In wall tank prep?

[Tuffyyyyy]

Hi everyone,

I think it’s time. After 3.5 years of nano tanks I think it’s finally time for me to go big. I’ll post pictures of my plan in the next post, but my plan is to put a 120 into a wall. The tank would be inside of a butler pantry that’s already basically my fish room, and the visible part is tucked into the entrance hallway.

Here’s my list of questions as I start planning this project:
what you wish you knew before either going big or building an in-wall?
Did you do it yourself, have a contractor do it?
Was your tank new or used?
Does the tank need to be rimless?
Did you have the hole put in before you got the tank?

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Here’s pictures of the fish room, how the living room is currently set up, and where I plan on putting the viewing window. Another reason I’d like to get a bigger tank is because the house is from the 40s so I’d really like to get the tanks off of the hardwood ASAP.

 

[JoshH]

Here’s my list of questions as I start planning this project:

what you wish you knew before either going big or building an in-wall?

Nothing I've really wished I knew before stepping into a larger tank (Not an inwall), most things are pretty obvious. Things with bigger tank are usually that, bigger and more of. Bigger pumps more power heads, more lights, more rocks etc etc....

Did you do it yourself, have a contractor do it?

I don't have an in wall myself but if your not particularly handy a contractor might be a good route to go. Biggest thing you need to know is whether or not the wall is load bearing or not. If it is, I suggest consulting an engineer on what size of header is required to span the tank length (note, tank length in this case needs to include the thickness of the drywall, tile or any other materials that will be between the ends of the tank and the studs themselves as the beam will have to span that as well).

Does the tank need to be rimless?

The tank does not have to be rimless, and in this case I would recommend that it isn't. If I were to do an in wall I would make sure the tank was Eurobraced and the eurobracing is wide enough to span the thickness of the wall itself. This will prevent ANY splashing occurring from the tank getting between the tank and the wall itself. It will also seriously help prevent any salt creep from forming in general.

Did you have the hole put in before you got the tank?

I would personally hold out on atleast finishing a hole in the wall before the tank arrives unless it's a stock tank and you 100% know the dimensions of the tank. Custom tanks tend to vary slightly on the actual dimensions and so do some stock tanks. Not having the tank on hand and finishing the walls before it's arrival can lead to fitting issues.

Oh and congrats on the upgrade! Your wall looks like a prime location for a beautiful 6' custom tank I can't wait to see this one come together!

 

[JoshH]

I'll give this a bump for others input and also add that sometimes with things like these, especially in older homes, sometimes it's easier dealing with a contractor right from the get go. That way any unknown surprises (HVAC and plumbing to name a couple) can be easily and quickly dealt with which means less stress for yourself as well, as long as you have the funds that is. These are also things you should be somewhat prepared for budget wise as opening walls in your home can reveal some nasty surprises. Having a couple extra thousand dollars set aside to handle any potential problems will not only help if one raises. But if you don't end up using it, you've got yourself an awesome Equipment/livestock fund

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

I'll give this a bump for others input and also add that sometimes with things like these, especially in older homes, sometimes it's easier dealing with a contractor right from the get go. That way any unknown surprises (HVAC and plumbing to name a couple) can be easily and quickly dealt with which means less stress for yourself as well, as long as you have the funds that is. These are also things you should be somewhat prepared for budget wise as opening walls in your home can reveal some nasty surprises. Having a couple extra thousand dollars set aside to handle any potential problems will not only help if one raises. But if you don't end up using it, you've got yourself an awesome Equipment/livestock fund

I’m not handy at all so my plan was to get a contractor. The bit bracing the width of the wall is a really good idea. I had been hoping to find a used tank but new might be better.

 

[All Mixed Up]

what you wish you knew before either going big or building an in-wall?
Did you do it yourself, have a contractor do it?
Was your tank new or used?
Does the tank need to be rimless?
Did you have the hole put in before you got the tank?

1. Make sure you have plenty of room for maintenance. I have a 150 gallon tall (30" high) sitting on a platform about 40" off the ground. I have 10' ceilings and I'm 6' tall so I have about 8" of clearance between my head and the ceiling. I planned it out this way, just want to make sure you do the same. I built the platform that my tank sits on wide enough to where I can walk around the 3 sides that aren't in the wall for maintenance.

Also, make sure your lights are easily movable.

Have some sort of access door in front for easy feeding and other needs. I framed in the cutout 2' taller than my tank, so 54" in my case, so that when I lift the access panel I have 2' of clearance to work with.

2. I did all the work myself. I built the fish room my tank sits in, ran an hvac line into the fish room, installed a humidistat, ran two can lights, installed a floor drain, and sloped the floor to the drain for any accidental flooding. This all connects to the main drain in my crawl space.

I also added a utility sink just outside the fish room to keep the wife happy by not cleaning fish poop out in the kitchen sink.

Plan for anything you think you might need in the future, even if you don't need it now. It's easier to add it during construction than after the tank is setup.

3. My tank was new, but I don't think there is a problem with it being used.

4. My tank is not rimless.

5. The first thing I purchased was the tank, everything else was built based on its dimensions.

 

[JoshH]

I’m not handy at all so my plan was to get a contractor. The bit bracing the width of the wall is a really good idea. I had been hoping to find a used tank but new might be better.

Were you planning on having access from the front as well like mentioned above? Or only access from the back fish room? Decisions like these can really dictate what size of tank you get especially width wise.

When you're wanting to knock a hole in your wall, I think it might just be better to go new, possibly even custom new. Custom tanks are a bit more expensive than stock complete systems. BUT it seems like we really are talking about your dream setup. If your knocking holes in your walls you might as well get as much of a dream tank as you can to sustain you long term. Odds are you're building a platform for this tank as well so you don't need a stand anyway either. Given you have a fish room hopefully your planning on a sump that is on a shelf of some sort which will be awesome for maintenance as well.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

1. Make sure you have plenty of room for maintenance. I have a 150 gallon tall (30" high) sitting on a platform about 40" off the ground. I have 10' ceilings and I'm 6' tall so I have about 8" of clearance between my head and the ceiling. I planned it out this way, just want to make sure you do the same. I built the platform that my tank sits on wide enough to where I can walk around the 3 sides that aren't in the wall for maintenance.

Also, make sure your lights are easily movable.

Have some sort of access door in front for easy feeding and other needs. I framed in the cutout 2' taller than my tank, so 54" in my case, so that when I lift the access panel I have 2' of clearance to work with.

2. I did all the work myself. I built the fish room my tank sits in, ran an hvac line into the fish room, installed a humidistat, ran two can lights, installed a floor drain, and sloped the floor to the drain for any accidental flooding. This all connects to the main drain in my crawl space.

I also added a utility sink just outside the fish room to keep the wife happy by not cleaning fish poop out in the kitchen sink.

Plan for anything you think you might need in the future, even if you don't need it now. It's easier to add it during construction than after the tank is setup.

3. My tank was new, but I don't think there is a problem with it being used.

4. My tank is not rimless.

5. The first thing I purchased was the tank, everything else was built based on its dimensions.

Thanks a lot for your response! I took a look through your thread and your tank is gorgeous. Similar to getting your wife the Peloton, I think me getting this tank is going to require some variant of a new couch, mattress, or energy efficient windows throughout the house.

 

[JoshH]

Thanks a lot for your response! I took a look through your thread and your tank is gorgeous. Similar to getting your wife the Peloton, I think me getting this tank is going to require some variant of a new couch, mattress, or energy efficient windows throughout the house.

Another build thread for you to look into with an excellent example of what I was talking about with getting the tank after the wall is completed..

Monster Build - 550G Display + Fish Room Frag Tanks = 900G of Fun

Love the thread. Upgrading my system now and got some good ideas here! Happy with the poly floor in my garage fwiw. Good to see another DMV / Wamas member! Ed

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