The Planted Tank Forum banner

125g w/ 40g breeder sump. high tech, in wall-goodness

52K views 192 replies 67 participants last post by  mkadle 
#1 · (Edited)
As of: 12/03/2013



As of: 07/05/2013



I put together a quick progression album for reddit. people seem to be really digging it there, so i figured i'd share here as well.

http://imgur.com/a/jwssM#0

My wife and I are in the midst of renovating our basement to be a more usable living space. That includes a TV area, a kid's play area, and a mixed used area.

This mixed use area will be a night time office, for when I have work to do and the family is asleep, an area for the aforementioned 125 gallon, and possible a dry bar (hell, maybe wet).

We have a closet in the corner that was being used for storage as well as access to our electrical box. It sat at around 6' x 6'. The idea was always to keep this that size... only now it's coming out about a foot one way, and 18.5" the other!

The 125 will sit with full visibility of the front and one side, so it'll be in the corner of a wall.

At this point in the renovation we're up to building out that area itself... and currently, the only tank related item (pictured below) is a 20' PVC tube that will be connected to the tank's pump for easy water changes.

This weekend will, if our new stairs arent in, culminate with the rest of the closet being built w/ the opening/stand for the tank as well as hot and cold water lines to make water changes a simple ordeal!

So far I've planned out a decent bit of what will be going into the tank:

flora:
Vallisneria spiralis
Anubias barteri var. barteri
Anubias barteri var. nana
african fern
Eleocharis parvula
red tiger lotus

fauna:
3-4 pair kirbensis cichlids
1 Ctenopoma Acutirostre
20-40 Congo tetra
20-40 african banded barb
* african killifish (probably not)
* Synodontis catfish (not sure which species)
* Atya gabonensis (viper shrimp)

Substrate will be coming from our own hydrophyte. I received some of his substrate for my 20g long and love it.

Lighting will come from buildmyled.com

I already have ferts and co2 system(s). while most of my plants don't require a "high tech" set up, the hairgrass will.

I am still debating with myself between using a 55g as a sump, or going with a filter. If i went with a sump I could use a section as a grow out tank for the baby kirbensis I plan on being able to sell.

the hardscape will mainly be driftwood and stones and not made to resemble much of anything other than a natural habitat (though that may be a stretch)

As you might tell, my flora and fauna choices are all strictly african. I currently have a pair of kirbensis and, really, they're my inspiration for this tank.

eventually I plan on adding an arduino unit to control the timing for co2, lights (with dusk and dawn), fertilizer dosing and toggling the heater. I may even look into automated feeding and water changes.
 

Attachments

See less See more
5
#3 ·
haha thanks. to be honest, i'm not sure how long this will take. We still have a lot more to do on the basement, electrical outlets, drywall, doors. hell, we still have a couple walls to put up and stairs to replace.

I'm hoping, to at least, be able to have a tank and sump in place and plumbed up after the drywall is complete. Lighting is the next most expensive part of the tank... and the basement comes first. So we'll see what happens.

I'm waiting on a couple good sized side jobs to come through to help fund this project.
 
#4 ·
Well, to be fair, rbarn's 300 gallon discus has been years in the making now, and there's still dozens of people following the thread, just waiting for it to update!

Sounds like an incredible project. I like how it's going into the corner, so you can see two sides. And I'd LOVE to have an office space with an aquarium to gaze into while I think :)

Did you decide on a sump, then? In your first post you weren't sure. I don't have any real experience with sumps, but I imagine for such a large tank, if it's built in like you're planning, a sump would be very much worth the consideration.

I look forward to watching this come together!
 
#5 ·
haha yeah... it won't take me years to get this done! The basement is planned to be finished in the spring. I'm also not going all out, I don't have the ability to spend thaaaaat much. But definitely over time will I be dabbling with the arduino to see what i can automate.

I think I'm planning on the sump... I have a 55. I am worried about gassing off the co2 and am still looking into remedies for that. maybe it just won't be that big of a deal? A sump seems like the best idea though. many more gallons of water and the display tank won't get low, it'll contain all of the tank crap, and give me the ability to have space for juvenile fish. on top of that I was debating with having some emerged plants in it to help filter the water w/ their roots.

It'll be a "sort've" office. I'll be placing my desk in that area, but it won't be closed in. We'll see how well that works out with a 2 year old.
 
#8 ·
oh i hear ya. I hate threads like this too. I want pictures pictures pictures. Unfortunately, I have to be patient too. Which, might work out for the best for this tank as I spend more time planning it.

I've wanted so badly to play with an arduino on my tanks, but it seems a little pointless when I've only got low-tech 10-gallons, haha.

A sump would certainly make things tidier up top! And a space for young fish is definitely appealing... Young children, on the other hand... Good luck with that! :hihi:
the child is the reason that we decided on a wall tank with an ample working/storage space. This way everything is pretty much locked away.
 
#9 ·
love LOVE the visual impact of a corner in-wall installation.
 
#12 ·
I was dead set on doing it that way if it was going to be in a wall. I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on a tank to only display a single side. If it wasn't there it'd be out of the wall.

Good stuff basement builds are always intriguing. Subscribed
Agree. Hope to be able to do something like this some day.
hopefully i won't disappoint!
 
#13 ·
Man, this is going to be a cool build!!!

I wish we had basements here in Texas, as it would be my Fish Room for sure!!! But considering we only have about 1' of topsoil till you start hitting the solid limestone bedrock, a basement would be a major demo job!!!

Anyway I agree about seeing 2 sides of the tank! A buddy of mine had a 180g in wall, and while it was cool, I didn't care for only seeing the front! I think Your Idea will be perfect! Subscribed!!! Also you r fish choice is VERY COOL!!!

Keep up the great work!
Drew
 
#14 ·
thanks. The wife was complaining about the amount of space back there. I'll have about a 6'x6' section that isnt fish tank. I'll have a 55g plastic trash can for water changes, and hopefully everything else under the tank itself.

now... certainly I need a quarantine tank, right? So... maybe the 20g long gets set up in there w/ a HOB for that. :icon_evil oh, i've also got a 12g nanocube reef tank that I'd like to upgrade to something like the 20 long, or maybe a 28g nanocube. so then that can go in there as a quarantine tank as well.

and just incase those kirbs breed successfully I might need to put them somewhere other than the sump, so I guess i can set up the 45g in there as well :icon_evil

sooo, it might turn into a little fish room. not that that is planned or anything... nope, not planned at all.
 
#15 ·
Will you have access from the front of the tank for maintenance, or strictly from behind? That is really the only regret I have with my setup, not very easy to prune from the back.
 
#17 ·
access will be from behind only, giggity. I see your point regarding trimming though. Really not sure I want to throw another wrench into the plan. Though, I'm sure it wouldnt be too difficult to hide some hardware. However, my planned flora shouldnt require too much trimming. I'm thinking the hairgrass will really be the only thing I need to worry about.

I did consider using foam core board as the tank backing though, for easy removal and to see through from behind if need be.

I see no planning occurring whatsoever. :icon_cool

I do, however, look forward to seeing whatever may just happen, you know? :D
haha me too me too. She at least understands the need for a quarantine tank, even though I don't have one and keep mentioning that I should. 99% sure she won't have an issue as long as the plethora of tanks arent in her face.

Also, no word on the stairs as of this morning. My fingers are cross that they don't come in this week as I'd really like to see the tank area built. I'm also undecided on when to order the tank from Hidden Reef. my main concern is having the tank in place and something happening to it during the rest of construction... but it'd be nice to start working on the electrical (no big deal) and sump during the week.
 
#21 ·
Great huge update for the fish "room" area. I do have to apologize that this will be the last update for a bit as I still need the tank as well as continue to plan the filtration aaaaand do the rest of the basement.

Ran into a little snag with the 55g as a sump. there is only a depth of 11.5" under the tank, and with the 55 is 12 3/4" deep... so no go there. I'm thinking of looking into a 37g which would fit to the left of the off-center center brace. and stick out a bit. not a big deal, just not what I want. so still plenty of time to plan and decide. might have to go with a commercial sump, or maybe order up some acrylic and have a go at making one myself from scratch.

We put the 90g I'm trying to get rid of in place to see how the 125 would fit, since they're the same depth of 18.5" (including trim) and the damn thing fits perfectly on the corner. We're slightly out of square with the wall that has the door, but I'm not concerned since we can fudge a bit with trim to make it look fine.
 

Attachments

#24 ·
I don't mind seeing the substrate, definitely not enough to lose 2-3" of tank. the plan is to bring the drywall up a little over the trim and edge that with a very simple edge and paint it black to match the trim.

something like this: http://www.lowes.com/pd_95526-19-62050800032_0__?productId=3120415

heading to a couple LFS' today to price out the tank and figure out options. I'd love an overflow in the back left corner, but I'm not sure that'll be enough to such a long tank, but it would be the best for reducing it's visibility
 
#23 ·
Love the idea of the 2 sided view. My last house I closed in the carport to add a family room. I put a 90 saltwater in the wall. And I built a 7' wide bay window in front. We were the last house on a dead end street so as you approached the house yo saw this gorgeous saltwater tank through the bay window. When we had this house built I had a closet put in the hall behind the family room just for a fish tank. Siting on the sofa you'd see the TV, fireplace and the tank. We always enjoyed that tank in the wall in the last house. We built this house in 99. Still no tank in the wall. I suggested a 2 sided view but the other half nixed that idea.
We've had tanks since we got married. My 3.5 year old has always known these tanks. Only twice in 3.5 years has he put anything into my lowest tank. He wanted to see if his hot wheels car would sink. Since he was able to I've let him help me feed the fish and the turtle. Some parents also put up all their breakables. We've never done that and he hasn't broken any. Same at my inlaws house since they take care of him during the week.
Today we took the trip to Nolans. He chose a red tip shark and a Bala. Kid knows what he wants.

The 90 is still in my last house. And it's going to foreclosure. Hmmmmm.
 
#25 ·
Went to get pricing on the tank amd ended up ordering a standard aqueon drilled 125. My wife, the doll that she is, said it will be cool to have it in place. She's went from questioning my sanity to seeing my vision with the latest progress.

Now to figure out this sump mess, figure out what pump I need, and plan out the piping with co2. This is progressing faster than I thought.
 
#26 ·
My wife, the doll that she is, said it will be cool to have it in place. She's went from questioning my sanity to seeing my vision with the latest progress.
It's a lot clearer once you see the wall frame up, though! It looks great so far, I'm excited to see that much progress! Sucks about the sump problems, though. Good thing you realized before t got too far, though, right?

This thread makes me think, though--for all of you who build-in tanks like this... How does that affect the re-sale value of the home? I mean, if I ran across a home with 200 gallons of built-in fish tank, I'd be ecstatic, but I feel like for some realtors that might be a hard sell, between maintenance or tear-down/remodeling.
 
#28 ·
I suppose that's very true. Wet bar FTW! We used to actually have our 55g installed on our wet bar in our old house. The one thing I truly hated about moving was having to leave it behind :/ There are days when I consider going back, knocking on the door, and being like... "Do you just have, like, the rocks from that aquarium? Can I have them back? I'll give you, like, a hundred bucks for them. Please?"

...That being said, I aso realized that we've never spent more than 7-8 years in a single place, so it's hard for me to conceive of owning a house and having it long enough for your children to grow up in it and such. A built-in tank is much more reasonable in a 20-year home than a 7-year home.
 
#29 ·
We're only planning on being here for another 5-10 years. But we made the decision that this 1200sq/ft rancher wasnt big enough. We planned on staying for a bit then having children. Buuut found out she conceived the day we signed papers. Two years later we're wanting more space but love the house, property, and neighborhood.

As soon as we decided to do the basement I was dead set on a fish tank.
 
#30 ·
Oh, isn't life funny like that, though. If you really want to stay, but need more space, there's always additions, aren't there? My aunt and uncle added a nice sun room a few years ago, and use that as a living/entertaining space instead of the living room, which was converted to an office/craft space. Of course, their kids are all grown and gone now, but they entertain grandkids a lot.

If I ever get the chance to remodel a basement, I'd do the same thing, honestly. I might have to add that to any future husband's vows: "...and I'll let you build a fish tank into the basement, should we acquire one." Just so he's aware.
 
#32 ·
Haha, that sounds like a worthy goal! And if she's starting to get excited about the tank going in, that's all the better :D I think your little one will love it, too. Put the time-out spot by the tank once it's all set up! Whenever my brothers and I threw tantrums, mom would sit us by the tank and make us look at it. Not even two minutes, we were calmed down and entertained by watching the fish. I think it was rather genius on her part.
 
#34 ·
tank is being picked up tomorrow AM, so expect some pictures of it in place of the 90 (then removed for safe keeping. Stairs aren't built yet, as of this second, so the section above the tank will be built this weekend. Once the drywall is in place and prepped for painting the tank will be put back for good and I can start laying out the filtration while we finish up the rest of the basement.

I've also been doing some research into kribensis as i've decided to look for keeping pairs of different varieties. During this research I've figured that the kribensis, at least the male, I have is not of the more common pulcher species of the pelvicachromis but is a member of the sacrimontis species. Which, really, just means he'll end up an inch or two larger than a common male krib.

It's difficult to tell, but in this picture http://bugeyed.webfactional.com/static/media/uploads/personal/fish/20130108_194943.jpg, you can see some faint iridescence in his cheek, which the pulcher does not have.

So this guy may either be a hybrid of the two, or a full blown sacrimontis. I'll try to get some better pictures this evening if he is willing to grace me with more color.
 
#36 ·
a few pictures as the work this weekend wraps up.

nice little pic of the family sitting on our new wall haha. Father in law, who is really the brains behind the carpentry work, lifting the tank into place. Without him I don't know how this would've gotten together.

And finally a good corner shot of it in place.

We've got hot and cold water ran as well. another big thank you to my FIL for that. He jokes that he's my helper, but I'm really his. we've pretty much told him what we wanted and he figured out how to do it. I cut, hammered, and lent some thoughts as well.

We need to pull the tank off and the plywood again. Turns out the center is higher than the sides and we need to take a belt sander to the 2x4 to flatten it out. not a big deal, but it would be if we put water in the tank!

We're not 100% square, but we'll be fine once the drywall and trim go up.

From here on out I don't know if I'll have updates until the drywall is up, spackled, and ready for paint. Once that happens the tank will be put in place for good, the trim added, which will overlap the tank trim just a tad. Once all that is done then it'll be time to work on the tank's plumbing and as soon as that is done I'll be filling and testing that whole system.

I fully expect the basement to be complete within the next 2 months. I'd really like to see the basement finished by my 30th birthday this coming april; though, i don't feel like the tank will be ready. I have some hardscape layouts in my head I'll start to sketch in the mean time.
 

Attachments

#39 ·
rock on! The cold water has been finished. (please tilt your head for the picture, sorry) We were short 6" of copper to finish the hot water. We also had a split in the 2x4" used to mount the spigots, so the clamps are being utilized for gluing the wood back together.

With the cold water ran, I decided to test fill the tank. Which is fun when the filtration is not set up and you have holes in the overflow! so I had to keep a close eye on it when it got near the overflow

oh, and in typical cat fashion, my cat had to check things out prior to the water going in.

I have a picture on the camera (these are S3 pictures) of how we leveled the tank/stand. Once we got the tank on we knew there was an issue... there was maybe 1/8" space on either side of the tank, so you could rock it on the center. that was noooo good. We pondered what to do for a bit. ultimately, we used wooden shims to move the plywood up to meet the tank and generously filled the gap between the plywood and 2x4 with liquid nails. There is a shim maybe every inch or two with liquid nails pushed in with the shims both inside and out.

I was a little concerned with how things would settle once the tank was full, but at this point there has not been any movement what so ever.

Next step is to purchase two bulkhead kits and a 37g for the sump, along with a DC5000 pump. I'm looking forward to get cracking on the filtration so I can see this thing 100% full and running.

this coming weekend our new basement steps are going in, and potentially seeing the rest of the framework done as well. After that happens we're dry walling and prepping for paint. Once the prep work is done I can seriously consider beginning to set the tank up. :thumbsup:
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top