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Unread 01/19/2018, 03:57 PM   #1
jisenga
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
400 Aquarium Build ~ Recommendations on Support Equipment & Room Setup

We are in the process of finishing our basement (home was built in 2016) and with that comes the build out of the aquarium room.

I would love to get some feedback on how you would setup equipment room, ventilation recommendations, equipment you would use to help automate the maintenance process, and what else would create the most efficient use of the space.

I've attached a few pictures of the current setup, and my main focus today is setting up layout for ROI tanks, sum, Refuge, and equipment. This will be a ground up build.

Thank you in advance for your input and HELP with this project.


Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_1819.jpg (42.7 KB, 41 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_1738.jpg (84.9 KB, 39 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_1736.jpg (84.9 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_1737.jpg (101.0 KB, 32 views)
File Type: jpg Aquarium Room Floor Plan.jpg (106.0 KB, 38 views)
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Unread 01/21/2018, 11:23 PM   #2
meklo
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Posts: 55
Jisenga,

First off, I want to wish you luck. It is a very promising project and I am sure you will have a blast building and enjoying for a long time.

A few things off the top of my head that I would give consideration:

1. Expansion. Leave yourself room to expand later if you desire. I plumbed a manifold off of my return incase I wanted/needed to expand the plumbing on the sump. Also, you might want to plumb in a frag tank or separate tank at some point. So, give yourself room for that and more importantly, give yourself the means to do it if desired. Think of the electrical demands and then give yourself room for additional upgrades. I added receptacles in key areas of my fish room. I ran a separate circuit for lights. Another for the fish room. Another for the display..etc... Give yourself a way to implement more equipment.

2. I am sure you are far enough along to have thought about this some already, but think about the cost, maintenance, and the work involved in keeping everything running once it is finished (like we ever finished, hehehe). I have switches, pumps, and whatnot to allow easy water changes. Easy salt mixing, heating, moving, etc. I like to keep a spare pump/hose setup and coiled on a hook just for moving random water. Things like the amount of electricity, the cost of the salt, the amount of water I go through...they seem like small things, but I never thought much about it. It does add up. Give it though in advance.

3. Storage and work room. Think about the spare equipment, boxes, salt, and things that will accumulate over time. I like to have things organized and labeled. I use totes with labels to help with finding stuff. I use big C hooks for hoses. Having a nice work space for testing, preparing foods, working on equipment, and the like is amazing.

4. Waterproofing. It looks like you have a concrete floor. That is awesome. I would consider treating the drywall around the room. You could remove a few inches and install cement board. Installing tile baseboards is an easy to mitigate the saturation of drywall if you ever have a larger flood. Prepare for things to get wet. It is nice to not always have to be 100% careful.

5. GFCI. Enough said.

6. Murphy's law. Things will go wrong. You will change things. Leave yourself a way to change things out or clean them. Unions are a great example here. Nothing has to be permanent. Think of a way to implement changes in the future. So that nothing is any more of a headache than it has to be.

7. Have fun.

I hope some of this is food for thought. You might have already considered some, or all, of it. Cheers and best of luck!


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My build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2651029

Current Tank Info: 180g GlassCages tank. 90 gallon sump with RO 10" SS skimmer and VarioS 6 return. Hamilton Cebu Sun 250w fixture
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