My Half in, half out of wall 330 starfire build.
 

Huge work in progress, but I feel I am far enough in to start a thread and not have it move too slowly.
I started with a 90g in my condo, and once I bought my house I knew a bigger tank is what I needed, so a 330g 72x32x32. So to start I bought a 220g sump (72x30x22) to house the occupants of the 90g from my condo till I could afford to build the Display.

Started by spending hours figuring out how the basement will look. (Did this before I even had possession.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8...6f9a9291_c.jpg
The tank is 2/3's in the living room, and 1/3 in the fish/furnace room.

Walls going up.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8...c6a6ab69_c.jpg

Walls kinda up, dry walled and painted the important ones. And put up a two tube 8' T8 fixture.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8...5228fc09_c.jpg
Huge mess, the sump turned temp holding tank is full of water and a bunch of live rock added.

Decided I needed a frag tank, and couldn't find room, so I hung it from the ceiling. You can see my skimmer and diy led fixtures.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8...2f5524ba_c.jpg

After a few months the money to order the tank was available, so time to build the stand.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8095/8...ea23cc7b_c.jpg
It's all glued and screwed.

My saltwater mixing station, 20g fresh water barrel on top of a 45g salt mixing station. It's piped to the sump now, not pictured.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8...59265a5a_c.jpg

Putting the top and bracing on the stand.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8...6306152c_c.jpg

Because the tank is half in the wall I needed to have a table for them to build the tank on. Tank is 72x32x32.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8...345992f9_c.jpg

Tank is built, black vinyl on the sides, black acrylic on the back.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8...256fec1a_c.jpg

Bad news though, they scratched the main glass.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8...9d275e74_z.jpg
1.5" scratch that was pretty much dead center and eye level. sigh.

Replacement front glass....
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8...02df5615_c.jpg
Yup, that's a scratch again. same spot but a vertical scratch instead of horizontal.

How'd that 4 year old get in there?
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8...2d734d80_c.jpg
Thirt time was the charm for the glass.

External overflow.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8...c09f2703_c.jpg

Didn't want to take a chance with another scratch.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8...90c4ba4c_c.jpg
5 bucks worth of painters tape.

And 15 bucks worth of corrugated plastic.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8...72f5b2ef_c.jpg

Did I mention I hate drywall work?
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8236/8...c53d134c_c.jpg

A shot of the starting of the of my plumbing, and the hanging frag tank with my sump fish tank.
Just need to finish the plumbing and wait for the silicon to dry.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8247/8...da8a001d_c.jpg



It'll be and SPS tank.
I have the following fish right now:
Gold flake angel
Chevron tang
Blue throat trigger pair
4 snowflake clowns
5 Lyretail anthias

Want to add:
Purple tang
Yellow tang
Sailfin tang
Magnificent fox face
Blonde naso


I want to put an exhaust fan in the room too, but I need the exhaust to travel about 14'. Is that ok for a normal fan? or should I do an inline type fan?

looks great!! I'd pull the vinyl off the back, its nice to be able to see everything from the back side, you wont really notice it from the front.

Thanks.
It's an acrylic panel in the back. I've never seen a tank that I can see through that I liked, so I'll leave it there though.
I'll be able to see top down pretty easy.

Really excited to see where this goes, subscribed!

Have you run your stand by an engineer yet? I'm no expert but I would be a little wary with 330g of water on top of that beasty.

Im along for this ride. Looks great so far. I do have to side with above though. But dont take me too literal as I tend to use 2X6's on a 20 gal stand. (not really but you get the idea)

Very impressive build so far.

What program did you use to sketch the layout of your basement?

Thanks, I'm excited too.

As for how much the stand can hold.... Some math borrowed from an engineer.

Facts for the discussion:
-The parallel compression rate of a 2x4 -- 4,800 psi
-The rough end measurements of a 2x4 -- 1.5" x 3.5"
-Number of 2x4 in the pictured stand -- 19

The Math behind the discussion:
The Parallel capacity:

First, we take the end measurements of the 2x4 and figure the contact area. This is

1.5 * 3.5 = 5.25

This gives us 5.25 square inches of contact are per 2x4.

Second, we figure the total area that will be in contact. Remember that we have nineteen 2x4s supporting the frame of the tank. So, we multiply the number of 2x4s by the end area of a single 2x4.

19 * 5.25 = 99.75

We have 99.75 square inches of contact area.

Third, we bring in the compression rate of the 2x4s in relation to the number of square inches of contact area.

99.75 * 4,800 = 475200.

This tells us that the stand in question will vertically support 475,200lbs, assuming all other factors remain constant.

The Perpendicular capacity:

Now you need to look at the Parallel compression of a 2x4, remembering from above, the compression strength was 440 psi.

So we bring back the surface area

19 * 5.25 = 99.75

Then we multiply by the compression strength.

99.75 x 440 = 43,890 lbs


The tank is say 600 lbs. 330g of salt water is lets say 3300 lbs, and lets say I put 500 lbs of rocks in. That's 4400 lbs on the far upper reach of what my tank could weigh. So I have a 10x safety factor, not counting how much the all the cross bracing and stuff adds to the compression strength.

I'd agree with that too. That thing has gotta be pushing 4000+lbs when full.

Thanks
Google sketch up, it's awesome.

That stand is more than overkill. Keep up the good work. What's that secret room next to the stairs for?
http://forum.ghbsys.net/public/style...cons_joint.gif

this build is looking great .. Stand looks pretty bad ass to me .
will be following this thread for sure !

:pop2:

PS. Are you a giant by any chance??

Thanks,

lol, those two small rooms will be a laundry room and a bathroom. they are the only part of the basement I still haven't planned out. Although I am pretty sure that I am going to just do a pocket door from the bathroom into the laundry room, cause who cares if you have to walk through the bathroom getting to the laundry right?


Thanks,


Nope, 5'11". Why?

I'll have a bench to stand on behind the tank to make access easier. The top rim of the tank is at 6' tall.

The hanging frag tank is one of the coolest ideas I've seen. When was the house built? Looks like some monster beams/joists supporting the upstairs floor.

Your basement looks like it's suppose to have two bedrooms on the one side and a bathroom between the two bedrooms. Is your rough in really on the far side by the window? Seems weird to me.

Thanks :)

The house was built in 2012, I got possession May 1, 2012.
Fairly standard beams I think.

The tank is hanging with 3/8 ready rod, unistrut under the tank, and unistrut holding the ready rod (There is aluminium pipe over the ready rod to give it a nicer look and add some rigidity) from the ceiling, the one side of the unistrut is on top of one of the main laminated beams, and the other is on top of the wall I built, and I just reinforced that wall with a few extra 2x4.

I'm actually unsure if I want to keep the frag tank right now.

The bathroom rough in (toilet and tub) are in that room that has no doors. It's not a big deal to tear the concrete up and move the plumbing where ever I need though.
I have main floor laundry right now, and I hate it, it's in kind of a big closet and there is a closet on the other side to hand stuff up. Just not enough room for anything. So I'll turn the big closet where the washer and dryer are right now into an overstock pantry of sorts and the closet normally for handing up wet clothes into a seasonal clothing storage and linen closet.

I bought the house too late in construction to make any changes, but ya I think the "possible basement prints" they had showed 2 bedrooms with a bathroom between them. I don't need any more bedrooms though.

In what is the top corner of my picture (door will be moved to the right as far as I can), that is going to be a bathroom, it'll be 6' wide (wide as I can make it with the electrical panel where it is, and I have seriously thought about moving it, but that's a huge undertaking that I don't think will benefit me enough). So right as you enter the bathroom, the door will open to the left, immediately to the right will be a pocket door to the laundry room/storage room.
When you enter the bathroom there will be a standard size glass stand up shower on the left and then the toilet in the corner, I'll have a half wall between the shower and toilet, glass from the half wall to ceiling for the shower. And then the vanity pushed into the wall of the laundry room, gives me code clearance of the electrical panel and leaves me enough room for a normal sized door. I am just realizing I can not use a pocket door though.

I'd be SO much easier if I could put a tub/shower under the window, but I am not sure you can do that, or if you could how it would look.
I am putting a shower mostly for resale. I have it designed so that I can take the tank out and the walls there, build a wall close to the furnace, and build a wall at the post by the couch, closet going into the furnace room, makes a 12x10 bedroom in the basement and still leaves the rest of the basement open.

really nice work so far. even tho i wouldn't have left the stand completely unsupported in the middle i'm sure that will hold the tank just fine. is there a reason it's sorta open in the middle? you have the diagonal piece in there anyways which sorta kills that useable space...

and the hanging frag tank is awesome keep it!

I'm about as tall as your son there so as far as I am concerned, you are a GIANT! :-)

Seriously though, that depth is going to be ridiculously fun to aquascape I'm sure. Looking forward to seeing that!

I always just recommend people consider resale when they develop their basements, that's a lot of space to use for just a laundry room and bathroom and honestly potential home buyers are not likely going to be overly thrilled about the layout although I understand this is hardly ever the concern of the current new home owner.

I'd consider one bedroom in the top right, could be used as office or storage but a spare room on a different floor for the in-laws is quite handy :wink:. Keep the bathroom in the middle, could easily do a bathroom/laundry room combo in that space. Push the cabinet out a bit towards the pool table and put door for the bathroom between the poll and the stairs. Also a a second door from the bathroom to spare room would be a good idea. This way it's developed the way it should be, and future buyers could easily put up another wall to frame in the second bedroom if they want.

I think you are looking at the wrong picture. I had to build a table of sorts for them to build the tank on, and then slide the tank onto the actual stand.

Thanks :)


I'm excited and scared to aquascape it, lol. One of my main live rock pieces is 45lbs and large. I'm half thinking of swimming to do the aquascape. lol


I plan on being here for 14 years (till the kid is 18). I'd rather get 14 years of enjoyment and then worry about the next guy at that point. It'll probably be due for a reno by then anyways.

Can't push the bar out to the pool table anymore, otherwise I lose the clearance needed to play pool.

I have thought about leaving the bathroom where it is though and putting a door between the stairs and the pole, just make the bar shorter so the door could open, so you would have to kind of open the door and then go left a bit to get into the bathroom. And then make the room with the window a laundry room that could later be made into whatever.
But then I thought having the door to the bathroom into the main area like that is kind of strange isn't it? Or is that the norm?

The wall next to the stairs the way you have it now is strange, it needs a door there. You could also do a pocket door which means a little rework on the framing around the stairs but simple stuff.

While obviously you don't have plans on selling anytime soon the basement development is likely going to be in the $40-50K range so if you want this money to add to your house value you have to consider other people would consider value as well. A 14 year reno would be along the lines of changing flooring and bathroom fixtures and cabinets, knocking down walls, jack hammering concrete and moving plumbing would be a little extreme for a 14 year old house reno.

But anyway enough about basements, lets see some more tank progress :biggrin:

Wow I totally was. Your stand is def a strong one. Ignore me!

Following!!! Great build!!

Looks like an awesome build! Looking forward to learn a few things from your experience.

I was thinking the exact same thing, actually PMed our resident engineer to make sure that would hold but he pointed this out to me as well :razz:.

Nice build. Tagging along.

Nice build ! If I had that much room at the back of my tank I would consider a shadow box for a backdrop ,and judging by your stand you seem handy enough to pull it off

Here's a link to what I am talking abouthttp://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1868825

Yup. Me too. (the looking at the wrong stand. not the engineer thing)

Thanks :)

I'm still looking for an exhaust fan that can go about 12 feet though.
Any ideas?


I'm not really sure I have the vertical clearance. I'll take some pictures tomorrow. I think I would rather leave the bathroom where it is, and have the door from the main living room part, as long as that's not weird.


Hmm, had I seen that before I probably would have done that. But with the external overflow and plumbing it's a little too late. That and the acrylic that is on the back is glued on.

Few more pictures too.
Only progress I have made so far is second mudding and painting the drywall above the tank.
FYI, even white paint makes a bad mud job look worse... Thank go it's not visible to anyone.

I do have a few supplies for when I start the tank up.

A small skimmer. Salt bucket for scale (I do not use that salt ever, it's just a bucket)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8...ea2897bb_c.jpg
Vertex Alpha 300

Also got the motorized cleaning lid. No idea how it works yet, but excited.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8...cf7f28a6_c.jpg

Also two media reactors, the RX-U 2.0
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8...f42ebf2d_c.jpg
Not sure where to put these yet.

A little bit of salt, and 360lbs of sand.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8...e8e108e2_c.jpg

A little bit of salt, and 360lbs of sand.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8...e8e108e2_c.jpg[/quote]

Omg - Hoe My Gawd


That's a lot of salt..

I have 1.5 more boxes in the fish room too..... :twised:


I had a hard time finding reefers best a few months ago, so split a large shipment with someone else. I'd probably buy more if I could find it. It doesn't go bad, lol.

Whats your address.. you don't need that stuff I will come pick it up for you and haul it away free of charge... It would look better in my basement anyways...:mrgreen:


Ps... Does your back hurt?

That is a lot of salt but that's also a lot of sand :surprise: Going deep?

lift with your legs, not your back.
I had it all sitting just inside the door until like 20 minutes before company was coming over, so had to rush it down the stairs, it was a lot of work. lol


240 lbs of it are for a 2" cover in the tank. The rest is for a remote deep sand bed. I have more sand in the garage for the remote deep sand bed too.

Sweet looking setup!
Are you planning on running full zeo or just like reefers best salt?

I won't be running any additives. I'll have a calcium reactor once I have enough sps to require it.

If you have extra sands left over I can buy it of you.

So working on my plumbing here before I start to fill it.
And I can't figure out how to plumb the media reactors in, more where to put them without the lines being really long.
The reeflo hammerhead return pump to the tank will go up just to the right of the overflow. I'm planning to T off to a bulkhead of sorts to feed everything else. but no idea how to do this.
I'm also not sure where to put my remote deep sand bed now either. It was going to go under the tank just left of the center though.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8227/8...337432f5_c.jpg