In-wall 380gal tank - cut out options

[LetsGetTanked]

Thanks Karim. Your mock ups are amazing and well though out. Please keep us updated with your progress as things come together

[karimwassef]

The green drywall is up.
The extra stand supports are in.
The overhead resevoir platform frames are installed

[karimwassef]

I am thinking of painting the frame with epoxy paint to guard against water damage. It's exposed studs and will remain this way except for 1/2" plywood on top and bottom.

I'm going for the consumer grade stuff used to paint garage floors. Anyone tried the stuff?

[karimwassef]

I usually hose down my garage floor with a hose since dust irritates my lungs badly. Tried this last night and the 2x4s on the bottom got water logged until I vacuumed up the water inside and around it. It's dry now but I can see a maintenance issue with lumber directly on concrete (that might get wet).

Since the tank is not here yet, I plan to lift the frame slightly off the concrete and slide a 1/32 flexible plastic sheet under it. Then I'll paint it with the consumer grade epoxy paint. After it dries, I can cut out the excess sheet around it.

I will use this same kind of sheet as a barrier between the tank and the rest of the garage when I hose it down in the future. That'll shield everything up from the ground and the epoxy should shield the stand from the ground runoff.

That's the plan at least...

[Lavoisier]

Sounds like a good plan. I've not epoxied my garage floor (yet) but I've seen in done and it not only looks good but keeps everything cleaner.

[woodnaquanut]

Looks good. Impressive 'flying stock tanks' !

Are you going to put vertical supports on the long sides of the stock tank shelves? I would be worried about putting all that weight up there and hanging it from ceiling joists. Ceiling joists are usually not over engineered enough to handle that much weight.

It's hard to tell from the pics. How much room do you have above the two stock tanks? Will you ever have to maintain what's in them?

How have you attached them to the walls? Screws, nails or lag bolts?

[karimwassef]

The ceiling joists should be ok given that they are only carrying about 500lbs max (2 guys standing side by side). The other 500lbs are carried by the walls.

I used nails, screws and lag bolts all into structural studs or headers.

They are reservoirs only (only water). I have about 3" with these containers but I'm downsizing one of them.

[CyclistMT]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Since the tank is not here yet, I plan to lift the frame slightly off the concrete and slide a 1/32 flexible plastic sheet under it. Then I'll paint it with the consumer grade epoxy paint. After it dries, I can cut out the excess sheet around it.

I will use this same kind of sheet as a barrier between the tank and the rest of the garage when I hose it down in the future. That'll shield everything up from the ground and the epoxy should shield the stand from the ground runoff.

That's the plan at least...

Something to think about. If I understand what you're going to do correctly, you won't be painting the very bottom of the wood that comes in contact with the concrete. Although you plan to shield it from water, if the bottom of those 2x4's do get wet, it will just wick up in to the wood from the bottom and will probably never really dry out.

Even if you had to fully disassemble your stand to paint the bottom of those 2x4's, it might be worth the effort and save you from a rotted out stand holding up your 380 gal tank.

[karimwassef]

Cyclist - that is why I'm adding the plastic sheet and painting between the sheet and wood bottom. I can still lift the tank and plan to do so while I am painting it to allow the epoxy paint to reach underneath the wood and above the plastic.

So water on the concrete will find the plastic sheet glued with the epoxy paint to the bottom wood. The side of the wood will be painted and contiguous with the paint that is between the wood and plastic.

I would have raised the stand and just put the epoxy paint between wood and concrete but I don't want to permanently bond them. The plastic sheet+epoxy paint should be a good water shield.

[karimwassef]

To be clear, the epoxy may sometimes only contact the plastic at the periphery of the wood. But this still keeps the wood dry. In that case I am using the plastic sheet to be the barrier alone.

It's pretty tough stuff and doesn't tear easily, but it could. Then it's a question of chance that I have a small year in the plastic in the exact location where my paint didn't completely penetrate...

Feels like a birth control box... Effective 99% of the time... Lol. I'll have to avoid deluges and put a little more muscle into raising the tank while painting under it.

[karimwassef]

Cyclist - I am having some difficulty with my original plan but the idea of a complete stand tear down is as unappealing as the vision of water wicking up the inside of my stand...

So how about using silicone between the concrete and wood? GE professional window silicone should do the job. What do you think? Will the silicone adhere well to the concrete an epoxy-painted wood?

[Kawi9_cf]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

When I first needed to move the tank into the garage, I copied the design and just stacked the components behind the wall. Now that I'm looking at it from a more objective view, I'm considering different plumbing





Given that both the protein skimmer inlet and the surge resevoir are much higher than the sump, AND the overflow box in the main tank is end-end, I decided to take the main drain bulkhead as the pump inlet rather than the sump. This reduces the head needed by about 4 feet (half the original head).

The resevoir emergency overflow pipe doesn't need to flow to the sump, so I redirected it to the main tank overflow box instead. This allows the pipe to go behind the main support beam for the resevoir platform.

These changes open up the area for accessing the top and front of the tank and should increase flow to the skimmer and surge resevoir.

The return pump also becomes dedicated which should make the in-tank penductors a lot more effective.

I realize that this is unconventional plumbing. I'm also concerned with the structural support for the resevoir tank. Please let me know your thoughts on how to improve this design.

I just wanted to point out if I'm not mistaken I believe if you plumb the return for the skimmer out and straight into the sump as it is drawn here the water level in your skimmer will only be that high. I think in order to maintain the proper water level in the skimmer the return pipe needs be plumbed as high as the desired water level.

[CyclistMT]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Cyclist - I am having some difficulty with my original plan but the idea of a complete stand tear down is as unappealing as the vision of water wicking up the inside of my stand...

I've been there man, I really have. I've nearly finished with a phase of a project and come to find I've missed one step that could cause me headaches down the road. Then I start to come up with all kinds of ways around the issue until that voice in my head says, "Do it right now, or do it over later".

So how about using silicone between the concrete and wood? GE professional window silicone should do the job. What do you think? Will the silicone adhere well to the concrete an epoxy-painted wood?

This could potentially work but only you can decide if you're willing to accept any risk here. Because will you really know if all the bare spots got covered with the silicone? You'll need to determine how wet it might get (don't forget errent spills from routine maintenance), will the wood be able to dry out completely if it does get wet (how's your humidity?), what is the worst case scenario and are you willing to live with that evenutality (having to tear down a fully mature tank to repair the stand).

I know, I know, I sound like Chicken Little (THE SKY IS FALLING!) but you really need to think this one through. NOW is the time to make the right fix since the tank is not yet on the stand.

If it was me, I would cuss and moan about it, heave a big sigh, have a beer or two, and tear into the next day by pulling the stand apart and painting where ever the wood touches concrete.

[karimwassef]

The wood will all be painted except the flat bottom against the concrete. So the silicone will bridge concrete to epoxy painted wood...

We use silicone for aquariums, and this is a much more benign application.

[BillyWobbles]

Some serious reefing going on here. Feel like i have a 125g goldfish bowl now

[karimwassef]

Thanks. Sunday is T-day when the 700lbs of glass and Starphire makes it way here. More pics to come...

[nuch]

I would do preasure treated wood where it is in contact with concrete. Concrete is poarse so even thought it seems dry sometimes it is still gonna be damp.

[110galreef]

I have epoxied my grage floors. It adheres well to wood too. I had wood step leading from garage into house. Don't get the cheap stuff you find at home depot or lowes if you plan to do the garage floor, as it will peel up from hot tires.

I would suggest maybe using treated lumber that touches the grage floor as mentioned.
You also could put some flat aluminum stock between the floor and wood as well. That will hold up very well too

[karimwassef]

Thank you. I wish I had used treated lumber but it is too late now.

I will have to use paint and caulk to make it as water resistant as possible.

[110galreef]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Thank you. I wish I had used treated lumber but it is too late now.

I will have to use paint and caulk to make it as water resistant as possible.

remember concrete is porous and even if your silicone the edge and stain the wood face, the bottom surface can wick water from what the concrete that soaks in adjacent to it.

You may want to epoxy the garage floor and onto the wood base atleast so water doesnt soak into concrete than into wood. Especially if you plan to wash the floor down often.

Or don't get the concrete near the stand wet very often and when you do make sure to put a fan there and dry it very well.

[110galreef]

double post

[karimwassef]

thanks for the feedback. I'll have to be careful with my garage floor going forward. I looked into painting it but it'll take some conditioning first.

[karimwassef]

Ok. Progress update.

Taped up the green drywall with green tape.


Pink mud (still wet)


Filled, dried and sanded


3/4" plywood top glued and screwed


Painted with water-protectant


1" foam top


Might go back for a second coat and touch ups. Still need to silicone the base and edges.

The tank is delayed (freight) so might be in next week.

[Lavoisier]

Nice work! (Since the tank is delayed, a second coat never hurts). What a joy to see this come together.

[karimwassef]

Thanks Lavoisier. Since this is my first in-wall (vs. free standing), I have to say that there is a lot more work involved. It's a marriage between a home renovation and a tank build with all the work of both. It feels good to make some progress, even if it is slow.

Does anyone have an off-the-shelf silicone recommendation for concrete to painted wood?