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Getting a large aquarium into basement

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taylorjonl View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 19 2017 at 1:45pm
I have been out of the hobby for a few years but I have the itch again and want to put a large tank in a wall in the basement, then use the room behind it as a fish room.  So I fired up Sketchup and started designing stuff.  Here are some images of the model so far:







The tank size in the image is 60x60x24, I am trying to make a tank that has some depth(horizonal, not vertical) to it.  I am hoping to get the tank to look like this some day:


 
My primary concern so far is I don't know how I can get a tank this size in my basement so I was thinking it may have to be built in place.  I don't have experience building a tank from scratch.  Anyone know who might take on a job like this that guarantees their work?


Edited by taylorjonl - March 19 2017 at 1:51pm
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Krazie4Acans View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2017 at 3:24pm
Talk to aquarium creations and see what they can do. That size doesn't seem like it should be a problem to get into most basements. Is there something that makes you think it won't fit? I'm not sure a tank that size child be made without some type of strong bracing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kevin.st Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2017 at 3:25pm
That looks fun. I hope you've been saving up your pennies. LOL.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote taylorjonl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2017 at 5:26pm
I am 90% sure it won't fit unless I make some modifications to either the stairs or my stair entry way, here is an image of me trying to make it fit in Sketchup:





It might be hard to see but the stair entry way has low clearance, when I walk up the stairs if I don't duck I hit my head every time.  This model is pretty accurate but it also doesn't factor in carpet and/or sheet rock, so it is even worse.

Depending on costs, I may want to just bite the bullet and have someone redo the stairs, maybe with a sharper slope.  If I have friends over that don't know to duck they always hit their head hard, it is very painful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote taylorjonl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2017 at 5:34pm
I am under no illusions that it will be cheap.  It may be over $15k before I even get a single fish in there.  Outside of equipment I need to run a drain to the fish room, get a structural engineer out to make sure I can make the wall strong enough to support my first floor, build the stand and new wall, move my breaker box so it isn't in the fish room and much more.  Just trying to plan it all out before I start dropping cash only to find out I can't get the tank into the basement LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scottyb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2017 at 10:00pm
It would be way cool if there was a way to view 2 sides of that tank being as deep as it is. So you're saying the stairs do not have a clearance of 60" going down? Is it an older house, how did that pass inspection? I hope you can make it work, that will be an awesome tank!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2017 at 7:19am
Ya I can see where it would hit now based on your drawings. How many inches would you need to take off of the one side to make it fit? If you could take 10" off the depth of the tank and make it fit into the basement it would save a ton as it could be pre-made.

Building on site is something I have seen done but it hugely impacts the cost of the tank.

Is there a basement entrance or window that the 60x60 tank would fit through? I guessing that the tank will either be sold with the house or you're settled on not moving?

You show in your drawing that you will be using a standard door/window header across the opening for the tank. If that wall is load bearing you will need to plan on a double 2x12 or glue lam beam which would be much more sturdy than that 2x4 framed header with jack studs.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote taylorjonl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2017 at 9:23am
There is a window directly in front of the tank that will fit it.  So I guess the plan is to take the window out and dig out the window well(which needs to be done anyways, the window well isn't tall enough).  So my concerns on getting it into the basement are gone.

That is a load bearing wall, the drawings aren't final, just crude guesses on how it will work.  I guess the next steps are to hire a structural engineer to come out and see if the foundation can support 3500 lbs and to tell me what I need to do to keep solid structure to my house.  My other project is I want to combine the two rooms in my basement into a big room that will be my office/gym.  That requires another beam so may as well get the structural engineer to figure both out while they are here.  Here is roughly how I think that will work out:


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote taylorjonl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2017 at 9:30am
I originally had sketched it out with two sides visible but the aquascape is pretty important to me.  The goal is to make it appear like it is part of a natural reef instead of a wall of corals.  This is why I went with 60x60x24 instead of a more standard 60x30x30.  It is pretty early in planning so if I come across an example aquascape that I like maybe I will change my mind again.
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