The new phone book is here!

[mcdavies]

My apologies to those of you who have never seen Steve Martin in "The Jerk". Right now, I'm running around the house shouting, "The new tank is here!"...

After months of reading, research and asking questions (a lot of them here), I finally took delivery of my first (150g) tank and stand today. The rest of the equipment is coming in the next week or so.

A couple of pics follow in the next messages (I know...another empty tank...but give it a few months...).

I do have an important question that I'd like some opinions on. When they delivered the tank, the LSF guy who is helping me with this noted that directly below the tank in the basement is a large storage room. He suggested that we put the sump and equipment down there as opposed to in the stand.

Advantages include reduced spills on the hardwood floors, reduced noise, ease of water changes and top ups, much larger sump, etc. I guess the disadvantage that comes to mind for me is having to pump the water vertically back to the tank, not to mention having to plumb through the walls between floors.

Any thoughts on whether this is the route I should go? The tank is 60"X24"X24" and the space under the stand is approx. the same size...

Would appreciate any thoughts...

Mark

[mcdavies]

Tank and cabinet in "closed" mode...

[mcdavies]

Cabinet in "opened" mode...

[Joel]

I would put the equipment in the stand and wait on the in-wall 300 (part of your next home purchase).

[Mafiaman]

150x8=1200 pounds Check floor supports. I have a wood framed floor over a craw space I would need to add supports to my floor.
Put my 135ga in my office in the back of the gerage because it is on a slab..But my sump is on opposite side of wall and it's nice and easy to work in.

[sfletch3]

I have to say, that I plumbed mine through a wall and into a storage area. I have never been happier. I don't worry about water spots on the floor, no waterfall sounds, easy to dose and test and much much neater (on the tank side that is). The downfall is that the systems is permanently installed!!!! When the 48" Plama TV arrives your can't just slide the reef to one side or the other. :>)

[Alice]

I had a 135 on my hardwood floors and I would have loved to have drilled the floor and installed the sump in the basement. It was a rental house though. Would have been much easier all the way around for tank maintenance. If you do decide to go through the floor, save the wood "cookies" or squares that you cut out. When/if you decide to sell the house or move the tank, you can put the sections back and with a little wood putty and TLC the spots at least won't be too noticeable. More than likely something will get placed over that spot anyway. Of course, you might be able to go through the wall, too.

Yeah, check the floor supports to be on the safe side. Mine was next to a load bearing wall with the joists running perpendicular to the tank though, so I was ok on weight.

Alice

[wanareef]

If you can, go through the wall- eaiser to patch when you leave and nobody sees it - that is if you patch it before you put the house on the market. You won't have to worry about heat issues but being in CA si there any

As stated, make sure your floor is strong enough or you have enough floor joists to spread the load.

[mcdavies]

Thanks for the input... I've already gone through the support thought process. The wall the tank is up against is an exterior wall. The beams in the floor run perpendicular to the length of the tank and it straddles a load-bearing wall...I think that's about as good as I'm going to get!

Sounds like the consensus is to go with the basement. Guess will just have to make sure that the pump has sufficient power to move the water. Perhaps I'll set the sump up on a platform halfway up the basement wall to reduce the vertical. Am planning on going through the wall at this time...will see when the time comes to commit...

****...I can hardly wait!!! I am so hooked...

Mark