The Fish Tank Room Project

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Time to play catch up and let you all know what I've been working on!

Okay, I'll try to keep this brief and to the point (not a strong point of mine).

My OH has been keeping fish for over 20 years. Some of you may know that we have a lot of tanks that we keep. Well, naturally, his obsession moved from freshwater to saltwater. This in turn took over our living room and kept the ferrets off limits from playing in there anymore as there were too many hazards and sumps on the floor to drown in, etc. etc.

Flash to several weeks ago. K (my OH) was due to go on a driving trip to California for several days. His new 225 gallon saltwater tank was to be my responsibility. Well, I had this strange fear the tank would spring a leak and I wouldn't know what to do and all the money, time, and love he put into it would be gone.

Well, wouldn't you know it... two days before he was due to leave it sprung a leak. Water everywhere, frantically trying to save fish and corals..disaster. To sum it up, everything survived but the tank. In the meantime everything is sectioned off into smaller holding tanks till the permanent solution can happen.
Now this is where it gets interesting...

To prevent such havoc from happening again, we are redoing our garage into an extra room. All fish tanks will be in there. If there's a leak, the water will simply run down the driveway and not ruin the house. Also, the ferrets will be allowed access to the living room again. Also, Kuan Yin will be delighted to finally have access to this coveted "no no" spot once it's finished and cat safe.

Now on to the picture story...

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Oh, and I forgot to mention K has ordered a new bigger and better tank...a 750 gallon It will be HUGE and is being custom built as we speak. Shipping date is estimated at May 8th. It will need it's own truck for delivery and will be sent down the street to K's work where there is heavy machinery to get it off the truck (yes, it is THAT big).

Okay, on we go..

The original 225 gallon before said epiphany causing disaster...

After leak started, me siphoning water out of the big tank into little tanks in attempt to help save corals and fish

The demise of the tank..*sigh* (and living room..flooded)

Garage before we emptied it out to take on the remodel project (note the lack of ceiling and the rafters)

A shot of the ceiling while drywall was being done

RIP, tank (actually we might try to salvage it to grow algae, we'll see)..we put it on wheels so we can move it around easily for now till we decide what to do with it

random shot of the laundry room where a sink will be installed to assist in water changes

Area that is goin to be demolition (everything from right of where it was hacked into will be one big open space) and connect directly to the kitchen which then goes to the living room

Here you can see on the right where it segways into the laundry room where the sink will be installed

Time to paint!

Will have about 2000 watts of lighting in here once we're done so we picked a dark blue that won't take away from the prettiness of new aquarium

Where the ventilation fans will be installed

K after inhaling fumes all day "Hooray!"

Now, K has built his own stand for the tank. He welded it himself.

Here it is when he first dragged it home on his trailer from work
It's 10 feet long, 4 feet wide. Keep in mind those wheels are not permanent and just for getting the dang thing in where it's supposed to be. Then they'll be cut off

Second coat's on, paint is drying

The painting of the floor commences...

Grinding the stand he welded

Pretty sparks...(I'm easily amused)

A comparison of grinder wheel before and after example, LOL..there are lots of the "afters" hangin around..

Puttin on primer

Evidence we had a visitor while the garage was airing out

Trying out one coat of a liquid rubber on the top to see if we like it when it dries before we buy more..

The sun's gone down..wheeled into the garage for the night to dry

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Our current project at the moment is tearing this beast down (the 300 gallon freshwater cichlid tank). It will be used as a sump for the new tank and needed to be torn down and ready to go as we prepare for the impending new tank arrival.

We have it all drained out, all the fish relocated into another tank, and now are in the process of bleaching and scrubbing it and then rinsing and draining again. Then we will have to figure out how to move it The other night, K was actually INSIDE it to clean it. That's how big it is I have some pics I'll upload soon to show THAT process.
We are hoping to have salt water in the new tank circulating by end of May. It is going to take awhile to fill a 750 the right way. We are actually dedicating a whole area/tank to just making the salt water so future water changes will not be as much of a hassle. This whole system will be tested out when we make the water to fill it!
We will also be doing something different with the garage door. We want windows but we also want something that is detachable so if we ever sell the house it can still be a garage. That particular plan is still in the works.
Once all the tanks are moved, I will be going over the living room with a fine tooth comb to make it ferret safe again. This will include K and I building a non climbable gate to keep them in starting from where the kitchen and fireplace are located. I think they'll be able to roam the living room just in time for summer. I'm thinking kiddie pool in the center of the floor, they'll love it

Okay, phew *deep breath*.
Now that you're all caught up, I'll keep you updated on our progress. We've definitely got AT LEAST several weeks to go!

[pookyandjo]

wow... lots of work! but a great deal of satisfaction in seeing it done AND doing it yourself...cant wait to see pics of it when it's finished andall installed... it will ook spectacular with the blue walls and bright lighting! well done!

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thanks! i can't believe it but we were able to net approx. 60 cichlid babies out of the 300 gallon on top of all the adults. we got every last one. no fishy was sacrificed in the relocation

[alexgirl73]

OMG!!! There is no way on earth I am letting my OH anywhere near this thread!! He is an avid fishkeeper, and this would send him into melt down lol, as we only have space for a little 3 foot tank! I cannot wait to see the finished result (and the pics of you siphoning made me laugh, I have done that so many times too)

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Originally Posted by alexgirl73

OMG!!! There is no way on earth I am letting my OH anywhere near this thread!! He is an avid fishkeeper, and this would send him into melt down lol, as we only have space for a little 3 foot tank! I cannot wait to see the finished result (and the pics of you siphoning made me laugh, I have done that so many times too)

Ahh someone else who knows my pain

[alexgirl73]

oh yeah, I hear ya sister Do you get the same glazed look on your face as I do, when he starts talking about pumps and filters and PH levels etc?

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Originally Posted by alexgirl73

oh yeah, I hear ya sister Do you get the same glazed look on your face as I do, when he starts talking about pumps and filters and PH levels etc?

I just nod and pretend I know what he's talking about

[Leesy]

WOW that is one mega project, but it will look simply stunning when it is all finnished, can`t wait to see the finnished pics