MRBH22’s 310 peninsula with fish room build

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well here goes nothing. Starting off my first tank (90 gallon) bought off craigslist fish a bio ball trickle filter and a marine land led strip light. That was a steep learning curve. The tank was in OK shape. Little hair algae but had a bit of nice live rock. Moved it home and set it up with the old sand rock and fish. Needless to say the reusing the sand was a horrible horrible decision. I measured nitrates with the api kit and my nitrates were beyond the scale of red. So it was learn how to do large water changes early and often. Then after things settlers down I got a slimmer and a 20 long to use as a “sump.” Also purchased a pair of reef breeder leds. The tank progressed well for about 2 years. I wanted to set up a rimless tank with internal overflows so I bought a deep blue 80gallon lagoon style tank. I loved this tank I switched it up to the ati 8bulb t5 and started dosing 2part. I had the most luck with the T5’s and dosing 2 part. Tank went through some ups and downs for the next few years. Until the wife and I decided to move out to a more rural area. The new house had to have a basement and a walkout so I could get a big tank into the house without steps. The house we bought had a walkout with an unfinished basement. So now I get to finish the basement the way I want with a fish room and a nice bar. I wanted to incorporate the bar and the fish tank. My idea was to build the stand to be bar height and use the tank as a medical for the bar but still be viewable on 3 sides. It’s easier to understand in pics. I wanted to set up the dream tank. I wanted something 8foot long. Hopefully 30”-36” wide and 24ish tall. I was shown the mega matrix tanks made by Planet Aquariums. The 310 was almost exactly what I wanted. I priced out the 96x36x24 and the price was way out of the budget. So I looked into the 96x30x24 and was pleasantly surprised by the price. I asked my LFS if they could get me a quote on the tank set up peninsula style with low iron glass on both long panes and on the end. The other thing that I really wanted to try was a closed loop and keep any power heads off the glass. So I asked if we could do the pvc bottom that planet offers. The quote was acceptable. So I ordered the tank. After a few shipping delays due to the COVID the tank showed up yesterday. I called my fireman buddies and we loaded it up with just 4 and a half guys (one dude was old) lol. We carried it around the house and into the basement on the stand that I built out of 2x6’s. I’m making progress on the basement but construction kind of stalled out when the restrictions on going to public places started. My goal is to have everything ready for family thanksgiving 2020. I have quite a bit of work to do but seeing the tank on its stand has reignited the fire to get this basement done; and the wife has made it known that no more fish tank related purchases until the basement is finished. I feel it’s fair. I do have my rock so I can start to work on scaping the tank. I’m excited and nervous about trying to get this tank aquascaped to look nice from all 3 sides. I apologize for the longest paragraph ever posted. Here are the pics from last night. I will cover more as we get more done.

720B8931-F051-4529-A68C-635C343F3DBC.jpeg A136A60D-CABA-4FED-951B-253E7114B432.jpeg 5E0EF20C-0FC7-4632-B31A-32158FBC0E90.jpeg A26E31FC-F30C-47CA-A321-17EBD5EB287A.jpeg BB69EB57-E5D6-4A43-BB07-B5A944E16CA4.jpeg AE819B37-0BDB-428A-9787-4B22A0FEA077.jpeg 32277872-2884-427F-A55A-DA2DBEF60102.jpeg F36C4C2D-0908-48E1-A7BE-10DC33A7EB3D.jpeg 3D240185-0090-4D9F-B3F5-87BDB61F4852.jpeg 2E6097F8-DB4D-47EC-B3C1-FDFB97EB93F0.jpeg D6317C71-E757-4547-80DE-F6D0E382636D.jpeg 92972F34-784A-4EBE-9E83-BDFE7482F3F2.jpeg 0B0E4D2D-A4D6-45E8-9111-93E99162A7DA.jpeg FF13575A-C1C6-41BC-8FCF-E4AC564EA802.jpeg
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One step ahead of you. I have an exhaust vent plumbed into where the canopy will be to vent directly outside. I’m also running an apex so I will program it to turn on when temps get to a certain number and I’m also planning on using this same system to mitigate humidity as well. The exhaust system has a controller and a probe to allow it to turn on when the humidity gets to a certain level. Thanks for the heads up!
 

Mikeltee

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Messages
1,426
Reaction score
1,142
Location
Fishers, IN
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
That bad boy will be running 12 hours a day or whatever your light cycle is. Good luck with figuring out how to silence it. Even if you located it outside, the vacuum alone is incredibly distracting, even with a "silencer". While you are going through all this trouble, you may consider sticking a carbon filter on the end of it and get rid of any fish smells. You may as well benefit everyway you can while putting up with the noise. Putting the filter on the end of the fan and pushing through hoods with 0 bends will be your most quiet option. The filter disperses the pumps intake in order to make the suction more quiet. Make sure your filter matches your fan or else you will not benefit from it. Any weed growing store can help you dial this in. It will need replaced once a year and they are heavy.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
They fan system I bought is for the “indoor grower” good idea on the carbon block. I will plug it in today and see how loud it actually is. According to the reviews it’s supposed to be pretty quiet. I don’t mind if there is some noise. The tank will have a closed loop pump running all the time as well. I can deal with white noise. If it is loud or obnoxious then I will have to replan
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Got the last of the walls framed in the basement. I have the plumber scheduled to come out and my electrical guy is supposed to give me a date soon to come pull some wires. I’m hoping to be in drywall sometime in the next 30 days. I know these updates are worthless without pics but there isnt much to show rite now. At this point it’s all for me to document the build of this tank/basement. I will be doing some moving of soffits and relocating the opening for the canopy in the next couple days. I will document that here and then hopefully hope to get started on the bar

here are some practice runs on the epoxy patters for the bar top.

73EED2EE-2529-4A98-ACCB-9BDECFC4799C.jpeg D54EC108-6275-4BCC-9637-1F6FA32FDDC0.jpeg 0AC4482D-8C6A-496C-A923-11229FE5EA9D.jpeg B3F64AB5-F4C2-43DF-A06B-F1AAD2CD52EC.jpeg 69623812-9D51-4A20-803C-1F4595FC6C2E.jpeg 27D7F49C-5FE9-4212-8806-4F53BE68C32C.jpeg 33E83D21-F2C1-481F-9EFF-03392D3F8F0C.jpeg
 

BJEDVM13

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2016
Messages
93
Reaction score
59
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Do you have any updates? Did PA have to drill holes specifically for the Synergy reef, or does it fit the holes for Tideline overflow? I am in the process of ordering the exact tank, but would like to use a Synergy Reef overflow as well.
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Do you have any updates? Did PA have to drill holes specifically for the Synergy reef, or does it fit the holes for Tideline overflow? I am in the process of ordering the exact tank, but would like to use a Synergy Reef overflow as well.

Surprisingly I think they have the same hole layout. But planetaquariums has the exact dimensions for both. You just have to tell them what you are using and they will take care of you. I will post some pictures tonight. Not much progress. Just finished up the electrical tonight and I think it’s ready for insulation and drywall.
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I bought some rock wool safe and sound insulation to hang in the basement and started hanging it up. Word of advice if you can spare the change pay someone to do this. Working with your arms above your head for hours at a time will wear even the strongest person out. Also wearing a mask gloves and eye protection to keep the itchy parts off your skin makes it that much worse.

I also did the final securing of all the wiring last night Including the cat 6 cable I ran behind each tv and the wire into the fish room for the apex.
I hope to have all the insulation up by the end of this week and be able to get my drywall guy in sometime the week after. It’s looking like September 20ish will be the drywall installation. Then I can work on the flooring and the bar front and top. The wife is thinking she might like ship lap on the front of the bar. I was thinking about doing the stacked stone tiles. I will let her make the final decision but at least we have had some discussion on the subject. I am getting “green board” for the fish room and for the area above the tank to help with keeping moisture out of the drywall.
I got some big bottles of CA GLUE and one of the small bottles of activator. I ordered a big bottle of refill for the small sprayer for the activator. I’m planning on starting to build the aquascape while we wait for the drywall guy to do his thing. I might even be able to get the scape in. And fill the tank with some saltwater a heater and a power head to get a start on the cycle. While we finish up the basement with paint and finishes.
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Finally had some time to get some pics. I got the rockwool up all around the fish room and all in the ceiling on the bar side. I still need to cut my “braces” that I’m going to put up between the studs so that whenever I need to mount something I don’t need to hunt for a stud while in the canopy. Also got the supports up for where the TVs will be mounted. And picked up the insulation for the exterior walls today. Going to make a big effort to try and get that done tomorrow. Then all I will have left is the drywall and finishing the plumbing for the bar sink and the utility tub for the fish room. I’m going to order the 72” sump from planet next week. Hope to have that here in the next two weeks and I will be able to plumb that up and hopefully get some water in this thing to start the cycle. I’m going to be working on the aquascape in the next week. Im going to try the way that BRS and Tidal gardens just posted. Looking for a minimal rock look but still being interesting. The only downside is that when you order the “peninsula” style tank planet puts 3 cross braces in it making 4 smaller entrances from the top than when u order a normal style tank that only has 2 cross braces leaving 3 larger openings. I hope that doesn’t hinder my creativity on the scape but what can ya do. That’s all my ADHD brain will sputter our rite now. Thanks for reading.

43636067-DEBD-4F2F-9E81-C2890EC122E1.jpeg C22FB927-9575-45D1-878E-0977AC99FD7B.jpeg 061D256C-ED5B-48A6-8E9C-9C5E36E72A9A.jpeg 85A06631-F5D0-4D78-9FC2-C051F92698B1.jpeg D22CAFED-1F24-4E04-990A-717F90DC33FF.jpeg F486B47C-29CC-4ED5-91ED-FC333CC5199A.jpeg 0BAA6D0E-7267-4BFC-8892-CF88EF23BAAD.jpeg DBFC09DE-D449-4085-8B3A-1CA1C7870540.jpeg 4069A46E-9BC6-45D7-B035-9F0D3DFB0CB7.jpeg DAFBAECE-783D-4A0E-903C-B194BC19F1FF.jpeg A6B982BA-7C03-4897-9930-53BD629E3312.jpeg
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
We have paint! Now I’m waiting on cabinets to show up so I can get the rest of this thing done. Going to wire up the outlets in the fish room tonight. Ann’s hopefully get it painted. If I get that done tonight I will update with more pics
249DFCB4-1FDC-4A91-BB38-579DD4A1E2E9.jpeg

299EE923-2959-40AF-BA59-F3DD9F34A6AE.jpeg
 
OP
OP
mrbh22

mrbh22

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
281
Reaction score
218
Location
ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
More updates. Nothing fish related yet. :(. However the wiring and outlet covers for 90% of the basement is done. I still have to wire up the canopy outlets and the outlets for the front side of the bar. The wiring for the surround was miserable with all the screw down terminals. My fingers are in pain rite now. Anywho here’s the pics.

ACBCE907-3345-43AD-94F4-CF866F615646.jpeg EA227A81-2CFF-43A4-9D0E-A2CCAF542194.jpeg 4641AF53-7695-473C-9F39-66868F964AEF.jpeg 0ABE7FB5-6996-4C7A-9C00-40FD5B97F64B.jpeg A9298C0A-7917-44AB-A59B-811C88678848.jpeg 34B75865-156E-4B92-8DEB-56CDEFB1B6FF.jpeg 0A5EC339-60E1-4371-A5F1-BEA900993429.jpeg 1A9FD994-2D42-4457-ADE7-94484329D239.jpeg 75D37EFE-B7D0-4EF6-9072-E681592F93F1.jpeg C403371D-27D7-4DA7-BC7E-D705E89120B3.jpeg
 
Back
Top