Inwall Questions??

[8BALL_99]

Hey gang well a couple weeks ago I had a minor water spill.. Well a lil more then minor. Our puppy chewed on my auto top off water line Wasn't to bad just a small puddle in the laundry room.. Tile floor so no biggie.. Well when I fixed it I guess I pulled to hard on the line and it halfway came out of the sump.. well you guessed it.. Insted of topping off the sump it topped off the fish room floor.. "carpet".

Since the carpet got so wet I want to replace it.. Its dry now and I ran the steam cleaner over a million times but still.. I know the padding has to have mold in it now... I've been in the process of moving all my tools over to my other garage.. Now the shop I was planning on parking all the extra crap in the garage where my tools use to be.. But now after this and after looking at the garage I'm thinking if I park the fourwheelers in the barn and maybe the lawn mower I've got room for a Equipment room!!! The room would be about 13' by 5'6".. Not really cause of space but cause there are doors I can't move.. I'd have to move the tank to another room But since the tank needs moved anyway to replace the carpet it doesn't matter. I'm also thinking I'm going to lay tile in the new fish room!..

Anyway what do you guys think? Should I do an inwall where you just see the front? Or should I build the tank into the wall but have just the back in the equipment room so you can see the front and the sides.. I plan on having the tank sealed off from the rest of the house reguardless.. All the moist hot air and noise will be in the equipment room in the garage and no where else.. With the entire tank in the wall there wont be much room in the equipment room.. My tank also has starfire on the front and ends so I kinda of hate to just cover the ends up lol..

My other question is what do you think would be better a window ac vented outside to cool the equipment room or a chiller outside to just cool the tank? I know with such a small room I'll have to have some way to cool the tank with all the lights and pumps ect..
I'm leaning to the window ac simply cause they are cheap and easy to replace.. I can run 220V to the room very easily.. Not sure if most chillers are 110 or not but I know most cooling units run alot better on 220. Should be alot cheaper to run.. Plus having the room cooler would be nice when working in there. But I'm not sure if just keeping that room cool would be enough to cool the tanks.. Sigh so many choices

Will

[Mrs.kbmdale]

I would go with a good window AC, one that has preset timers and temp controls built in electronically. We have one like that in our bedroom and it really keeps the tank temp stable once you get it set right.

[Opiy]

IMO I think leave it out from the wall some so you can see the sides. I have seen many times now where people run all the equipment though the wall and I really like that. Plus if you ever do move replaceing the sheetrock would be easier than maybe reframing the wall. Plus with all the equipment in another room you have more room to put more stuff !! Everything is easier to get to. Since you ahve the starfire on the sides might as well have it viewable.

Well how hot does this room get? If its pretty hot might ahve to do the window ac if not might can do a chiller with some fans going.

[im_buford]

I have a fish room with an AC duct running from the home unit, It keeps the room same temp or cooler than the house. One fan over the sump on the timer as my MH keeps the tank at the correct temp. So IMO use the AC unit on a timer. AND
Definately keep the sides viewable.

[8BALL_99]

Thanks for the replys. I think I will leave the sides viewable. So far everyone I've asked thinks so..


Will

[yoda]

I'm not trying to complicate your life, but I did very much enjoy my old 125g in-wall tank that I had in Knoxville.

Here is a crappy picture of it...

http://www.geocities.com/yoda3502000/Pics/125g.JPG

I guess I enjoyed the depth it seemed to have by being back in the wall. There was a laundry room on the backside that made life easy too. I would have done it in this house too, if there had been a good place for it (that wouldn't freak my wife out...)

[8BALL_99]

Haha yoda. Couldn't see the picture. The site bandwidth was temporarily exceeded.

I still am kicking it around.. I haven't finished my shop 100% yet since its gotten warmer I've been busy with the yard/feild lol.

The equipment room will have water.. Probably a laundry sink as well.. Probably 3 20 amp circuits. Two for the tanks and one 220 for the AC. I'll be buidling the room in the garage so It will be water proof walls, epoxy floor,, ect..ect. The garage is insulated with insulated doors but I'm also going to insulate the room and use an exterior door.

Its a lil hard to explain but as of right now I plan on having the back of the tank in the wall a few inches.. Having Oak stand and canopy going from the floor all the way up to the ceiling.. So it will have a kind of built in look but you can still see the sides.. The tank is 2 feet wide not counting the overflow.. With my Equipment room only 5'6" wide I think it would just take up to much room trying to fit the entire tank in the room.. Besides the room the tank is going in is decent size and will be empty.. I will have alot more room then I do now. I'll look around RC and see if I can find any pictures with the same idea as what I have in mind..CAN't wait to get this started lol.. Well wait a min.. I can't wait to get this done haha I'm not looking foward to moving these tanks again...

[8BALL_99]

Well I finally got to work on my project yesterday .. I painted the foor in the entire garage last weekend with Epoxy Paint.. Got the room built yesterday.. I still have to cut the hole for the tank and the AC.. Once thats done I'm going to cover the walls and ceiling With FRP board.. Its that plastic looking wall board you see in public bathrooms or kitchens.. Moisture wont be a problem at all . Not really much to see but here are some pictures of the construction..
The first picture if Before I did anything but clean the floor and remove the baseboards.. I always like before and after pictures lol

[8BALL_99]

Well thats all for now.. Maybe I'll get time to finish the room up this week.. Then I get to start on the other side lol.. I need to build the stand and Tile the veiwing room.

Will

[outlawj]

are you going to set your tank flush with the dry wall or resesed.

[Philip Root]

I understand everything except the T.V.

[8BALL_99]

It will set resesed into the wall.. Just a couple of inches.. I wanted to keep the veiw from the ends

LOL Philip.. Well that use to be where a workbech sat.. I moved the bench along with all my tools to the other garage... I just haven't moved the tv yet I figured while I was working on the fish room it would come handy..

Haven't really got much to add.. I've been out of town since Friday morning so I didn't get much done.. I did set the door and start installing the FRP in the room last week though..
Will

[MaryBebo]

Looks really great so far. Good Job!

[8BALL_99]

Well this thread is a little dated but I figured I'd post how things turned out. I still need to build the Doors for the 180s canopy but for the most part everything is done.

[8BALL_99]

I think the rock in the 180 still needs lil tweaking but It turned out pretty good

[buzzbait00]

WOW.Awsome!cant wait til the meeting.I was wondering bout the TV too.LoL,I figered you were going to run closed circit tv in all rooms with zoom cameras on all tanks!!!!

Buzz!

[MaryBebo]

Really Nice work! I love how your canopy's are made to raise up. It all looks great

[fishfeeder]

what material did you use to raise the canopies like that?

And is your 180 glass? I see you used a sheet of plywood under your tank. Is that for support?

Looks GREAT!!!! Hope I can make it to the meeting!

Jay

[8BALL_99]

Thanks, Lol I took the TV out of the fish room There is a 180 there now!

I have to say I am very happy with the canopys.. I have them both on Electric linear actuators mounted in the attic. I did have them on a switch but I rewired them on remote. Now if I need to work on one of the tanks just push a button and up it goes.. I almost dont even use the door on the 92gallon lol. Its alot easier to work in the tank. I figure to once a year when I replace the Mh bulbs it will be easy to raise the lights up a few inches for a week or so No more messing with window screen!

Will

[8BALL_99]

Fishfeeder, The canopys are mounted on heavy Tracks to the wall and are raised and lowered by linear actuators in the attic with Cables attached to them. Pretty much the same Idea as using a Winch.

The 180 is glass. The front and sides are 1/2 Starfire and the back and bottem are 5/8 stander glass. Its a very heavy duty tank lol. The stand is 2x4 and 2x6 Frame with 3/4 plywood on the top.. Wasn't really needed but I figured it wouldn't hurt. Plus it also helps seal the bottem of the stand off.

Will

[stolaas]

What a great sneak preview!!! Can't wait to see it.

[kng]

Will,

What brand floor paint epoxy did you use? Is it water or oil based.

I used Rustoleum about two years ago. Now I'm going back and doing the whole room. I thought I used oil based, but I can't find it anywhere. I'm scared if I put water over oil, is might not stick.

-Kyle

[8BALL_99]

Kyle, I used Rustoleums Two part Epoxy Garage floor paint. Its water based. I've been very happy with it.. I painted my shop floor with it last year.. It held up well so I painted the big garage with it before I built my room.. The only thing is they have a non skid stuff you can add to the paint.. I wish I would have added it cause when I get saw dust in my shop that floor is like ice.

Will

[8BALL_99]

Hey, Everyone Thought I post a little update,

My skimmer came in a while back about 4 days after the meeting. It took forever to get. Its a H&S A200 External 1260. I've been very happy with it so far. I also got My Kalk Stirrers in Today. I also had to wait a little while for these things to get instock. I got two Aqua Medic Kalkwasser Stirrer 1000. One for Each system. They are made alot like the Deltec stirrers but for half the price. They seem to be pretty well made.






Will

[joejoe1055]

very nice
i would advise your frog not to go swimming in the skimmer though, he looks interested (pic1)