzz]

I would imagine temperature high in the summer and low in the winter. You could insulate and seal it up really well to help with temp swings but that may hinder gas exchange. Definately doable but would it be a pain in the ace to always have to go out side to check on you pumps dosers or whatever you will be running in there?

[reefwars]

Personally I like the idea of a fishroom in your shed kinda somewhere to chill and play wth the toys. I would guess that you will have to deal with frozen pipes by having it joined to the house and having the room heated, now if he power goes out you'd want to make sure that badboy is sealed good as small places get cold quicker. If it's not joined to the house your gonna have to find a way to keep PVC from not freezing in the winter and not changing your tanks temp in the summer when it's hotter and the pipes warm. Also depending on where you live a permit may be required if it's not already built or if you plan to have electrical done. I think it's all do able just pictureany possible scenario and have a solution and a back up plan:)

Also I would imagine it's not cheap but but this hobby never is lol:)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Good insulation is a must and maybe have an extra hole for blowing out hot, humid air from the display tank?

Wire in 2 breakers to make sure you have enough power for all the toys for your tank/sump. Split everything so that if one breaker blows, you'll still have a heater, some circulation, etc. working till you flip the blown breaker back on (otherwise your tank may be in trouble).

Placement of windows (if any) to consider. Direct sunlight on your sump could heat up the water a lot in the summer.

BTW, Mr.Fish built a whole extension on his house to fit his DT & fish room.

[Myka]

Don't forget individual GFCI outlets (not GFCI breakers), air exchange, and a dehumidifier. Gypsum is generally not the best choice for a dedicated fish room as it absorbs too much moisture. If you use a good outdoor primer sealer before using outdoor paint, and you have a good dehumidifier you can get away with it though. I know you don't get very cold in Vancouver normally, but do protect your plumbing from freezing. It just takes one cold snap to crack your plumbing.

[Milad]

the shed will be right up against the house so the pipes wouldn't be exposed at all.
I was just going to run a few GFCI outlets out into the shed without doing a sub panel

Is a dehumidifier really need? also what is an air exchange? I was going to put a vent to remove air from the shed and also a vent for the chiller.

I also was going to insulate the whole thing.


And I dont have a problem going out to the shed every once in awhile, I estimate the door will be about 7 feet from one of my house doors. truth be told, I really just want a super easy way to change a filter sock! lol, and of course better management of all the "gadgets" and reduce everything to one big pump and add volume to store live rock. o and forgot a big one, use my HS skimmer since the stupid thing wont fit under my stand.

[sphelps]

Putting the equipment outdoors is totally the way to go if you can do it as it keeps all the noise outside as well as the majority of humidity and general mess. This is very common practice with large expensive tanks, especially in the states.

A large chiller can easily compensate for hot days and if you sealed your equipment you wouldn't require air exchange or a dehumidifier, you may just want a fresh air vent for the skimmer (perhaps this is what people mean by air exchange as it wouldn't make any sense to have both a dehumidifier and an air exchanger).

You'll want some kind of heater in the shed to keep it above freezing in the winter and obviously good insulation will help in both summer and winter months. I'd recommend solid foam as it's waterproof but realistically you can use any insulation provided the vapor barrier is adequate.

I'd also look into adapting a solar water heater into the mix, would probably keep your water warm all year round and offset the power cost for the chiller.

[untamed]

I don't think there would be any risk of pipes freezing in normal operation since they would have 80 degree water running through them all the time. The only risk would be a pump failure during very cold weather. Consider running two pumps to minimize that risk. Backup power supply might also be a good idea since power failures always happen when it is cold!

[reefwars]

Would need to make sure you build on a concrete slab as all that rock and water etc. Istoo heavy for most homemade garage floors. And I would insulate any piping as the warm temp n winter will create condensation. As noted before vapor barrior to keep your shed from rotting from humidity is very important in any Insulation job. If you drywall you can use an aquaboard but I doubt you'll have that much moisture. If you attach the shed to your house I would recommend contacting your city office to find out if a permit is needed which I would say it is, also if you are running any electrical and I'm not sure about aquarium plumbing you would want to check with your home insurance that you would be covered in the case of any fire or flood. Does your house have siding or something else?? If it's siding then lucky for you it's very very very easy to cut holes or remove a section if needed if it's stucco or stone/ brick etc you would want to ask ourself is it cost effective to do so as it's hard to replace and take out...but def not impossible, it's too bad your all the wY in Vancouver I love theses kind if projects and always love a good challenge. If you need any building advice when the time comes pls don't hesitate to ask before paying someone to do it.. If again that's he route your planning:)

[Milad]

the buddy that made my the stand is going to help with the shed.

If I tell the city im going to attach it to the house, what will they ask for? drawings? etc? can they refuse it?

Also I dont get why I need extra heater, you guys probably know better than me but if the tank water is always 80degrees and its constantly going through the sump, etc and the shed is sealed, why would I need to add a external heater? If anything wouldnt I want to have more internal heaters?

[Lance]

Good idea. I have an outside sump for my 90g and I love it. The sump is enclosed in an insulated box with a lid and a front door for access. This box is on the sundeck right outside from the tank. Sliding glass door to deck is three feet from the tank. Plumbing goes through the exterior wall. I have never had a problem with heat or cold since I set this tank up. (3 years this November) Powell River climate is no different than Vancouver. Go for it, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

[reefwars]

the buddy that made my the stand is going to help with the shed.

If I tell the city im going to attach it to the house, what will they ask for? drawings? etc? can they refuse it?

Also I dont get why I need extra heater, you guys probably know better than me but if the tank water is always 80degrees and its constantly going through the sump, etc and the shed is sealed, why would I need to add a external heater? If anything wouldnt I want to have more internal heaters?

They could refuse it , it depends for evry city if you call them just tell them your inquiring ...not in the process of building.you will need to have drawings made by an draftsman/engineer if only they ask for it. Reason being is they don't want people digging adding their own electrcal or interfering with neighbors etc. Best to find out it's completely free to call:) I build house dcks and renos for a living and I've built small sheds wthout permits but I've also done o es where permits are required especially if your onthe city. I'm not sure about the heater that was referenced but I imagine you would want your shed to be heated for a million reasons like comfort to work in, less work on the heaters in your tank, keeping condensation from freezing.... Nothing to do with the structure as alot of people have non heated garages . It's actually alot simpler than were all making it out to be but it's good to know all the possible problems before building. First step find a general contractor who can get permits and do all the work including the slab ask around for more quotes and most will give free estimates, then make a budget and plan in writing for the contractor to follow. Once you contact the city or the contractor does you'll know all the building requirments that you need to meet. And don't forget to check with your insurance company on what they will require to keep insuring you :)

[rjengen]

Up here, if we pour a slab foundation for a shed, we need permits from the city and taxes go up. If you float the shed on a couple of 4x4's or 8x8's though you're golden, cause it's not considered a permanent structure. It a great idea, but I would did a little deeper before you break ground to make sure you`re on the up and up. God forbid something ever happens, and you have to put in an insurance claim, and they deny it cause everything wasn`t permitted and inspected.

If you can get the city on board though...oh the options are almost endless :lol:

[reefwars]

Good idea. I have an outside sump for my 90g and I love it. The sump is enclosed in an insulated box with a lid and a front door for access. This box is on the sundeck right outside from the tank. Sliding glass door to deck is three feet from the tank. Plumbing goes through the exterior wall. I have never had a problem with heat or cold since I set this tank up. (3 years this November) Powell River climate is no different than Vancouver. Go for it, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.




Now I like lances ideas of an insulated box as opposed to a whole shed .... Alot cheaper , doesn't take up land or require anything and like lance said you. Can have it right on your deck:)


Hummmmm maybe I'll go that route you all got me thinking now lol:)

[Milad]

well i was going to put the shed is all concrete. So thats all there. I was thinking the small box idea but then I want my tall skimmer in it, and my reactors and this and that and this, etc.

[Lance]

Now I like lances ideas of an insulated box as opposed to a whole shed .... Alot cheaper , doesn't take up land or require anything and like lance said you. Can have it right on your deck:)


And the best part is no worries with spills etc. Just hose it away down the deck drain. :biggrin:

[Milad]

what does your box look like lance?

[Skimmerking]

what does your box look like lance?

Dude you can't ask that his wife won't go for it...


and i hope your skimmer doesn't Work Milad.. you better sell it to me .

[Milad]

Dude you can't ask that his wife won't go for it...


and i hope your skimmer doesn't Work Milad.. you better sell it to me .

its all mine, muhahaha

actually just talked to my carpentry buddy and i told him what i want to use the shed for and he said its probably easier to just make a big box. so its going to be something like 4 wide, 7 long 5 high. so a short person could fit in it but I would just reach in and do what I need to

[Lance]

what does your box look like lance?


Well it has a nice Brazilian.......... sorry. Seriously, here are some pics.



http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo151/lancefishtank/sump/IMG_2422.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo151/lancefishtank/sump/IMG_2421.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo151/lancefishtank/sump/IMG_2423.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo151/lancefishtank/sump/IMG_2424.jpg

[Milad]

how does water not get inside there?

[Lance]

how does water not get inside there?


The picture doesn't show it but the roof overhangs it by six feet.

[Milad]

is that pink stuff insulation? what kind is it?

[Lance]

is that pink stuff insulation? what kind is it?



Rigid polysterene 2.5" thick