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Fishroom Design Ideas

Tim

Tim

Members
Here's the design for my future fish room. Only the showcase side of the basement is layed out. The Quarantine, fry rearing side will be a mottled collection of tanks and racks until I'm done with with showcase side. ;)

Here's the basic floor plan. At actual size, 1/4" was a square of graph paper which was one foot. (I think)
fishroom.gif



I'm going to use the walls to act as tank stands for the tanks. My problem is, the clearance in the back (un sheetrocked side) between the two tanks is too narrow. However, I need enough support to span eight feet. I'm wondering if a piece of angle iron between a couple two by fours or two by sixes would give me enough support. Or maybe an I-Beam. The design right now calls for two 9 1/2" microlams (LVL's) with a two by four on top and bottom.
wall.gif


On this diagram, 1/4" = about 4" I think. This is showing a nine foot wall section with two eight foot tanks.

Any suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim
 
maddog10

maddog10

Members
I saw this on your site last night, gave me some new ideas.

I would only suggest that you make sure you leave enough "clear space" above the tanks to work. IMO 8" clear is the minimum, the more space the better. Your fish will figure out where you can't reach them really quick.
 
Tim

Tim

Members
The clearance between tanks is the problem in the design. I'm trying to see if there's anything besides 9 1/2" LVL's that would give me the support I need. Perhaps a four by four post in the middle of the tank in the back bolted to a four by four, rather than the LVL's. That would give me an extra nine inches of space if I didn't use the header. So, I'd end up with fourteen inches of clearance. I'm just nut sure a four by four would support the weight only supported on the ends and one spot in the middle over and eight foot span

Tim
 
maddog10

maddog10

Members
Are you using sumps? You may have to cheat the bottom tank down a bit. IMO better to have tank a little lower than to be cussing every time you need to get into it (I am speaking from personal experience here).

I really like the idea of walking through the tanks to a common sitting area. You have me measuring my basement to develop a plan! I will give you credit for it, "Nurse's Nook". Won't be done by June though, you can see it when we have an NECA meeting in MD :lol: (I can provide entertainment :jumpy: )
 
Tim

Tim

Members
Looking at coming down to pick up some tanks from Joe and measuring distances. By the looks of it, there won't be an NECA meeting in MD anytime soon. :D
Tim
 
maddog10

maddog10

Members
Good deals to be had. He has some acrylics also. Even has the angled acrylics like in PetSmart stores. Even when you figure in gas it is going to save you money. What sizes and quantities are you looking to put in the working room?
 
Tim

Tim

Members
Good deals to be had. He has some acrylics also. Even has the angled acrylics like in PetSmart stores. Even when you figure in gas it is going to save you money. What sizes and quantities are you looking to put in the working room?[/b]
Click to expand...

In the working room will go my current tanks.
180, 90 (5' acryllic), 75, 72, 55, 2 - 30's, 3 - 29's, 4 - 20L's, 3 - 10's and whatever I pick up from Joe while I'm down there on Friday.
This will be what all my fish stay in currently until I get the showroom built. Then I'll rearrange the fry and quarantine / working species room and get everything in there on racks.
The trip down will depend on what he has left by then. ;) But, I'd like to get all his 75's, 33L's, and the acryllics from Petsmart. Possibly the 125 and some of the breeders as well.
Tim
 
maddog10

maddog10

Members
I work about 10 minutes from Joe's house, I can sneak away for a little while if you need any help (just let me know about what time you are going to be there).
 
Tim

Tim

Members
If you're only ten minutes away, how bout I send you $1000, and you go pick up the tanks for me. :D

I'd bust the move Francine if I wasn't at work and eight hours away. LOL
I'll be leaving CT Friday morning after a 12 hour night shift. Driving down, then turning around and coming back. It should be fun. Woooo!
Tim
 
maddog10

maddog10

Members
OK, back to the wall design. You could install the top tank an inch or two higher and lower the bottom tank an inch or two. This gives you more room to work in the tanks using the microlams. Of course having slept on this now, you are going to have to choose the tank decor wisely, it needs to fit through whatever space you leave between the top of the tank and the bottom of the beam. Could also use shorter tanks (height) or a combination of both. You definately want to be sure about this before you start building the actual tanks. You can play with the wall framing a bit, just not the tanks (that would be costly).

You might be able to use a 4" or 6" steel I-beam. If you have any welding or steel shops in your area try talking to them. Sometimes they even have scrap pieces that you can get cheaper. They make attachments so you could anchor it to your wood framing. You could also set it on small steel columns that would be attached to the floor (and still hidden behind the drywall). I think I am on to something here, let me sleep on it.
 
longstocking

longstocking

Members
I don't have much to say.... but little bit of advice.

Make sure you will be able to view and work with your fish in COMFORT ( in other words not cramped ). I've talked to a few people that have large fish rooms. After a while they don't enjoy going down to the fish due to having no place to sit or enjoy their fish. Infact I know of 2 people right now.... that are re-doing thier fish rooms because of it. I've thought about adding a rack in the middle of my room and I'm qustioning if I should do it or not due to this.


btw... I actually have only 7.5 inches of clearance on my tanks.... but my tanks are short. It depends on how deep your tanks are going to be.
 
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