Room for many things...

My intent is to create a space attached to the house, 3 m wide x 4 m long, built of prefabricated and insulated sheetmetal.

To prepare the ground to withstand such elevated load, a reinforced concrete slab, 25 cm thick, has been calculated. The slab top shall match my living-room finished floor grade.

This space shall be exclusively used for all the tasks related to my new aquarium. It shall house an area with kitchen cabinets and a sink, which shall serve as a “mini-laboratory”, the support to place the sump, another one for reactors, and a third one for the quarantine aquarium. Most of the surface shall be occupied by the table that will bear the aquarium.

I mean all areas to be easily accessible, because, luckily, I have enough space for that.

Another concern is to create a perimeter space on top of the table and along the aquarium to easy access to work in the aquarium, with a ladder useful and safe to climb onto the aquarium platform.

To make the most of a chimney I have to intercept to be able to build the enclosure, I want to place an exhaust fan of significant dimensions to remove all hot air that would condensate in the upper area of the room due to the heat generated by the HQI. With a plain thermostat, it shall work when ambient temperature rises over a prefixed limit.

Also, I have located potable water, drain, and power outlets to serve as necessary. I also think that it would be recommendable to provide the room with a catch basin flush with the floor, to collect any water that may drop due to overflows or a “catastrophe”…

Pipes, pipes, and more pipes...

Today I have spent all the afternoon designing the hydraulic diagram of the system.
I Intend that the two 2” main lines that come out of both overflow boxes get to the first compartment of the sump, which has the pump that supplies the skimmer.

I have thought of creating a redundant backfeed circuit with two pumps that would work alternating every week. Moreover, I want to place a water flow sensor so that if a pump fails, it connects the other pump immediately, and starts an alarm sign. Of the backfeed circuits I intend to create, one shall have a inserted chiller, and the second one shall have the ultraviolet germicide.

As these get to the tank, both circuits shall be mixed with a mixing tube, and shall inject water to the rear and the bottom parts of the aquarium.

The “close loop” I intend to make shall have pumps at the bottom of the aquarium to avoid needless sections of pipe that reduce the water flow to be moved.

In addition, in one of the recirculating circuits, I shall place a valve with outlet to the drain system so that I can empty the aquarium easily when I need to do a water change.

I have calculated all the pipeline taking into consideration the flows provided by the pump and the sump line manufacturer. Despite it may seem exaggerated, I have preferred to install a 2” pipe to let out coming water run by gravity towards the sump with the least possible friction.

An aquarium that looks like a swimming-pool…

Well, the design for my new aquarium is ready! It shall have two additional internal overflows, 30 cm L x 20 cm W each. I have calculated glass thicknesses, and these have resulted approximately 15 mm. To prevent glass bends due to water pressure, glasses shall have a top perimeter reinforcement, and a central one.

As I want it to have a closed recirculating pump system, I have planned for the use of 3 nozzles at all aquarium sides, and an outlet to each recirculating pump at each side of the rear part of the aquarium.

Moreover, I have prepared inlets at the tank base to place water injectors to stir the refuse that may accumulate on the areas hidden by rocks as requested or constantly. I have planned to place the water inlet from the sump at the rear or the aquarium. I suppose that this could be a bit unsightly, but I think that it is the best way for water to recirculate in the aquarium in the most homogeneous way.

Giving shape to a new project...

To imagine having a whole room entirely dedicated to the aquarium makes me think “in style”.
The idea is to make the most of all the elements that form my current system and relocate them in the new site.

A multitude of possible combinations come to my mind for the new project, but the one that I think more about is…why not making a new larger tank?

Well, as the majority of the system items are oversized, I could use almost everything for the new aquarium.
I believe that the current tank I have has a depth deficiency. With only 50 cm depth, I have had no choice but to pile all “landscaping” so I had almost no space left to create an only-sand area.

After thinking about all this, I have decided to make a 2.2 m long x 1.2 m front to rear x 70 cm deep tank, this resulting in a theoretical volume of 1.800 litres approximately.

Improvements in my living-room...

I think that the months that have passed since I gave birth to my brand-new reef have not passed in vain. I have met very inspired people in this world, I have read quite a lot more, and I have also learnt by myself that not all told is true, and not all truths are told about this hobby.

It is said that “your footprint is your path”… Well, after perfecting several issues of my system, and after many discussions with the extraordinary person I have as wife, we have decided to accomplish improvements in our living-room, and move the aquarium to a new area.

To watch the Devil Sea aquarium video at home with our DVD player, persuaded me enough for my aquarium to become part of my living-room walls. It would be embedded on the wall as if it was an authentic open window to a coral reef.

My intention is to build some type of storage room joined to the exterior wall of my house, to house a "working room" where the aquarium would be located so that it could be seen from our living-room.

To think on being able to work on an adequate system, in a comfortable manner, and without junk piles everywhere, seems to be no more and no less than a dream.

This is why, with a mouse in my hand and the aid of an edition program, I have prepared several drafts that show the changes, and the final look we wish to become true.