Time to setup my 2 180g tanks

[ldzielak]

We just put in an offer on a house. Should be moving mid April. I will move my 120g and work on the new installation of my 2 180g tanks.

Option #1
Setup only 1 180g tank in this hole in the wall. Space is 6'10" long and sits right on exterior wall. I would go through the floor and accross over 20' under the stairs or into the garage for the sump and skimmer and stuff.



Option #2
Setup both 180g tanks end to end on this banister at top of stairs. So you walk up looking through a wall of tanks into the living room. Again sump and rest will go under stairs and in garage. The pumbing will be shorter and easy, just really need to re-inforce the floor. The space is 10'4" long now, obviously, I need to make it 24" wide, and about 2 feet longer. I'm trying to get the original drawings for the house to see how much work this would be without doing pointless exploratory/repairs, only to find out I can't make this section longer.



If I set both up I think I will make 1 Reef and 1 FO tanks, all on the same system. I would use T4's on closed loops for circ other than the return pump from down stairs. I'm thinking an Ampmaster will be needed.

Lighting would be 3x400w radiums on the reef with 1 or 2 160w 6' VHO lamps. The FO will have only 2 160w VHOs. I'm thining of getting 4x 3' refloctors, so I can upgrade to 2 reefs if I like later. I plane on venting the hot air in to the atic, and keeping my chiller in the garage. Goal is silent system with minimal heat to the main house.

Lee

[Skimmerking]

here is a great idea LEE.
on the second pic ,have the reef or the FO tank viewed from both sides that would be great..

Mike

[Buccaneer]

On the first one ... that appears to be a cantilever and is not designed to handle that much weight ... in the second picture is it the stub wall that is 10'4" ?

Cheers

[ldzielak]

Mike,

Ya that is what I meant, you walk up the stairs and can look through both tanks, just don't know how clean I could keep the glass on the second one, where the stairs get down too far. Right now I have a 3 sided tank, this would just be explanding to a much larger scale (3x the volume!!)

Buk,

"cantilever" I guess I don't understand? this part is an out croping on the house, so the main wall would have support directly under the tank, right down the center. I could always tear into the wall downstairs (will be my home office) and put some 4x4 in there too. Or make a book case with 2x6 at the end, to help take the load. I know anything past the main wall is not meant to take any load. I figured if only 6" of the tank is past the wall I would be fine. Tank is 24" deep, this section is recessed 22", if I leave lots of room for plumbing on the back side, I would think I'm alright.

The stub wall is 10'4" long now, just thinking if I could extend that to 12'6" or is anything in the full wall structural? I would use some 4x4 and make a post replacing the last banister post down stairs.

Lee

[Chin_Lee]

I would start the first tank in the far corner of the second picture. Extend it out all the way along the banister so you don't need to extend an extra two feet. For the banister, I would take the top moulding piece off, take off the 2x4 underneath to check for any weird wiring that would extend to the top of that banister. If there is nothing, I would lower the height of that banister with a good reciprocating saw to the stand height of the tanks. Then put on a 2x4, put the moulding back on, trim up the edges with estra moulding. Yes you will still have a banister there but it won't obstruct your view of the tanks and you won't need to add 2 feet to that banister. Before you put the banister back together, you can even plumb into the wall and down between the joists and into the area you choose to have your sump.
Or just sell the two 180's and use that money to custom make a tank that is the length of that banister.

[ldzielak]

Chin,

The banister is about 6" wide , so I would loose that much more of the living room, plus the plan is to use it are part of the stand, but that may be the only option. I called the guy who first owned the house, I will be #3. He said he left the drawings with the current owners, I will have to work on them again. They must have submited the plans to the city so I will check on that tomorrow. House inspection is tomorrow, see if it;'s a go or not then.

Lee

[StirCrazy]

whats under the floor (room) Lee?

Steve

[Ken]

lLee, I like the idea that on your present reef that it can be view from 3 sides, it does has its advantages. Soooo I do like the second option but like you said it would be hard to maintain the tank if the stairs are a problem as far as cleaning the glass. If its hard to get at, then it becomes a chore, and don't we all know that cleaning a tank is not really a chore but a fun thing?

[Chin_Lee]

Lee
I think you have to decide whether to lose 6 inches of living room (approx 5.25 sq feet) or 2 feet extension into your hallway at the end (4 sq ft). If I could, I would certainly use that banister as part of the stand but your tanks don't add up unfortunately. But thats how I would look at it if I was faced with that situation. Best of luck

[ldzielak]

Here are some more pictures.

Steve,

There is a drop ceiling under the far end of the stairs, also lots of room under the stairs, or the wall beside the stairs is the garage. I know I will have to re-inforce the wall, and change the bottom post of the banister to extend up to the ceiling. Maybe have to do more on the other side of the hall way down stairs. Drywall can always be replaced.

I was also just thinking I know some one with a 120g 4' tank that maybe I should buy or trade for then both tanks would fit in the space provided, 4'+6' give me 4" in between for plubing the returns. I plan to extend the hood to the atic and vent the hot air from the lights up there.

Ken,

Give me a call Sunday, I can give you a tour of the house and get you ideas.

Lee