What to look for in a house when planning a large tank

[Slick Fork]

Yeah, I have to drain the water from the tank into a rubbermaid tub by the window, from there I pump it out the window and onto the laneway. Not impossible, just a pain in the butt!

[michika]

I'm still exploring what my options are for tanks, I'm currently reasearching acrylic, plywood, and epoxy (a la Superfudge). I have to wait to see the space before making a decision. I like the look of glass, which is why if I went with starfire, I would be going with a system much like that of Superfudge's.

I want to plumb my tank up so that I can just turn a valve, and shut off the return pump to do water changes. Simple, no bucket lifting, no fear of mess, and no funny dirty water smell. The same would go for adding in the fresh saltwater. I guess that means the tank will be plumbed into the drain, and I'll also have independent drain access incase I need it for something.

[hummer]

I'm moving to a new house next year so I did a little pre-planning as well. Mine is only an 80gal tank but later on I would like something bigger to put in my basement. So for my basement, i roughed in a drain and water line. If you have a water softener, make sure you remind them to make the water line for the fish to be hard water. My fish tank will go on the main floor for now. They are going to place my floor beams closer together. 12" instead of 16". You can also reinforce it further by adding telepost in the basement to support the floor joists.

[michika]

Hummer,

Are you having your house built for you?

[hummer]

Yah I am. I wasn't sure if you're looking for new house ideas or you're purchasing an existing house. Just a few thoughts if it helped any.

[mark]

Originally Posted by michika

I want to plumb my tank up so that I can just turn a valve, and shut off the return pump to do water changes. Simple, no bucket lifting, no fear of mess, and no funny dirty water smell. The same would go for adding in the fresh saltwater. I guess that means the tank will be plumbed into the drain, and I'll also have independent drain access incase I need it for something.

Got my sump in the basement but found I'm still upstairs at the tank with a hose and bucket. It's still likely you'll be siphoning crud direct from tank so might want to plan accordingly.

Having the sump/fish room though is sure good. No heavy lifting.

[untamed]

Originally Posted by michika

I want to plumb my tank up so that I can just turn a valve, and shut off the return pump to do water changes. Simple, no bucket lifting, no fear of mess, and no funny dirty water smell. The same would go for adding in the fresh saltwater. I guess that means the tank will be plumbed into the drain, and I'll also have independent drain access incase I need it for something.

The system I have in place allows this to happen without turning off the return pump. The key is to plan for a 2nd sump..basically a large container that you can draw system water into prior to dumping it. The trick is to ensure you are replacing the same amount that you dump. Basically, the 2nd sump is a giant measuring cup.

[michika]

Untamed, I think you'll be getting a bunch of PMs from me about this when I find a place and set this tank up. That sounds like an awesome idea!

My plan is hopefully to purchase an older house, but I will have to see what is out there. I have briefly explored the possiblity of having a house built for me, but it seems to be out of my price range.