Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Another project: large in wall aquarium

As is typical in winter for me I'm coming up with all kinds of ideas.

I think at some point I want to install an in wall aquarium tank between these two outlets below the fish mounts. The outlets would be turned around to the other side of the wall of course and drywall repaired. Space between the outlets is about 60 inches.



This is the other side of the wall that is under a stairwell. Excuse the junk in there that will be removed.



This is the bottom of the stairs looking up. The inside wall in the above picture is on the left.



I'm assuming I can cut some of the stud framing boards to fit in the tank as long as I tie in a heavy enough horizontal board or steel beam above the proposed insert of the tank? Maybe also reinforce the two studs on each side of the proposed tank? Will that work? There is a stairway as you can see above this with a main floor, and another one above that.

I like the idea of not only installing an aquarium with native fish here, but the space under the stairwell seems ideal to hide all the unattractive equipment that goes with a tank.

Thoughts?

I think it'd work just fine. Yes to reinforcing the remaining studs, and making a header over the fish tank. Maybe overkill, but a couple Yellow Pine 2x12's should work, or maybe a piece of engineered wood (Brettski - help here with the size, please).

Give me a shout if you need a hand, have tools will travel. It shouldn't take more than 1/2 day to get it framed in.

Thanks Scot. Gotta buy the tank first although I'm pretty sure I can do it myself but help would be fun.

I was surprised I can pick up a 150 gallon tank for only $165.00. I'll build the filters etc. by myself.

I may need your help if I pick up a rubbermaid tank to move the biofilter to. (The RAS system) I want to have the biofilter in a separate tank, but I can't lift the filter by myself. It will be wet this time.

That doesn't look like a support wall to me Cecil. Is there a wall directly above it on the next floor & then one above it?
If not extra framing is not needed. Only framing needed is whatever your project will require. Simply cut a hole the size of your tank allowing 1 1/2" on top to frame with another 2x4 & frame the ends with 2x4s.

EEEEUUUUWWWWW, P water!!!!! Yeah, one person *could* have moved it before, but not now.

I'm sure I've handled worse stuff, and probably will at some point in the future as well. LMK when.

Sheesh! I don't want it all over the Internet! Next thing ya know the pee police will be over!

Actually haven't had to fertilize for a while and my main fertilizer was fish food. Ammonia is staying high with nitrites still rising as are nitrates. I was told it won't take much longer. Water's only 62. F. though. I want to get a big enough heater but the finances aren't there yet. Aquarium size heaters won't do the job.

Looks like a cool project Cecil... I've always wanted an "aquarium room." A couple of the guy I know on NANFA have some awesome "aquarium rooms" in their basements. They make my knowledge of fish and fish keeping look pathetic. One guy had 14 aquariums the last I checked. Then again he's retired and that is HIS thing... When you are working with bigger native fish like sunfish and bass, you just can't go too big... I thought my 125 gallon tank was big when I first got it. After your fish have been in for a while and start growing, things get crowded fast! What species of fish are you thinking of keeping in the aquarium?

Very cool idea Cecil. Though the fish might be a little creeped out by their very still cousins hanging on the walls.



I added a couple small crappie to our aquarium yesterday.

Cecil:

Aquarium sized heaters will work. I've got a couple here that are either 300 or 400 watts each. I put 4 of them in the 300 gallon rubbermaid container that I had the Tilapia in outside and it kept the water up in the mid 70's even tho the air temps dipped to the high 30's at night.

I'm using 1 in each tank thru the winter so they don't freeze solid and if you want to see if 2 of them will help you, you're more than welcome to them.

I say go for it Cecil. I grew up with a kid that had an in-wall aquarium in their house. They custom built the aquarium (don't know any of the construction details) and it was about 4 feet wide by 3 feet deep. The actual tank was in the shape of a triangle so they could easily clean the front glass. The wall was a shared wall with garage so all of the equipment was in there. They built a nice picture frame around the glass. It was stunning.

Cecil, that is a great project. I especially like having all the equipment hidden on the back side.

I have always thought about a built-in aquarium. Being a non-carpenter keeps it just a thought.

Oh come on now Dwight! After seeing the sophistication of your projects I think carpentry wouldn't be much of a challenge for you.

Even if it was, he could do a welded-in aquarium.

It is a mental(wood) block that has dogged me all my life.

Dwight, just think of the project as being made of steel, but it has to be bolted (nailed) together - no welding!!

Cecil don't know how to weld, much less solder. Best to stick with wood, nails and tube's of silicone and hope it works.

Nice project btw.

Winter is is getting the best hand in, as it always dose.

This is something I've always wanted to do. Can't wait to see the project begin!

How the heck are you going to "nail" steel. That stuff is a bit tough, even though you get A36 from China. Bolted would cause many potential failures. Dwight, Keep the rods burning!

Now, we need a picture of the weld pool, backed up with UV. Then you have to show us your Farmers Tan in January, complete with skin peeling. Usually happens on one of the arms, going up around the upper torso toward the neck depending on what you exposed.

This could be a classic, But Welding, could be a Major Cause to determine if someone was a true RedNeck.

Get a scratch in any lens, that will determine your vision for the rest of your life. Then you graduate to the class of people that that are actually cooking them selfs.

It can get really hot, and bright, and even with the best Eye protection, You might see strange things.

I know I lost a majority of my eyesight while building a guard tower for a prison. Most painful thing I ever experienced. Three days rolling on the floor in extreme pain, and this is coming out of your Eyes. Everyone was trying to help me and my Dad, ground up a bunch of Potatoes in the meat grinder, and he just piled them up on my face. I actually felt some relief after a few hours so I could actually get some sleep. Apparently the starch in the potatoes had a positive effect, and drew some of the poison out.

I never did recover from the Eye burning incident. I have seven level progressive lenses, and I really hate the BiFocal part on the bottom.

Me or you? ???

As far as wood I haven't used nails in a long time. I pre-drill and run screws now.

I kept a nice 2/3 redneck tan until December one year in High School that way!

No just stairs no wall.




Good deal but I'll probably overengineer it just to be safe.

To be totally safe and really easy, just frame up some plexiglas in front the fish you've already on the wall and, voila, it's done and with an awesome selection of fish that require minimal care, other than an occasional dusting!

I understand, but since it's not a support wall it's there simply for looks ie: a divider or blocking wall either splitting up an area into more than one room or hiding an area such as the underneath area of your stairway.
Therefore it's simply cosmetics so ... make it pretty with your aquarium!

But looking at dead fish gets old.

An interesting perspective given your profession.

I'm sure no one here would agree that looking at your awesome work would EVER get old! And if you did get bored, move a bluegill into a LMB's mouth or something for variety then tell everyone to come check out the action in your "tank!"