In-wall 380gal tank - cut out options

[karimwassef]

The garage is temperature controlled. It has insulated walls and doors and a heater. I also find that my dehumidifier does a lot to keep the area warm.

I also extend my 1.2KW of MH duration and run 700W of heaters. The layers of plastic help keep the tank warm during the winter.

[karimwassef]

There's definitely a pecking order during feeding time. My melanarus thinks he's a tang..

[karimwassef]

Another one. Just love this stuff

[Bixio]

Great photos. Huge thanks

[karimwassef]

Who says stony polyp corals don't move?

[Lavoisier]

I've enjoyed all your videos but this one is stunning!!

[karimwassef]

thanks

[karimwassef]

This is with just metal halides, by the way. No LEDs or other light sources.

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[geekengineer]

your tank looking super good there. I'm not worthy.

Thread now needs and adult rating tho..

[karimwassef]

LOL. An in-wall tank IS like a big screen 3D interactive TV.

So that makes this kind of like the nature channel - mating habits of coral banded.

[karimwassef]

set up a dedicated post on the ongoing development of the tank... here's that continuation

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...8#post24202398

[evilss]

Awesome job. The tank looks great. Wish I had a sort for a tank that big.

[karimwassef]

Thanks!

[moatdaddy]

Your garage door still opens? Why not just wall it up? Why not cover surge tank and half of sump with plywood coated like the sump? How long did it take for first signs of rust and moisture in odd places? What is your current filtration? Still using ATS?

I ask because all these things are on my to do list. I will dehumidifier but not solar. Thinking I will enclose garage and add it to the central air. I'm in north Florida so same temp flux.

Thanks for your time

[karimwassef]

Yes. My garage door still opens. Both doors do and I think it's a good thing - most of the time.

My wife uses the other side - parks in it every day.

I didn't see a need to cover the surge tank or sump. I find that access is really key. Any structure that doesn't perform a key function is only going to get in the way.

In fact, the reason my sump is suspended from the structural members in the ceiling is because having a pole in the corner to prop it up would have obstructed my ability to position myself (and a ladder) for tank access.

Having an in-wall tank is great, but it has one VERY PAINFUL disadvantage... ACCESS. Many on the forums warned me and I did take extra precautions but nothing prepared me for this. Any piece of equipment or structure that doesn't perform a critical function can't be there.

I didn't have any rust. There was really nothing to rust except for iron tools. Everything is aluminum or titanium. The screws are decking screws and the paint was made for hospitals and industrial kitchens. It was intended to survive very nasty conditions.

My current filtration is my sand bed. It's full of creatures that keep water flowing in and out and the bacteria there do a great job. Next is the live rock (or dead clothcrete rock made live by proximity to live rock). In the sump, I have a containerized DSB and a refugium. There's a whole section somewhere in this thread about it (I think - or maybe another of the build threads). This has chaeto on the top and feeds the tank.

I recently added an overflow ATS. Costs nothing, takes up no room and does wonders!

Then the 12' dual-injected protein skimmer.

I do use carbon in a reactor. I think this is important.

I also have a GFO reactor.

I use UV at night or continuously (whenever I think there's something going out of wack.)

I did have moisture building up against the metal doors and the unpainted walls (painted as a garage, but not with the special waterproof paint I used around the tank). These surfaces were cold because they were exposed to the outside air and in the winter, that gets COLD. So, I removed the drywall and added more insulation and repainted. I also added insulation to the doors.

I added a window air conditioner for the summer. This helps me more than it helps the tank. The chiller is external.

The air conditioner removes moisture in the summer and the dehumidifier removes it in the winter. In the spring and fall, I use a controller to decide which to use based on the temperature. They consume a lot of power - so they can't both be on at the same time.

A key learning for me was venting. I added an in-roof vent and it helped a LOT. It's not an AC or dehumidifer, but it helps keep things under control. Without it, both were struggling. The AC doesn't suffer from the vent because the fan is 12' up and the AC is 2' off the ground. The cold air never gets up that high to cause any loss. It's mostly the hot air that accumulates up there. I converted it from solar to wire power with a 24VDC supply.

[moatdaddy]

Those links in the other thread didn't work. Interested in seeing your ats. Yea I am making my frag system 360° easy access. So add a vent fan 'bathroom style' and run ac in my garage. Have an optional dehumidifier. Seems wise and sound advice. Thank you

[karimwassef]

Which links?

[karimwassef]

I don't have an ATS build. This is a good thread that I posted my progress to
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...77420&page=300