4FordFamily's ~500G 10 Foot In-Wall Tank - Featuring @HotRocks

[Maggie321]

So many ideas. This is going to be an absolute monster. I can't wait to see the fish swimming around

 

[HotRocks]

Wow looks great can't wait to see more

Little more happened tonight.
Tank has to be close to 1000lbs. It's in it's place. Still a ton of work to do. But it's progress!

Pictures just do not show the true size of this tank.

We had to take more of the wall out to get the tank off of the staircase...

 

[4FordFamily]

Little more happened tonight.
Tank has to be close to 1000lbs. It's in it's place. Still a ton of work to do. But it's progress!

Pictures just do not show the true size of this tank.

We had to take more of the wall out to get the tank off of the staircase...

I’m glad you took photos man! Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate you bud!

 

[Amoo]

Hey @4FordFamily got a question. I know you've had basically all the tangs and fish similar. Have you had copperband? Thoughts, special care needs outside of feed often, experiences, coral picking...etc?

 

[siggy]

Its the first time I have ever seen a beam just end at a post instead of running from wall to wall. It's such a small area it likely could have been constructed without. The back concrete wall is only 7' from the beam (the wall that runs parallel with beam)

I have a half beam, L-shaped basement and a stairwell prevented them from hitting the inside corner.

Hey tell us about the tank, or did I miss that?

 

[najer]

Great start, following.

 

[AMBER NICHOLS]

Whoa! Big project! Super fun, will be following along[emoji322]

 

[Rattzreef]

How exciting! this looks like its gonna be an incredible build. Awesome tank I think I'll follow along on this journey.

 

[norfolkgarden]

An amazing amount work and effort. Looks like it will pay off handsomely!

Looking forward to following.

 

[jsker]

How is Mrs. 4fordfamily tanking all the modifications?

 

[sghera64]

Yes I want to get the tank and stand set first. The stand is steel. So it has to he shimmed to level it. Once we have it set the header will be next step. The wall is non-load bearing thankfully.

How do you shim a stand that bears such great weight? Wood? That will compress over time. Thin aluminum or steel shims? Where do you get those?

I loved building my basement tank because you can “hang” a wall almost anywhere. I mean mine has a “wall” that I built from the ceiling rafter down to the tank; the “floating” wall. I’m sure the same can be done from the rafters on a second story (e.g. Mr. Saltwater TV”). But, water flows down hill and in the basement- - well you are at the bottom of the hill and I doubt anyone asks, “do you think my basement floor can handle the load of a 500 gallon tank”?

One more question, will the system and the “space” that contains it be diked? I wish I had done that. The slope of my basement is “into” the fish room where the sump is located, but the imperfect level of the floor allows water to “pool” first and spreads beneath the tank stand into the living space a little. Even a good spray-on rubber barrier applied to the floor and baseboard will help for a number of years - which is what I did. Next time, I’m adding a cement base (dike) around the room and the base coax will go on that.

 

[revhtree]

This is going to be awesome!

 

[HotRocks]

How do you shim a stand that bears such great weight? Wood? That will compress over time. Thin aluminum or steel shims? Where do you get those?

I loved building my basement tank because you can “hang” a wall almost anywhere. I mean mine has a “wall” that I built from the ceiling rafter down to the tank; the “floating” wall. I’m sure the same can be done from the rafters on a second story (e.g. Mr. Saltwater TV”). But, water flows down hill and in the basement- - well you are at the bottom of the hill and I doubt anyone asks, “do you think my basement floor can handle the load of a 500 gallon tank”?

One more question, will the system and the “space” that contains it be diked? I wish I had done that. The slope of my basement is “into” the fish room where the sump is located, but the imperfect level of the floor allows water to “pool” first and spreads beneath the tank stand into the living space a little. Even a good spray-on rubber barrier applied to the floor and baseboard will help for a number of years - which is what I did. Next time, I’m adding a cement base (dike) around the room and the base coax will go on that.

They are polymer shims. Don't know where they got them because they were under the tank by previous owner.

No dike. But there is a floor drain 10' from the tank and the floor is sloped to the drain.

 

[HotRocks]

This is going to be awesome!

Agree!

 

[Maggie321]

You are giving me so many ideas. This is going to be bad...I mean good.

 

[sghera64]

I’m glad you took photos man! Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate you bud!

Any plans to use a controller like an Apex on this given it is a FOWLR? If so, what are your primary needs (e.g. temperature,leaks, remote monitoring for prolonged absences, etc).

 

[4FordFamily]

Hey @4FordFamily got a question. I know you've had basically all the tangs and fish similar. Have you had copperband? Thoughts, special care needs outside of feed often, experiences, coral picking...etc?

I’ve kept a few. Live blackworms, no aggressive tankmates, and clams/mussels are how I’ve gotten mine to eat but they are tough.

No large, fast-moving, or aggressive fish in quarantine.

 

[4FordFamily]

How is Mrs. 4fordfamily tanking all the modifications?

My wife is... less than excited... but not divorced yet.

Any plans to use a controller like an Apex on this given it is a FOWLR? If so, what are your primary needs (e.g. temperature,leaks, remote monitoring for prolonged absences, etc).

No plans for that at this time, @HotRocks lives around the corner for vacations (which is why he is updating the thread a lot as well, he is the project manager!)

 

[jsker]

My wife is... less than excited... but not divorced yet.

;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious

project manager

@HotRocks you need is site trailer

 

[Michael Naegeli]

That’s a Monstah. Sweet... I want one