Tank controls in closet?

Wayne P. · Nov 21, 2019

So I am in process of buying a house and am trying to plan the tank to put in it. 2 story house on a slab. I have a living room (duh) and on the back of one wall is my washer/dryer in a closet with sliding doors. I was thinking about putting in a peninsula type tank, multi hundred gallon, sump below tank and then all of the other control stuff in the laundry closet. I would change out the current washer dryer setup with a stacking set. I could put my RO/DI system in there piggybacking off the washer supply. I have a drain from the washer that I could drain the RO/DI system into as well as a AWC. I could even set up an ATO to fill my ATO tank. All of the dosing stuff could be mounted in there as well. I think I would need some sort of ventilation system to suck out the humidity and smell but it seems doable. Thoughts?

Sailfin11 · Nov 21, 2019

That sounds like a great plan! Right now, I have a cabinet next to my tank with all of the power strips and controllers for my equipment. It really helps remove a lot of the clutter from under the tank in the sump area. You should definitely do an AWC system. Mine's not entirely automated yet, but turning a few valves is still much better than carrying buckets full of water

MichaelReefer · Nov 21, 2019

Sailfin11 said:
That sounds like a great plan! Right now, I have a cabinet next to my tank with all of the power strips and controllers for my equipment. It really helps remove a lot of the clutter from under the tank in the sump area. You should definitely do an AWC system. Mine's not entirely automated yet, but turning a few valves is still much better than carrying buckets full of water

I have been trying to find a small cabinet that is the same color as my Reefer 250 to do the same thing but no luck so far.

minus9 · Nov 21, 2019

My tank is in the living room and right behind the tank is a hall closet, so now it's my fish closet/closet. I have my ATO reservoir in there (25g ace roto-mold tank), calcium rector/co2 tank, doser, masterflex, supplies, etc. The sump is under the tank and I have the main controls on one side of the stand, but have some modules and drivers in the closet. Fortunately the closet is deep enough to hold my gear and our jackets/coats.
I think you'll be fine with your plan, but take the time to map out everything before you commit.

krash7172 · Nov 21, 2019

Do you have an HVAC return air vent in the closet? If not, could you add one during construction? I have everything (including tank and sump) in my closet with a standard size vent. It's enough to keep humidity and odor down. I cut an extra bit off the bottom of my door for ventilation but sliding doors won't seal well and you should be fine. For a little extra security, I used water resistant materials and enamel paint on the walls. My next step would have been to install a continuous duty draw fan in the ceiling like a bathroom fan but I don't need it. I chose not to put a supply air vent in because I was worried it would push humidity and odor into nearby living spaces.

Wayne P. · Nov 22, 2019

The house is an existing build. Unfortunately there is not a HVAC return in the closet. That's what I was wondering if I should put in some type of exhaust system. @krash7172 is correct that there is enough slop in the sliding doors that I don't need to create a supply air opening.

homer1475 · Nov 22, 2019

Unless your going to put an open top water jug in the closet, you shouldn't need an HVAC return in there.

I have a coat closet behind my tank and use that as a place for my ATO jug and electronics, it also has sliding doors. I have 0 issues with humidity in that closet. As said, there is probably enough slop in the doors to negate any humidity build up.

Silent · Nov 22, 2019

I would put in a utility sink to clean out skimmer and other equipment. You could use a tray and put over the sink for when you dip corals. Many options and uses.