Need your opinion on tank style

[UncommonSense]

So I did a little inspectigating and found that the two columns towards the front (where I want the tank) are not load bearing. The two columns behind it, have a steal beam along the length below. However, that’s in the middle of the floor, and that’s not an ideal place for the tank.

I’m going to have the contractor reinforce the floor below the front two columns and place the tank there. Also going to add electric on the ceiling and floor.

There are numerous ways to do this, including simple steel screw Jack columns that go from the concrete slab to the ceiling of the ground floor, supporting second floor joists!

Each short end will have a low profile interior overflow that lines up with the columns. Bean animal on one end and Herbie or Durso on the other.

I feel like you might run into some extensive drain noise complications if you try to run two separate overflow boxes with two separate styles of drain plumbing!

I’d keep the two boxes, with identical drain styles in each, or switch to one large box with one large set of (probably BeanAnimal) drains, and the return plumbing! (The return plumbing can be run along the top of the tank inside a light canopy to get it to discharge on the far end from the overflow with this configuration)

 

[KJAhp098]

There are numerous ways to do this, including simple steel screw Jack columns that go from the concrete slab to the ceiling of the ground floor, supporting second floor joists!


I feel like you might run into some extensive drain noise complications if you try to run two separate overflow boxes with two separate styles of drain plumbing!

I’d keep the two boxes, with identical drain styles in each, or switch to one large box with one large set of (probably BeanAnimal) drains, and the return plumbing! (The return plumbing can be run along the top of the tank inside a light canopy to get it to discharge on the far end from the overflow with this configuration)

That’s a great point, and an issue I keep thinking about. I spoke with Joe at Glass Cages and he recommended the Bean Animal on one side and Herbie or Duran on the other. The issue is that I’d like to have a canopy suspended from the ceiling and have minimal cords in site. That means all the plumbing would need to be below the tank. My wife wants as much view to the back of the house as possible.

Maybe I could do an overflow on just one side and have it house the Bean Animal and return, and have the powerheads push the filtered water to the other side. I don’t see this being an issue.

 

[KJAhp098]

BTW… I appreciate everybody’s input. It’s all very helpful.

 

[UncommonSense]

The issue is that I’d like to have a canopy suspended from the ceiling and have minimal cords in site.

Ah, got it!

Maybe I could do an overflow on just one side and have it house the Bean Animal and return, and have the powerheads push the filtered water to the other side. I don’t see this being an issue.

This is exactly how my 180G with peninsula plumbing is set up! It works well, as long as you use a large powerhead on the far side to help make the whole tank a slight whirlpool; circulating the water as a vertical column from overflow, to far wall, and back again!

Depending on how you design the tank’s top (rimmed, eurobraced, rimless), you can probably sneak some cords in along the top rim for powerhead(s) opposite the overflow box

Give the extreme aesthetic needs of this tank, the peninsula overflow with closed loop circulation via bottom of tank would be the cleanest peninsula option…

a center “island” overflow is also an interesting option! This would allow you to mount powerheads to the island overflow, and run their wiring through a dedicated dry conduit and bulkhead within the overflow! (Reference my showcase if you’re curious to see how I pulled that off in a tiny hexagon tank!)

 

[KJAhp098]

Per

Ah, got it!


This is exactly how my 180G with peninsula plumbing is set up! It works well, as long as you use a large powerhead on the far side to help make the whole tank a slight whirlpool; circulating the water as a vertical column from overflow, to far wall, and back again!

Depending on how you design the tank’s top (rimmed, eurobraced, rimless), you can probably sneak some cords in along the top rim for powerhead(s) opposite the overflow box!

Perfect. I’ve been looking at the new Tunze Orca powerheads, so flow shouldn’t be an issue.
The tank will be eurobraced, so I hope I can hide the cords along the channel and down the exterior panel that will cover the overflow. If it all works out, the only cord that will come from the canopy will be the Apex USB connector, which I’ll hide that in the channel in the panel, too.

 

[UncommonSense]

Per

Perfect. I’ve been looking at the new Tunze Orca powerheads, so flow shouldn’t be an issue.
The tank will be eurobraced, so I hope I can hide the cords along the channel and down the exterior panel that will cover the overflow. If it all works out, the only cord that will come from the canopy will be the Apex USB connector, which I’ll hide that in the channel in the panel, too.

I edited the above post with further thoughts; I’m starting to realize that the center island overflow might fit the bill here quite nicely!

— Further inspiration from @World Citizen ‘s phenomenal build!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/free-reef-world-citizen.929934/

 

[Kooma]

Following! That’s a great spot for a tank!

 

[UncommonSense]

Apex USB connector, which I’ll hide that in the channel in the panel, too.

Now, I’m not super Apex savvy, though I have dug into the “AquaBus” communication they use…

— You can actually do “AquaBus over Ethernet”! That is, you can run custom lengths of Ethernet cable in-wall, from location A to location B… then, splice a USB end, vs. an Ethernet end on either side of the Eithernet cable! (Runs over 60-75ft require a bit more effort, but still doable)

— this means you can actually wire from Apex to lighting array via the lighting’s ceiling power supply location! (No wires at all visible around tank rim [if center overflow], no wires bridging between tank and canopy.)

 

[KJAhp098]

Now, I’m not super Apex savvy, though I have dug into the “AquaBus” communication they use…

— You can actually do “AquaBus over Ethernet”! That is, you can run custom lengths of Ethernet cable in-wall, from location A to location B… then, splice a USB end, vs. an Ethernet end on either side of the Eithernet cable! (Runs over 60-75ft require a bit more effort, but still doable)

— this means you can actually wire from Apex to lighting array via the lighting’s ceiling power supply location! (No wires at all visible around tank rim [if center overflow], no wires bridging between tank and canopy.)

That’s very interesting and I’ll have to look into that.

Regarding the island overflow…I considered that, but the wife is adamant about minimal obstruction to see the back of the house. She even suggested having 2 rock islands for the aquascape. I figured if the columns are already partially in the way of the side view, to just take advantage of that. Great ideas!

 

[UncommonSense]

That’s very interesting and I’ll have to look into that.

Regarding the island overflow…I considered that, but the wife is adamant about minimal obstruction to see the back of the house. She even suggested having 2 rock islands for the aquascape. I figured if the columns are already partially in the way of the side view, to just take advantage of that. Great ideas!

That does make sense! Well, single peninsula overflow with a closed loop system drilled through the bottom of the tank for circulation will be the cleanest looking by-far, but leads to complications inherent to closed loop systems!

This becomes a matter of weighing pros and cons, aesthetics vs. ease of use, etc!