Thanks. I wanted everything with this tank to be easy to access, which meant nothing under the tank that I would need to crawl to in order to service. So, that area under the tank was going to be wasted space. I considered using it as storage that was accessible from the front side like built in book cases or a wine rack. But, this is what I ended up with.
A Golden Reef Tank
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Pepcrylic
Well-known member
I built this small cabinet section to add some counter top work space in the room next to the sink. I will make the formica top once all of the other insanity is done in the basement. My wife is using this sink as a utility sink to wash paint brushes, so I don't want to put too much work into the area before she's done making a mess. Instead of a typical toe-kick to the cabinet I built a short platform so that moisture can't get trapped under the cabinet long term.
The drawers are in place but I still need to fabricate the doors and drawer faces. The center pull-out is where I will be storing my coral frag saw. I didn't do anything fancy with the drawers. I am picking up a dovetail kit for drawers I'm working on upstairs, but didn't have the time or interest to invest in these. They're completely utilitarian. (Don't judge me Dave!)
Judgment day..... There comes a time in a build where function over rides time on hand. Your choices are above and beyond what the masses choose to do.
I have watched many many builds on all kinds of fourms, I have to say this ground up system is right at the top. I am near speechless on the attention to detail you have planned into this project. I have yet to see a stone unturned. Your roll out drawers for your dry goods are awesome. Love the flooring ,great choice. Id the MCR skimmer a venturi ? What pump are you going to run on it? Are you going to shorten the racks , so they fit under your soffit? I have the same size barrels you are using for your mixing station. I run just one for my ro/di. only need to make water once a month.
I am so impressed with your progress and the quality of your work. All that planning is about to pay off BIG TIME.
Thanks Dave. I appreciate the compliments.
I honestly don't have any strong opinions on skimmers. I just know that I've used certain brands in the past that I wanted to stay away from. Below is the link to the reef builders review of the skimmer. It's a needle wheel skimmer that comes standard with a Reeflo Dart as the recirculating pump. I don't have any immediate plans to modify it. I asked Cris at Aquatic Arts (local shop in Denver, also fairly recently featured in Coral Magazine) if this would be a good skimmer for the system and he recommended it.
MRC Orca Pro II
READ THE REEF BUILDERS REVIEW HERE
I have considered shortening them. Once I start finalizing the layout, I might. It will depend on where exactly I need them to sit. If shortening them to fit under the soffit will make everything flow together better, I will. If I don't need to, I might just leave them full height. There's no reason to cut off 6-12" in height in case I change plans in the future unless it's necessary. It's just more of an eyesore to have them sticking up, but I'll be too busy starting at the equipment to care.
I'll be running one as RO/DI and the other as the mixing/holding barrel. I have some pretty awesome ideas for those once I have time to get everything up and running. I'll be adding some custom electronics. You know how much I like to over complicate things.
Thanks again. I can't wait to make some real progress. Back to work......
Here is a tour of the basement so far. There is still a lot of trim work to do. Most of that can't be done until doors are installed.
Stone is the project this weekend.
The inset panels underneath the aquarium stand.
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Stone is the project this weekend.
The inset panels underneath the aquarium stand.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A close up of the counters
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N1Husker
RF Staff
Very, very nice. It looks like it is going to be a nice place to relax and watch the aquarium when it is all finished. Are you doing the work by yourself?
1guydude
Well-known member
Is that a wine cooler?!
Dude ur basement is looking sweet!
I love the light fixtures on the walls. I love the granite tops on the counters.
Love all the wood going on the walls...?! Guessing thats part of the trim package.
What kind of materials are you using? Im mainly asking about the skin and such on the stand of the tank... im too lazy to do all that re modeling.
Again looking great bud. Was starting to wonder what was happening with this tank build. I mean fish dungeon build! Muhahahabahahaha
D
Dude ur basement is looking sweet!
I love the light fixtures on the walls. I love the granite tops on the counters.
Love all the wood going on the walls...?! Guessing thats part of the trim package.
What kind of materials are you using? Im mainly asking about the skin and such on the stand of the tank... im too lazy to do all that re modeling.
Again looking great bud. Was starting to wonder what was happening with this tank build. I mean fish dungeon build! Muhahahabahahaha
D
Last edited:
1guydude
Well-known member
Fwiw i used birch and am going to shelac the inside. Outside i used a stain.
D
D
Thanks! This will be, by far, the best place in the house. We'll have couches around the aquarium, a small diner table where we'll eat every night watching the tank, and a pool table on the far end. We'll also have bar stools around the aquarium. Hence, the bar around the aquarium.
I'm doing all of the woodwork myself. That's why this whole project has been taking so long. I want to do it right. I've had ideas about a project like this that I was dreaming about and writing on paper back in 2005. I have doors on order, but I'll have to make custom door jams for every one of those. They could sell me cherry doors, but the manufacturer couldn't supply cherry door jams. No one else would get back to me with a quote for the doors, so this is what I had to go with.
Thanks D! I built a wine rack, even though we aren't huge wine drinkers. We do enjoy a Red sometimes. The mini fridge is for the beer.
We spent a lot of time planning the room, the woodwork, the fixtures, everything. I was able to take some inspiration from jobs I was a part of in a high end cabinet company in California years ago. A lot of what you pay for with work like this is the labor. The wood isn't cheep, but I've been working non-stop since the last update just on finishing everything outside the aquarium room.
The wood paneling (wainscoting) took a lot of time to build. It's all cherry, except a few of the panels on the columns and aquarium. Those are Madrone Burl veneer panels I had to fabricate.
There's light at the end of the tunnel. Within a few months, I should be spending my time on the back room. I'll make sure I post up more regularly when the time comes.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Wow that's a basement. For me it would be my grand entry way.
I read through your entire build .. and all I can say is, "Wow!".
You're going to have one heck of a fish room + finished basement. I can't wait to see the whole thing finished and in use.
Highlights for me:
Good luck on your amazing project!
~V
You're going to have one heck of a fish room + finished basement. I can't wait to see the whole thing finished and in use.
Highlights for me:
- Keeping your filtration, etc. separate from the tank (aka, just using the space under it for storage -- loved the sliding drawers!)
- That flooring ... I've thrown epoxy on concrete and it can get .. incredibly slick, that flooring material looks awesome.
- All of the trim work (you're a hero for attacking all of that)!
- The fact your S.O. is supportive (you did mention she was having her own little section .. but still .. that's a lot of dedicated room for fish
)
Good luck on your amazing project!
~V
Guess what I worked on this weekend?
I don't think I have a future in the masonry field. I think I would turn to hard drinking to cope with the aches and pains. Two solid days of hard work and I finished 95% of the rock. I have to go back and fill in a little around the arch. I had to brace those pieces while the mortar set and can't fill in around until those braces are gone.
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I don't think I have a future in the masonry field. I think I would turn to hard drinking to cope with the aches and pains. Two solid days of hard work and I finished 95% of the rock. I have to go back and fill in a little around the arch. I had to brace those pieces while the mortar set and can't fill in around until those braces are gone.
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Thanks Santa. It is a grand cave. If I could enter the house through the basement I would. Maybe I need to dig a hole up to the garage so I can.....?
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I read through your entire build .. and all I can say is, "Wow!".
You're going to have one heck of a fish room + finished basement. I can't wait to see the whole thing finished and in use.
Highlights for me:
- Keeping your filtration, etc. separate from the tank (aka, just using the space under it for storage -- loved the sliding drawers!)
- That flooring ... I've thrown epoxy on concrete and it can get .. incredibly slick, that flooring material looks awesome.
- All of the trim work (you're a hero for attacking all of that)!
- The fact your S.O. is supportive (you did mention she was having her own little section .. but still .. that's a lot of dedicated room for fish
Good luck on your amazing project!
~V
Thanks V. My wife is supportive. Luckily, she enjoys the woodwork and is excited to have a tank up and running again.
The back filtration room was something I have been planning for years. Since before we bought this house. If I had no other option, I could go back to a tank with filtration in the stand. But, it's so much easier and more enjoyable to maintain the tank when you have room to work. My last system evolved into filtration being separate, but everything was still very compact in an adjoining closet.
I want to be able to service my tank on a Segway.
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Rock work is done. I started working on the arched door.
Major items left before finally starting on the aquarium:
-finish and install doors
-trim work going up stairs
-final trim work throughout
-carpet or whatever flooring the wife picks out.
-rip out drywall on column and re-do because my contractors did such a bad job.
After that, there are some random things to complete throughout the basement but they will be done after I build out the aquarium and get everything cycling. I will be cycling the tank for months, so I'll have a lot of time to wait before stocking.
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Major items left before finally starting on the aquarium:
-finish and install doors
-trim work going up stairs
-final trim work throughout
-carpet or whatever flooring the wife picks out.
-rip out drywall on column and re-do because my contractors did such a bad job.
After that, there are some random things to complete throughout the basement but they will be done after I build out the aquarium and get everything cycling. I will be cycling the tank for months, so I'll have a lot of time to wait before stocking.
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N1Husker
RF Staff
Looks great man, it's coming right along.
NanaReefer
Well-known member
Wow!! Absolutely gorgeous! You've got to be proud, great work.
Wow!! Absolutely gorgeous! You've got to be proud, great work.
Thanks to both of you. I am proud of the work.
I just wish I had more time to dedicate to the project. I think my tank's anniversary is coming up in November. It's been sitting dry for almost a year! Unacceptable. Someone needs to hurry up with the woodworking.
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NanaReefer
Well-known member
We need updates!!
