Initial Planning Of Tank
Having had a 4' freshwater tank for the last few years I have decided my next tank will be an 8' reef tank. I want it to look as natural as possible and full of life (shrimp, crabs and other clean up crew) as well as fish and corals. We are building a new house next year ( The build start date is planned for March 2015) and I will be putting the 8' reef tank in the family room once the house has been built.
I have never had a saltwater tank before, only freshwater so I know it will be a huge challenge going straight to an 8' reef tank but I plan on taking it slow and have already started to do a lot of research. I want to get it right the first time and have a tank I will be happy with for a long time instead of keeping on upgrading bit by bit to a larger tank which is why I decided on the 8' by 2.5' by 2.5' size.
At the moment we are still designing the house and so I am trying to plan the tank around the house so it is easier in the long run. I plan on having a water point and dedicated electrical power point built into the wall where the tank will be going. I also plan on having a drain built in to make it much easier to do water changes. I want these all in the wall so they can easily be covered up by plaster if I ever get rid of the tank (not that I ever plan to). The builder has said the water point and power point are ok in the wall but the drain cannot be put into the wall, it has to be put into the floor. I imagine these three items will be much easier to install while the house is still being built rather than doing it after the house has been built. Has anyone else ever had a drain installed into a wall? or know if it can be done? If not I guess It will have to be put in the floor.
The other thing at this stage I am trying to figure out is what kind of overflow system to use. I plan on putting the tank right up against the wall so it can be viewed from the front and from the two sides so would probably prefer to have the overflow along the back of the tank where it cannot be seen too easily. I like the idea of the bean animal system however I am not sure if this will work if the tank is up against a wall. I want to be able to access all parts of the tank easily in case I need to.
I plan on having the sump built underneath the tank inside the cabinet and having a refugium built into the sump. I also plan on having an RODI unit under the tank so I can set up an auto top off system for evaporated water. I also plan on having a canopy over the tank but want it high enough that I can still access the tank easily from the canopy opening and want it accessibly from the front and two sides.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions about this build please let me know. I am still only in the early planning stages but hope to have everything sorted in the next 6 months so it is all ready to start by next year. The main thing I want to get right now is the placement and how it will work with the overflow box.
I have never had a saltwater tank before, only freshwater so I know it will be a huge challenge going straight to an 8' reef tank but I plan on taking it slow and have already started to do a lot of research. I want to get it right the first time and have a tank I will be happy with for a long time instead of keeping on upgrading bit by bit to a larger tank which is why I decided on the 8' by 2.5' by 2.5' size.
At the moment we are still designing the house and so I am trying to plan the tank around the house so it is easier in the long run. I plan on having a water point and dedicated electrical power point built into the wall where the tank will be going. I also plan on having a drain built in to make it much easier to do water changes. I want these all in the wall so they can easily be covered up by plaster if I ever get rid of the tank (not that I ever plan to). The builder has said the water point and power point are ok in the wall but the drain cannot be put into the wall, it has to be put into the floor. I imagine these three items will be much easier to install while the house is still being built rather than doing it after the house has been built. Has anyone else ever had a drain installed into a wall? or know if it can be done? If not I guess It will have to be put in the floor.
The other thing at this stage I am trying to figure out is what kind of overflow system to use. I plan on putting the tank right up against the wall so it can be viewed from the front and from the two sides so would probably prefer to have the overflow along the back of the tank where it cannot be seen too easily. I like the idea of the bean animal system however I am not sure if this will work if the tank is up against a wall. I want to be able to access all parts of the tank easily in case I need to.
I plan on having the sump built underneath the tank inside the cabinet and having a refugium built into the sump. I also plan on having an RODI unit under the tank so I can set up an auto top off system for evaporated water. I also plan on having a canopy over the tank but want it high enough that I can still access the tank easily from the canopy opening and want it accessibly from the front and two sides.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions about this build please let me know. I am still only in the early planning stages but hope to have everything sorted in the next 6 months so it is all ready to start by next year. The main thing I want to get right now is the placement and how it will work with the overflow box.