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Cultivated Reef

New house peninsula reef placement help


aaron186

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I am going to be moving soon to a new town home. I thought it would be cool to do a new reef tank that you can see from the front and back as you walk up the stairs into the unit. I posted pics of the area below. I was thinking of a peninsula tank with the return end along the width facing the laundry room closet doors. I am not sure where to find a tank like this and how the stand and cabinetry would best look. If anyone can give me some design suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. I am open to any size tank but something long and shallow might be cool. My budget is pretty sizable but ideally would like to keep the build around 5k. Thinking mixed reed but really open to anything

 

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This is the second floor right? Weight might be a consideration. And while $5,000 is a generous budget, it might rule out structural changes to support the tank, or a large custom built tank. I would probably look for a standard tank that you can drill and add an overflow to one side.

 

Are you thinking about something like 75 gallons? Bigger? Smaller? I'm having difficulty visualizing exactly where in the two pics, that you want the tank. Are you thinking about something like this (except shallow)?

truvu_custom_aquarium_installation.jpg

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Seabass brings up a very good point- the upper floor structure needs to be able to withstand the weight of the tank.

 

I too am having a hard time visualizing the plan.

 

You also need to consider the ease of water changes and maintenance within the area you choose.

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Elizabeth94

I don't really see where you would do a "peninsula" tank. But I can see you placing a rectangular tank along the wall with a stand that would be high enough so that you can see the whole tank through the cut out (just a standard tank without a backing on it so you can see through).

 

I think a "true" peninsula would be sticking out into your walkway way too far.


I want it to sit above the cut out so you can see the back of it as you walk up the stairs
the budget is flexible

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That top pic is a bit of an optical illusion. It makes sense to me now.

 

So do you want to fill the entire opening? What dimensions are we talking about? I get the sense that we're talking about 8'. Is there a skylight above the area that you'd have to work around?

 

My thought is that you'd want a flat back hex tank like this:

071416a.jpg

Drawn as a 6' x 2' tank.

 

It might look something like this:

071416b.jpg

You could build a canopy for it; or maybe just hang some nice LEDs above it.

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Or you could adjust the size of the opening, by framing out a window for the tank. This way you would only see the tank as you walk up the stairs, and it would look like the opening was made for the tank. This would also let you put any size tank you wish in this space.
071416c.jpg

Now that you have a smaller opening, you could even do a standard rectangular tank. A nice frameless glass tank with some hanging pendent lights might look very clean (and would be easier to come by, as the flat back hex might have to be custom made for you).

Even something like this (with a Glass-Holes overflow on the right side):
AquaMaxx-Premium-Cuboid-Low-Iron-Rimless
AquaMaxx 64.2 gallons (47.3" x 17.8" x 17.8")

At 64 gallons, you shouldn't have to worry about any structural changes to the floor. Then you can spend the money on the wall, tank, custom stand/cabinet, lighting, other equipment, and livestock. The more I think about it, this is the direction that I'd go.

But I could even see you going a little larger with the tank if you really wanted. You could even get a smaller custom flat back hex built for you (to fit a smaller opening).

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Or you could adjust the size of the opening, by framing out a window for the tank. This way you would only see the tank as you walk up the stairs, and it would look like the opening was made for the tank. This would also let you put any size tank you wish in this space.

071416c.jpg

 

Now that you have a smaller opening, you could even do a standard rectangular tank. A nice frameless glass tank with some hanging pendent lights might look very clean (and would be easier to come by, as the flat back hex might have to be custom made for you).

 

Even something like this (with a Glass-Holes overflow on the right side):

AquaMaxx-Premium-Cuboid-Low-Iron-Rimless

AquaMaxx 64.2 gallons (47.3" x 17.8" x 17.8")

 

At 64 gallons, you shouldn't have to worry about any structural changes to the floor. Then you can spend the money on the wall, tank, custom stand/cabinet, lighting, other equipment, and livestock. The more I think about it, this is the direction that I'd go.

 

But I could even see you going a little larger with the tank if you really wanted. You could even get a smaller custom flat back hex built for you (to fit a smaller opening).

 

This is perfect!

 

I can measure for specifics later but how would you recommend i do this? custom cabinetry built into the wall? behind the wall is steps so it would need to stick out a bit

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I watched an episode of Tanked. I know... but I still watch it. Anyway, they use powder coated steel stands for all their tanks. They welded a plate on the stand which helped to support their tank in the wall. Something like this:
071416e.jpg

Of course, you don't have to recess the tank into the wall, but it would help with viewing from the stairs. It also helps reduce the space the tank takes up in the hallway.

With that 64 gallon tank, and the display recessed into the wall, I think you'd have just enough room for a 20L sump. You'll want to plan your sump around your stand (or vice versa).

You could create more room under the tank by extending the stand to the drywall. However, I probably wouldn't attach the stand to the drywall as any shifting, due to weight, could eventually cause the drywall to crack. By extending the stand into the wall area, you could make the stand out of wood (as the supporting steel lip wouldn't be needed).

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I'd probably also silicone in a piece of glass in the top of the tank, where it's recessed into the wall (I modified the above drawing to reflect this piece). This way, you will help protect the wall from moisture. It doesn't have to hold water, so you don't have to worry about the seams as much. You can have the glass shop polish the exposed edge, or you can sand it yourself (you don't want a sharp edge).

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Awesome. When I get moved in I'm gonna work on finding a custom install company to help me with this. It's a bit more than I'm comfortable with but I love the idea enough to pay the added costs. Who needs to pay student loans anyways? Thanks so much

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