Big tank need help

Rob55

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Hi folks

I've signed up to the forum to learn about fish keeping, to help plan an in-wall aquarium at my new house. I don't have any experience in keeping fish so I am sure it will be a steep learning curve. My objective is to have a tank that is visually stunning, with a moderate amount of up keep. I have three very young kids in the house, so want something they will find interesting to look at.

My first question would be, which of the shops in N.Ireland would be best to speak to about getting a tank, and would you go off the shelf or custom made? I would like someone who can guide me through an in-wall installation and anything that needs to be considered, eg condensation etc. The house is half built at the moment, so I can make whatever provisions required now (I already have mains water and a drain at the tank location).

Any help or advice, or links to threads for inspiration, would be great!

Rob
 
Welcome to TFF! :hi:

@AilyNC might be able to help you with the the shops in Ireland and @Colin_T should be able to help with the tank-in-wall.
 
Sounds like an AWESOME project, How many gallons are you looking to have? Also, Welcome!!! If you have any stocking, decor, plant, or any other kind of questions we are happy to help!!
 
AilyNC is in Eire rather than Northern Ireland - different countries. We do have members from NI though. I know @kwi is but he's not been on the forum recently........
 
Since you are in the design stage consider the maintenance aspect and ensure you leave yourself with enough access to the maintain the tank through the top and possibly on the sides and underneath. You will have to feed your fish daily and maintain the tank weekly. To do these tasks you need to be able to work around the tank. Even if you are super careful you will spill some water so it might be an idea use materials that can support some wetting in the tank area. There will be condensation or at the very least very high relative humidity around the tank.
 
what is your definition of "big"
if the house is still half-built i would build the tank in a place with a room behind it since, in the long run, it would prove to be a real hassle to access it from an opening in the front.
this is a good example:
definitely not an off-the-shelf project
 
Tank wise I am thinking about 7 feet x 2 feet x 2.5 feet high plus a sump tank, it would be in the region of 1300 litres (285 uk gallons). The tank will be in the wall separating between two rooms, so it will probably only be accessible from one side (but viewable from both).

I am considering going with a marine setup. I already have a drain in the floor and am thinking about running a plastic water pipe under the floors to my garage, connected to a pump that will allow me to pump water from a storage tank (maybe a 45 gallon drum) to the tank to make water changes as handy as possible. Can anyone advise whether marine water needs any special pipework or would ordinary blue mdpe water pipe and fittings be up to the job? Also, is it feasible for me to make my own saltwater to save having to buy it from the local store? I have seen RO machines available online, is it a case of having one set up in my garage and just adding the relevant salt/minerals to it?

Is there much chance that things in my house will rust because of the salt water? I have a ventilation system installed which frequently changes the air within the rooms in the house.

Also, is there much chance of my house smelling like an aquarium? I know if the water is in good condition there shouldn't be "much" odour, but I hope the house would not smell!
 
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Also, is there much chance of my house smelling like an aquarium? I know if the water is in good condition there shouldn't be "much" odour, but I hope the house would not smell!
Yes, especially if the tank is that big.


Is there much chance that things in my house will rust because of the salt water? I have a ventilation system installed which frequently changes the air within the rooms in the house.
Anything metal, that is near the tank, will rust.


I am considering going with a marine setup. I already have a drain in the floor and am thinking about running a plastic water pipe under the floors to my garage, connected to a pump that will allow me to pump water from a storage tank (maybe a 45 gallon drum) to the tank to make water changes as handy as possible. Can anyone advise whether marine water needs any special pipework or would ordinary blue mdpe water pipe and fittings be up to the job?
I’m pretty sure you need special pipes, but I know nothing about plumbing. Just look online.


Also, is it feasible for me to make my own saltwater to save having to buy it from the local store? I have seen RO machines available online, is it a case of having one set up in my garage and just adding the relevant salt/minerals to it?
It’s always a good idea to have your own RO system and a way to make saltwater. If you ever have an emergency, you won’t have time to drive all the way to your LFS, get the water, drive back, and still manage to save your fish/coral.

——

A 7ft saltwater tank is going to be INSANELY expensive. Are you prepared for this? Do you plan to keep coral? Or just do a FOWLR tank?
 
A 7ft saltwater tank is going to be INSANELY expensive. Are you prepared for this? Do you plan to keep coral? Or just do a FOWLR tank?

I have been told to budget around £10k for everything, which is frankly a lot more than I want to spend. I am prepared to stick around £3-4k into it now to get the bare bones of it set up with tank, sump, stainless stand and all the pipework. I would then just run as a fresh water tropical tank for a while to get to grips with it and see how we get on. If I like it, and am committed to it, I will then ditch freshwater and re purpose it to a marine tank, ideally at a time when I can find someone else who is giving up the hobby and I can offset some of the costs by buying a lot of their stock and then building the tank up after that.

Odour would be a show stopper to be honest - I can't have something that's going to catch peoples nose the minute they walk in. Am I at much risk of that?
 
Odour would be a show stopper to be honest - I can't have something that's going to catch peoples nose the minute they walk in. Am I at much risk of that?
It’s really not that bad. Do you plan on having a canopy/lid? If so, it will be a lot better.

I would be worrying about humidity more than odor.


I am prepared to stick around £3-4k into it now to get the bare bones of it set up with tank, sump, stainless stand and all the pipework.
That MIGHT get you the absolute basics.


I would then just run as a fresh water tropical tank for a while to get to grips with it and see how we get on.
I wouldn’t do this. It would be such a hassle to drain the whole thing of freshwater, remove sand, remove livestock, remove plants, etc., just to turn it around and fill it up again as a saltwater tank.

You can take your time with this. Just get the basics setup (plumbing, water, and sand) and go from there. No reason to even get live rock yet, although it will help speed up the cycle. However, live rock is very expensive these days.
 
I have been told to budget around £10k for everything, which is frankly a lot more than I want to spend.
if that's a lot more than you want to spend, you probably shouldn't do saltwater
if you don't want to spend a lot, i'd do a bare freshwater tank with some sand, a couple big pieces of rock and driftwood with a single giant gourami or some other large fish. although with a fish that large, you'd want the tank to be a bit wider, over 3 feet, i'd say.
 
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if that's a lot more than you want to spend, you probably shouldn't do saltwater
if you don't want to spend a lot, i'd do a bare freshwater tank with some sand, a couple big pieces of rock and driftwood with a single giant gourami or some other large fish. although with a fish that large, you'd want the tank to be a bit wider, over 3 feet, i'd say.
If the OP doesn’t want to spend a lot, then DEFINITELY don’t go the saltwater route.
 

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