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Fish room planning


SuncrestReef

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I'm currently in the planning stages to add an additional room onto my house and want to include space for a dedicated fish room.  My current design has room for a long narrow fish room (4'6" x 13') with a new 6' peninsula display tank just outside the fish room, so basically the fish room and display tank will be a long divider between my current living room and the new addition.  

I'm looking for ideas on how to best utilize the fish room space.  My current ideas include:

  • keep the existing mixing station tanks and RO/DI in the garage and run tubing to the fish room
  • long countertop & cabinets along one wall
  • sink
  • sump plumbed through wall to display tank
  • frag tank
  • QT tank
  • storage cabinets for all aquarium related supplies
  • desk space for microscope and test kits
  • tiled floor with drain

If anyone has a cool fish room set up, I'd love to see photos or hear what works and doesn't work for you, or things you would do differently next time.

Current floor plan:
Screen Shot 2019-01-15 at 8.07.49 PM.png

New floor plan:
Screen Shot 2019-01-15 at 8.08.21 PM.png

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34 minutes ago, youcallmenny said:

I like it but it'd be even cooler if that tank was turned 90 degrees and in that wall labeled 'Fish Room'!  Totally unsolicited opinion but it'd be easier to work on the tank from inside the room maybe.

The reason I want a peninsula sticking out from that wall is so I can see the whole tank from both the kitchen/living room side and from the new billiards/bar room.

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3 hours ago, SuncrestReef said:

The reason I want a peninsula sticking out from that wall is so I can see the whole tank from both the kitchen/living room side and from the new billiards/bar room.

Yeah - that position will definitely give you the best viewing angles even if is isn't the "cleanest" from a layout perspective.  I could certainly see this being the preferred option to maximize your enjoyment of the tank.  I will say, however, the whole thing makes me envious 😄

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I'm very jealous of your setup!

I have two 100 gallon mixing/RO tanks in my garage. If I built a fish room attached to my tank, I would do everything possible to have those tanks in the fish room.  Makes life easier especially if you want to install an automatic water change system.

 

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1 hour ago, Zalick said:

I'm very jealous of your setup!

I have two 100 gallon mixing/RO tanks in my garage. If I built a fish room attached to my tank, I would do everything possible to have those tanks in the fish room.  Makes life easier especially if you want to install an automatic water change system.

 

I already have two 75 gallon water tanks in my garage mixing station that are set up to do auto water changes on my current tank.  I won't have a ton of space available in the new fish room, and the mixing station would take up at least 1/3 of the space, so I plan to leave them in the garage and just run new plumbing from the garage to the fish room.

IMG_2764.jpg

 

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3 minutes ago, SuncrestReef said:

I already have two 75 gallon water tanks in my garage mixing station that are set up to do auto water changes on my current tank.  I won't have a ton of space available in the new fish room, and the mixing station would take up at least 1/3 of the space, so I plan to leave them in the garage and just run new plumbing from the garage to the fish room.

IMG_2764.jpg

 

Beautiful setup!

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3 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:

the dopest fish room i have seen had a plastic raised grid over the concrete floor that sloped to a drain. tile is slippery as hell when wet and i would think salt residue in the grout..not good.

 

fish room happiness is never having to mop!!

 

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

Yes, the video @TheClark posted above showed a floor drain with plastic membrane underneath a raised fiberglass grid for drainage and non-slip surface.  I'm definitely considering this!!!

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5 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:

plus rubber which is easier to stand on. lets face it... you are no spring chicken. lol.

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Ha!  Speak for yourself!

The rubber lattice will leave a nice pattern on my face when I'm passed out drunk on the floor of my fish room after enjoying too many drinks in my new in-home cocktail bar.  😵

Edited by SuncrestReef
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5 minutes ago, Reefer503 said:

You always do such an amazing job planning out your projects. I am simply amazed with all the drawings and renderings you put together, great stuff. That looks like an exciting expansion of your home, can't want to see how it comes along. 

Thanks!  Yes, I'm pretty obsessed with my planning and design process.  I just recently discovered HomeDesignerPro software, and when I saw you can rent it for $49 per month rather than buying it for $495, I figured it would be a good way to put my plan together.  I was able to reproduce my entire house (down to the trim moldings and furniture fabrics) in one day, then used that base model to design the room addition.  https://www.homedesignersoftware.com

Screen Shot 2019-01-17 at 10.16.21 PM.png

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On 1/17/2019 at 10:19 PM, SuncrestReef said:

Thanks!  Yes, I'm pretty obsessed with my planning and design process.  I just recently discovered HomeDesignerPro software, and when I saw you can rent it for $49 per month rather than buying it for $495, I figured it would be a good way to put my plan together.  I was able to reproduce my entire house (down to the trim moldings and furniture fabrics) in one day, then used that base model to design the room addition.  https://www.homedesignersoftware.com

Screen Shot 2019-01-17 at 10.16.21 PM.png

It's almost better to run a long overflow into the fish room and limit what sound you can.

What's your opinion on this?

If the return pump can't manage, turn the tank side-ways against the wall for a closer connection and a more open hallway.

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Have you considered a cube instead of a peninsula the dimensions of the short wall of the fish room, building out above the cube for a built in look... three viewing angles with the fourth side accessible from inside the room, and plenty of space to work above?

 

Sort of like this but taller and deeper, while not as long, maybe in a finish that matches your walls instead of brown...  If the dimension is closer to a cube you will not miss the seeing-the-whole-thing-from-both-sides portion as much.  I believe Saxby has this same look.

 

Either way looks great, let me know when you need some folks to come party at your place.

built-in-aquarium.jpg

images.jpg

Edited by Krux
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On 1/20/2019 at 1:01 AM, pdxmonkeyboy said:

looking at your plan... i would delate fish room altogther, wall of one car slip in the garage for a fish room and put a 10' long in wall tank in the wall seperating the garage and living space.

but i digress, i like huge tanks.


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Agreed!  Your current setup looks amazing of course.  I love my 300g peninsula that divides two rooms BUT if I had the option to do an even longer in-wall tank that extended in to garage...  The one thing I miss about having an wall tank is the extra depth you get by placing rock-work against the back side.  My next house will have an in-wall tank with the backside a dedicated fish room.

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Agreed!  Your current setup looks amazing of course.  I love my 300g peninsula that divides two rooms BUT if I had the option to do an even longer in-wall tank that extended in to garage...  The one thing I miss about having an wall tank is the extra depth you get by placing rock-work against the back side.  My next house will have an in-wall tank with the backside a dedicated fish room.
that is a good point that i never thought about. note to self, peninsula tank needs to be 4 feet deep :)

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