Drago 256g in wall, ground up build

[Dragonetti]

Hello all,
Been hanging around here checking out all these unreal systems. I am currently building a house and installing 8'x 2'x 2' (Planet Aquariums) between living and office. Original plans were for a 10 foot aquarium but the cost for 2 feet was more than I could bear. I am guessing this will end up taking 5 to 6 months to complete, 4 if the stars align. I ran all plumbing from aquarium room to a "sump room" across the house in the slab. Sump (my reef creations) that I will be using were free from another system, traded labor for equipment. 2- 2" pipes for drains and 2- 1" pipes for returns. Here are some starter photos, if you see any mistakes please feel free to help a brother out and let me know. Sheetrock soon!! Thanks for looking

 

[Flippers4pups]

Very cool, looking forward to see this up and running!

 

[Dragonetti]

I may have messed up on wall placement. I took corners off the back walls I think the aquarium will look uncentered. Dark lines are a guess but close to were the aquarium will sit.

 

[ScottieB]

So far so good. I see what you mean about the placement, I think it will be fine, to the eye it will blend in better when the wall is finished and there's furniture in the room. I have a 8 foot long tank that is built out from the wall and off center, I just positioned the dining room table to be centered with the tank and not the wall, that works to orient everything.

I am no engineer but I might double-up those vertical 2x4s under the tank, seems fairly easy to do given the design and might just save you some trouble in the future.

Following along...

 

[Rjukan]

How are your drains going to work?

Looks like they come down from the overflow and into the slab, then 90* inside the slab then runs how many feet horizontally? Then back up to get into the sump?

 

[Dragonetti]

I am no engineer but I might double-up those vertical 2x4s under the tank, seems fairly easy to do given the design and might just save you some trouble in the future.

Following along...

Will, do, thanks.

Everything was centered before I took the corner out. Didn't think about what it would do to placement of the tank. I thought about moving it but then it would look really uneven from the office side.

 

[Dragonetti]

How are your drains going to work?

Looks like they come down from the overflow and into the slab, then 90* inside the slab then runs how many feet horizontally? Then back up to get into the sump?

I don't remember how many sticks of pipe I used. A best guess length would be 40' to the sump room, give or take 5'. Two 90's were used and two 45's to make turns before the concrete was poured. Pipes go through kitchen, part of the garage, and then into storage room. Yes about up and over the sump which will be sitting lower than the aquarium.

Don't know if I will use both 2" drains for true drains. May use one for drain and one for a safety. Can't afford an Abyzz so I went in on 4 Apex 20's. Two for returns and two for closed loops. Hope they are up to the task.

 

[Dragonetti]

Tank is safely home

 

[Rjukan]

I'm just guessing since I don't have direct experience with this, but I think you're going to run into a problem with the drain. The force behind the draining water is just the gravity out of the tank down into that first 90 in the slab. I've read of people having issues with pushing through only a couple feet of horizontal drain pipe, nevermind having to push 40' then back up to get over the top of the sump. Hopefully I'm wrong, but you might want to try and test it somehow before all the finish work is done.

Awesome looking tank, congrats!!!

 

[Dragonetti]

Rjukan, I hope you are wrong. Gonna be a sad day if the water doesn't make it's way to the sump.

I have never had problems draining water from one point to the other as long as the place I wanted to put the water was lower than the source.

 

[ScottieB]

Rjukan, I hope you are wrong. Gonna be a sad day if the water doesn't make it's way to the sump.

I have never had problems draining water from one point to the other as long as the place I wanted to put the water was lower than the source.

Nice looking tank so far. Let us know how things go. There’s always a solution to those plumbing issues.

 

[Rjukan]

Any progress?

 

[Dragonetti]

Any progress?

Not much, sheetrock is complete, I have been painting. Haven't had much time off to work on things. Plan on putting the aquarium in it's home after paint. I have had a bunch of equipment arrive but pictures of those in boxes are no fun.

Side topic
Anyone have ideas on humidity control inside the closed in area above the display?
Will this work

 

[Dragonetti]

Tiny update, wish I had a page full of photos and a tank full of water, but no. Happy it's in the house and out my shop.

 

[Bj’s Reef]

You are doing great. Keep the pictures coming it’s all coming together nicely.

 

[Dragonetti]

Tiny things starting to happen again. Plumbing is complete and pressure washed rock to begin soon.

 

[Sailfin11]

Looking good! I took me two years to get my new tank up an running, but in the long run it's better to do things right that rush into it. Keep us updated!

 

[Dragonetti]

Been focused on getting the house done, aquarium took the back seat. Still have projects on top of projects. Might never finish

 

[Dragonetti]

Any suggestions from fellow in wall owners before I close in everything above and below? As far as salt creep and humidity protection I may have not thought about or didn't prep for.