What to look for in a house when planning a large tank

[michika]

After having recently sold my house I'm now looking for a different property. My goal is eventually to have a larger tank, ~600-1200g display. I need some help figuring out what are the right questions to be asking, and what are the things that I should be looking for in a house/townhouse to help me accomidate a larger tank.

Tentatively I have the following on my list:
- HRV
- Condo rules & regulations
- Water, is the property running on city or well water.
- I know I should be asking about the floors, but which questions?

Help?

[bv_reefer]

-I always see that what does i meen? HRV...?

[bv_reefer]

-o by the way i dont know about edmonton but here in burnaby i don't think u can have a tank that massive in size in an apartment or townhouse?

[Mik_101]

Originally Posted by bv_reefer

-I always see that what does i meen? HRV...?

Ya im also not sure?

[Delphinus]

"Heat Recovery Ventilator" - it's a device that works in conjunction with a furnace to deal with excessive humidity (in the case that this is a problem - luckily not usually a problem for people with one tank with water volume less than 120 gallons or so).

[michika]

Originally Posted by Mik_101

Ya im also not sure?

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had forgotten to answer the question.

HRV stands for Heat Recovery Ventilation. Its a system which will help with humidity, circulation and ventilation in your home. If you google HRV, I'm sure you can get a few better descriptions.

[Mik_101]

No your description perfictly fine. Thanks Cathrine&Tony.

[fkshiu]

Buying a new house is always extra exciting for a reefer! You probably won't run into a house that's designed with a reef tank in mind so here are a few things I considered when doing my basement remodel around my tank:

1. A basement
Having a basement tank will probably obviate the need for a chiller even with MHs and having the tank sitting on a concrete slab eliminates any structural concerns. An unfinished basement is the best since it gives you a blank slate to work from.

You'll need a surprising amount of room with all the equipment and suppport systems required for a huge tank.

2. The slab
If you are looking at new houses, fresh concrete takes at least a few months to a few years to fully cure. Any tiling you do on top of fresh concrete could shift/expand. Therefore, consider laying an isolation membrane. For older houses, check the flatness/trueness of the slab and for any damage. I actually had to have a new 3x7 slab poured because the old one was so uneven.

3. Electrical
You're going to use A LOT of electricity. Most houses don't come with multiple 15amp (or preferably 20amp) circuits. I had my basement rewired for two dedicated 20amp circuits just for the tank with multiple GFCI outlets.

4. Plumbing.
You'll want a fishroom with such a big display. Look for a floor drain (probably in the basement laundry room). Also consider how difficult it would be to add an extra tap/basin and RO/DI hookup.

[Doug]

I was going to say with a system that large, a basement is the place to be, but fkshiu beat me to it.

[mr_alberta]

If you are going for such a large tank, don't even bother looking at condos or apartments as most apartments/condos are not designed to handle such large loads on the floor. I would put it in a basement with a couple concrete piles underneath it