should I do a mancave fish room build in the basement?

[Devaji]

OK guys I keep getting a NO on upgrading my 2nd tank in the main living area. right now I have a 650P reef and a nano peninsula that I might change to a FW planted.
other half does not like more water in the house I think it all so caging animals...anyway

we have this unfinished basement that I have been slowing working on just to get it up to storage quality. ( old house we did a reno on)
average temp is 60-65ish year around I would guess

I have this crazy idea of a fish room man cave down there. sounds great right BUT not sure I want to go that crazy would need to run electric ,insulate add a heater, lights and vent fan, in that room but it's all doable.

I guess I am not sure if I want to spend all the money and time to finish it out. it would be on the cheaper end but still $$ then the tanks fish etc.
it would be fun and a great build or better to not go crazy and focus on the 2 tanks I have. ( still stocking the 650P ) that is the smart thing to do...

I love the idea of course but not sure I want to have tanks in two different places.
anyone have a unfinished to finished man cave fish room? how much time do you spend down there?

here's a quick vid of the space i am thinking about.

cheers

 

[workhz]

Would you want a finished basement for resale purposes anyway? I say finish it out with other things you’d do down there and add a tank.

 

[Tonycass12]

Slowly working on mine. Still have to finish laying tile on the floor. Eventually will have bar built and a bigger tank along the wall my current one is set up against now.

 

[JGT]

Or…build a fish room down there, but don’t add another tank. Move all the guts you have upstairs down to the fish room, ie sump, pumps, water change containers, dosing containers, add a slop sink. Then upgrade the tank upstairs as now your wife will not hear, see or smell the dark side of reefkeeping. I did that and my wife loves my tank. It also is waaay more convenient and less messy for me as well.

 

[mdb_talon]

I have a dedicated fishroom and would not give it up for any amount of displays in the main living areas. However in my case I just love growing coral/fragging/etc. If you real focus is on creating the most amazing display tanks you can and love to just sit and look at them then then I would say it probably not worth it if you already got a couple displays in main living area.

 

[shwareefer]

should I do a mancave fish room build in the basement?​

Yes. The answer is always yes.

 

[Devaji]

Or…build a fish room down there, but don’t add another tank. Move all the guts you have upstairs down to the fish room, ie sump, pumps, water change containers, dosing containers, add a slop sink. Then upgrade the tank upstairs as now your wife will not hear, see or smell the dark side of reefkeeping. I did that and my wife loves my tank. It also is waaay more convenient and less messy for me as well.

i already have a slop sink and mixing station down there.
would make it real easy for WC

should I do a mancave fish room build in the basement?​

Yes. The answer is always yes.

lol

 

[Chrisv.]

Honestly I've come to the conclusion that if my reef isn't in the main living space of my house, I will enjoy it less and care for it less. I love the idea of a basement man cave tank, but unless you can finish it into a space your whole family will use, you risk it being ignored.

 

[JGT]

Honestly I've come to the conclusion that if my reef isn't in the main living space of my house, I will enjoy it less and care for it less. I love the idea of a basement man cave tank, but unless you can finish it into a space your whole family will use, you risk it being ignored.

Totally agree. I want it it to be at the center of activity. I want guests to be able to enjoy it as much as me. In the basement, you lose all of that.

 

[Chrisv.]

Totally agree. I want it it to be at the center of activity. I want guests to be able to enjoy it as much as me. In the basement, you lose all of that.

Haha waaaaaaay easier to justify the crazy costs when my kid also enjoys it.

 

[JGT]

i already have a slop sink and mixing station down there.
would make it real easy for WC

lol

Then you are halfway there. Gotta sell it to the wife.
No more sump/pump noises, no slogging buckets of water getting things wet, no yucky, stinky skimmers to smell or clean. Just peace, quiet and serenity. The way a reef tank is supposed to be for everyone to enjoy.

 

[JGT]

Haha waaaaaaay easier to justify the crazy costs when my kid also enjoys it.

Good point. Throw that into the wife sales job.

 

[BackToTheReef]

Make it a basement living space for everyone (don't call it or decorate it like a mancave) and have the tank as the center piece. Then it becomes a space for everyone to use and enjoy and might help win the boss over. If you call it a mancave it becomes automatically exclusionary to everyone who isn't you.

 

[JGT]

Or who isn’t a man.

 

[Devaji]

all good points guys,
its just us so no kids we dont plan on having/ or wanting any off spring. we have a 1200 SQ 3/2 just for us so we have plenty of space. finishing out the basement will deff. increase the resale value but also more to heat and clean.

IDK its a fun idea and I prop. could pull is off but I dont wan to be tank broke working just to get fish,salt etc. I "should" spend the winter finishing out the peninsula reef then sure do take a lot more coral better for worse. ha

 

[jhuntstl]

all good points guys,
its just us so no kids we dont plan on having/ or wanting any off spring. we have a 1200 SQ 3/2 just for us so we have plenty of space. finishing out the basement will deff. increase the resale value but also more to heat and clean.

IDK its a fun idea and I prop. could pull is off but I dont wan to be tank broke working just to get fish,salt etc. I "should" spend the winter finishing out the peninsula reef then sure do take a lot more coral better for worse. ha

So this was all just a tease?!

 

[Devaji]

So this was all just a tease?!

haha no I was really thinking about it. then reality hit hard. very hard when i started to add up the cost just to finish out the room + all the tanks I want down there + maintenance + electric + time = maybe I better not bite off more than I can chew.

That said lets see what this winter brings.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I say no. A man cave is for you to retreat in whereas a fish tank is to show off. The mere precense of one contradicts the other.

 

[fcmatt]

haha no I was really thinking about it. then reality hit hard. very hard when i started to add up the cost just to finish out the room + all the tanks I want down there + maintenance + electric + time = maybe I better not bite off more than I can chew.

That said lets see what this winter brings.

What?!? Just let go that spare Porsche you have not driven in two years.

Geez. Things sure have changed around here. In the past they did the man cave, huge tank, and threw in bonus shots of their new motorcycle and 15.1 basement stereo system.