Tips for building a aquarium room in my basement.

bud_rick

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This last weekend I started framing what is going to be a 14x34 aquarium room in my basement. I plan on having a large 300+ gallon display tank and eventually 2-3 3'x6' frag tanks all on separate sumps. I'm looking to get some suggestions on what I should be doing through the build process to prepare for things like moisture and heat issues. I would also like any recommendations that will help make maintenance more convenient. I am open to any and all ideas no matter how crazy they sound. I am starting from square one so it's easy to make modifications to the room. Thanks!
 

ScottB

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I have a fairly large basement and have never had an issue with moisture build up. About half of it has some A/C and heat so that may do some mitigating.

Two 20 amp 4 box outlets on separate circuits. And this baby. Pump everything straight into my sewer waste line.
IMG-4149.jpg
 

ScottB

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Would think getting rid of the humidity will be pretty important.
In TX or FL I would totally agree. But up here in Yankee land, it has not been an issue for me at least. And I do keep volume running.

IMG-6126.jpg
 
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bud_rick

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In TX or FL I would totally agree. But up here in Yankee land, it has not been an issue for me at least. And I do keep volume running.

IMG-6126.jpg
Wow that's a great looking setup! Also setting up a pump off the sink into the sewer line is probably a must for me since right now I'm pretty sure it goes into a dry well.
 

ScottB

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Wow that's a great looking setup! Also setting up a pump off the sink into the sewer line is probably a must for me since right now I'm pretty sure it goes into a dry well.
Thank you. Was a year long project. Just got it running around Thanksgiving or so.

Gotta say, I am a little surprised that I haven't had moisture issues. It would be easy enough to solve for but haven't had the need. It is above freezing here right now and the basement is at 26.4% relative humidity. Think I have seen 40+ in the summer, but when the A/C kicks in it drops easily.

IMG-6316.jpg
 
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bud_rick

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Thank you. Was a year long project. Just got it running around Thanksgiving or so.

Gotta say, I am a little surprised that I haven't had moisture issues. It would be easy enough to solve for but haven't had the need. It is above freezing here right now and the basement is at 26.4% relative humidity. Think I have seen 40+ in the summer, but when the A/C kicks in it drops easily.

IMG-6316.jpg
Yeah I don't have central air so I would probably be in a different situation than you in the summer. I'm assuming I should be able to keep it under control with a dehumidifier or maybe some sort of vent outside.
 

ScottB

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Yeah I don't have central air so I would probably be in a different situation than you in the summer. I'm assuming I should be able to keep it under control with a dehumidifier or maybe some sort of vent outside.
A dehumidifier should manage it. Another water line to tie into the sump line.
 
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bud_rick

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I've been thinking about the possibility of having humidity and co2 issues (2 pilot lights, Furnace, gas dryer and minimal ventilation) and think I may have found a solution to both. This ventilator should help with both issues I'm assuming. It has 2 fan speeds and basically sucks fresh air in as it pushes the old stagnant air out. Anybody have a better solution or any suggestions that would work better? I don't want to have ph issues down there due to excessive co2.

This thing should also be good in the winter time because it somehow heats the fresh air getting sucked in with the old stagnant air being pushed out. No clue how, but as long as it works I won't ask questions lol.

FV-04VE1-3(1).jpg
 

dennis romano

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Insulate the walls before you hang drywall. One inch foam board worked for me. I used blueboard (AKA Greenboard) which is used in bathrooms instead of regular drywall. I painted with a good bathroom paint. Using blueboard and bathroom paint cuts mold issues way back. Where are you going to dispose of your waste salt water? Remember that salt does not play well with cement or cinder block.
 

jmatt

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Just went through this. A sink is a must. And whatever you do, DO NOT attempt to protect the cement floor from water with Thompson's Water Seal. It will not dry and stays very tacky. Thwick thwick thwick as you walk across it.

I pulled my hair out for six weeks trying to get it to dry... I tried everything, including special downward-facing fans etc.

Then I tried to take it up with a belt sander. In the end the only way I could remove it was with mineral spirits scrubbed in with a brush, then mixed into a slurry with Simple Green degreaser and vacuumed up with a wet/dry Shop Vac.
 
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bud_rick

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Great points! I was planning on insulating the walls and using green board but the paint was up in the air. I like your idea of using bathroom paint though and will do that. I am also applying drylok to the concrete before the walls go up even though I don't really have any water seeping through on that side of the basement.

Dispsing of saltwater is up in the air. I may go with a sink setup similar to scottb's pic above with a pump into the sewage line. I'm a little clueless on this but saltwater into a drywell is probably not a good thing right? My basement sink and washer dump into the drywell as of right now.
 
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bud_rick

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Just went through this. A sink is a must. And whatever you do, DO NOT attempt to protect the cement floor from water with Thompson's Water Seal. It will not dry and stays very tacky. Thwick thwick thwick as you walk across it.

I pulled my hair out for six weeks trying to get it to dry... I tried everything, including special downward-facing fans etc.

Then I tried to take it up with a belt sander. In the end the only way I could remove it was with mineral spirits scrubbed in with a brush, then mixed into a slurry with Simple Green degreaser and vacuumed up with a wet/dry Shop Vac.
Thank you for that tip! I was planning on using rust-olium garage floor epoxy. I initially used it on the small room I am expanding and it worked great. Dried up perfectly. I would hate to be in your situation. It sounds like a very bad time lol!
 

dennis romano

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Great points! I was planning on insulating the walls and using green board but the paint was up in the air. I like your idea of using bathroom paint though and will do that. I am also applying drylok to the concrete before the walls go up even though I don't really have any water seeping through on that side of the basement.

Dispsing of saltwater is up in the air. I may go with a sink setup similar to scottb's pic above with a pump into the sewage line. I'm a little clueless on this but saltwater into a drywell is probably not a good thing right? My basement sink and washer dump into the drywell as of right now.
I have a pump system in my basement where the washer and toilet pump into the sewer line. I do not dump straight salt water into the pump. It gets mixed with water from the washer or mixed with fresh water. Over my career, I saw bad things happen when salt and metals mingle. I will even go so far as lugging buckets out to the curb and dump salt water in the street. Any gravel or sand in the water goes to the curb. Guess I'm a little paranoid over that. I did Drylock also. While walls are open, are there enough outlets? Salt and concrete don't mix too well.
 
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bud_rick

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Pressure Treated Lumber is required in many Jurisdictions by Codes. This is where it touches concrete, whether it’s a poured floor, walls or cinder block.
Glad I just read this. Where do I find out the requirements for my area? I have about 100 2x4x8s ready to get put in tomorrow that are non treated.
 

dennis romano

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Glad I just read this. Where do I find out the requirements for my area? I have about 100 2x4x8s ready to get put in tomorrow that are non treated.
Pretty much standard practice in US. Moisture will wick up through the concrete and rot the bottom plate. When I re-did my basement, most of the bottom plates were either gone or rotting. The old framing went up in the 1970s before pressure treated lumber.
 
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bud_rick

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Pretty much standard practice in US. Moisture will wick up through the concrete and rot the bottom plate. When I re-did my basement, most of the bottom plates were either gone or rotting. The old framing went up in the 1970s before pressure treated lumber.
It’s not required in my area and the floors are done in garage epoxy so I’m gonna cross my fingers and move on. I’d be more worried without the epoxy.
 

dennis romano

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It’s not required in my area and the floors are done in garage epoxy so I’m gonna cross my fingers and move on. I’d be more worried without the epoxy.
What you can also do, in between bottom plate and floor, is add black adhesive sealant tape. This is used as a waterproofing around windows and roof valleys.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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