Big tank in a small room -- is it possible?

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

I'll try to keep this simple:

I bought a 3 bed/3 bath condo a while ago. Made the main floor "bedroom" my office and stuffed some desks and an RSR350 in it.

Currently my RSR 350 is on joists that I sistered that are more than enough to support its weight, but I'm finding the structure is settling slightly (Socal hillside) and causing some leveling issues that have led to the stand warping slightly and the tank getting a very small bubble in one of the seals. This seriously worries me (even if the bubble is no big deal) and has made me re evaluate where my office should be for the sake of my hobby. Yes, I love this hobby enough to move my office / tank room to a different room. I'm a single dude so it's no sweat...

Downstairs (there's a main floor and downstairs; home is on a terrace) there are two bedrooms (master and guest) that share a wall and they sit on a slab. I was renting a room out down there but didn't like the shared wall situation.

Given these two downsides to the current configuration of my place, it makes sense to move my office downstairs next to my bedroom and on a SLAB so I can have a stable foundation for an aquarium and so I can have peace and quiet and privacy for me and a potential future roommate.

The downstairs bedroom has an attached private bathroom and closet, perfect for making water and storing fish stuff.

The downside? The room is only 12'x12' and no vaulted ceilings; it feels small as is. And if I'm going through all of this effort, I want a big tank to make use of that slab. I don't mind having a big tank be the focus of the room on one side, and my desk on the other, but I also don't want to create a space that I'd hate being in because it feels cramped, inefficient, or unusable.

I'm hoping to get some recommendations or considerations here to help me understand my options.

My dream tank is a 240 cube (48x48x24) or a 60-84" shallow tank with width to it (maybe 16-18" deep and 30-34" wide). However I want to do this right because I'm absolutely sick of setting up a tank, letting it mature for a year, and then having to take it down (this is like the 3rd time this has happened).

I've attached some pictures of the space. Tank would likely go on the far wall and my desk would go on the wall near the entrance. Guitar cases are 40" for scale. Please excuse the condition of the home, it's a recent purchase and I have a lot of projects ahead of me (like replacing that ceiling fan haha!)

I tried mocking where my desk would go and where a 240 cube would go, if it helps.

 

[fishguy242]

i like it 1 question though ,where is bubble in rsr ,center front bottom??

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

i like it 1 question though ,where is bubble in rsr ,center front bottom??

Bottom seam, about 1" in from the corner where the stand appears slightly lifted. It's very small, about the length of my pinky nail but narrow. It's also "high" up; it's maybe 0.5" below the top of the silicon on that seam. I'm not 100% convinced it's a major issue right now, but the leveling issue that has come from the stand will become an issue when combined with the settling. I just don't like being stressed about it when I go on vacations!

 

[fishguy242]

i have seen 3 or 4 in the last couple of months,as far as i know rs is replacing these defective tanks

 

[Tcook]

Is that a black tri in the middle of the room?

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Is that a black tri in the middle of the room?

Good eye, his name is Obi and he's my best friend

 

[Brett S]

How much work and remodeling are you willing to do? I wonder about taking out the closet and putting the tank where the closet was. The advantage is that the back of the tank could open up to the bathroom which could be converted to a fish room. Maybe even take out the shower and toilet in the bathroom to make more room for your fish room.

 

[Tcook]

They are great dogs!
Stella:

Ok, back to reefing.

 

[fishguy242]

reefing?? we are rebuilding his house

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

i have seen 3 or 4 in the last couple of months,as far as i know rs is replacing these defective tanks

Thanks for the info. I'm considering just getting a replacement, would be far more affordable, but part of me wants to go acrylic for peace of mind with the earthquakes we get down here, so I can go bigger, and for the difficulty of getting a tank down the awkward stairwell and tight spaces, and just to try something different. The bubble is definitely towards the top of the silicon so it doesn't worry me like a huge bubble in the middle of the seal; but the lackluster quality of the stand and leveling issues kind of seal the deal, pun intended. You participated in my build thread and saw my rationalization process. I'm embarassed I talked myself into getting something I knew wasn't right.

How much work and remodeling are you willing to do? I wonder about taking out the closet and putting the tank where the closet was. The advantage is that the back of the tank could open up to the bathroom which could be converted to a fish room. Maybe even take out the shower and toilet in the bathroom to make more room for your fish room.

Yeah I definitely had that thought -- put the tank in the closet as an in-wall and convert the bathroom. It's a great idea! But this isn't my forever home so at some point when I sell I'd have to go through the trouble and expense of converting back and I fear it would be too much. I think I'll be doing this whole thing on a budget since I need to allocate funds towards responsible things, like some remodeling work on other areas of the home. But dang that idea is grinding away at me lol!

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

They are great dogs!
Stella:

Ok, back to reefing.

Oh you have a beautiful one! Lots of copper just like mine, with the eyebrows too. Awesome!! They truly are the best dogs, I deeply love mine and I think I'll always stick to Aussies. He's so eager to please and such a pleasure to train.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

I found an 8'x2'x2' and a 6'x2'x30".. wondering if those will fit in this space. I have my doubts about getting the 8' down the stairs, but maybe I could make it work. I'm unsure if it's better to have a long tank flush against that wall or a cube tank that protrudes. My fear with the long tank is that it makes that entire wall unusable for anything else... so I'll end up with a room that has a desk on one side and a tank on the other. At first glance that sounds epic, but I do need some storage space in the room as well and I'm worried it wouldn't feel cozy.

 

[fishguy242]

240 8x2x2 do it ...

 

[Shadows Reef]

Build it out of pvc and see how well you an move it around to get it into position, I'll never forget watching the neighbor blow his top off because his tank was to big get through the turns In the hallway to put it where he planned for so long to put it.

He had to sell his new Res Sea and bought another a little smaller.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

oh man I couldn't imagine. I have a bunch of cardboard in the garage I think I could work something out, great suggestion.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

I just spoke with the acrylic manufacturer and they can rush make me just about anything I want. I think this will push me over my budget but I will be building the stand with my dad which should help.

Any recommendations for sizes for this 12x12 room? Should probably be under 250g, easy/cheap to light (ie shallower).

 

[Tcook]

I would go with 8 foot. The swimming room will be really nice. Can you go through that window? Does it open? Does it need to be replaced...if an 8 foot tank bumped into it?

 

[Biokabe]

You could do 8x2x18" - could light that comfortably with four of any of the standard fixtures (Radion XR15, Hydra 32, Kessil 360X). Would give you about 180g in the display, gives you wiggle room on the sides of the tanks. It's also narrow enough that you can work in it easily, and shallow enough to keep pretty much whatever corals you want. Cutting it down to 6 feet long would put you down around 135 gallons and perhaps a little more manageable, up to you if you'd rather have more real estate in the tank or out of it. I wouldn't go any wider than 2', for the sake of lighting the tank, moving it around, and keeping the room workable.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Unfortunately I can’t go through the window since I live on a hill... I think getting the tank down the steep hill would be scarier than going through the stairs. However I’ll measure and mock it up to see what my options are because worst case I can remove the window (was going to put a double pane updated window there down the road anyways).

I have 2 A360x, 2 150 DE halides with good wide reflectors, and 2 36” T5 strips that I’m willing to double up on. Since I like LPS and just want SPS at the top I think this should be ok up to 8’ but might appear dim.

what do you guys think about 96x30x18 instead of 96x24x24, just to get that sense of depth? Might be easier to get around this corner I’m concerned about as well, if flipped on it’s side.

 

[Brett S]

My tank is 6 feet long, 24” wide and 30” tall. I absolutely *love* the 30” depth and wouldn’t change it for anything, but I will warn you that it can be kind of a pain too. I can barely reach the bottom of the tank, especially the bottom on the far side... I have often wound up putting my nose in the water as I try to reach something on the very bottom of the far side of the tank. I have a set of 30” grabbers that I can use for some things, but trying to glue corals in place is something that really needs to be done by hand and can be a pain toward the bottom of the tank. Like I said, I love the extra height and I wouldn’t change it, but do be aware of what you’re getting yourself into.

The 24” width is also nice to give a lot of space for swimming room in front of the rocks without making things feel crowded. I’d have a really hard time trying to choose if I could only pick one.... 24” width or 30” height.

If you are looking at glass tanks, the other thing to consider is the weight. Like I said, my tank is 72x24x30 and my tank weighs over 400lbs empty. It was a real effort to get my tank moved from my garage to my living room and I can’t even imagine trying to get it down a set of stairs that it barely fits through.