Debating fish room

[ahud]

Some good points brought up, I appreciate it.

I am building a shop regardless. I could make it a little bigger just to be safe I suppose. I could always throw up some interior walls.

The thread on the house fire is extremely scary. That is one reason why I do not want a fish room in the house. There are too many problems associated with it. At one time, I had about 15 tanks in a spare bedroom. I had a few spills that were a PITA to deal with, along with a constant humidity problem in the winter. I even got a pretty bad shock from a wet surge protector. Anything over a couple of tanks would need to be outside of the house.

The most important thing to me is my budget. Adding a specialized room is out of the question (cement pad, electrical costs, extra plumbing, etc). Moving my study to an outbuilding would be nice, but then I would have to look at finishing the outbuilding, versus having a bare bones shop. Things to consider.

 

[esoxlucius]

If i had a fish room it would double up as a man cave too. A bar, big tele, maybe a pool table. I'd spend all my time in there and hardly see the wife and kids, now that's win win all round in my book.

 

[johnnytaboo]

When I lived in a townhouse I had tanks spread all over my basement, which was also my TV room. My wife never liked the filter noises (though she appreciated how warm that room was in the winter!).

When we moved into a single family, I claimed a basement bedroom as my fish room and had it all set up the way works best for me. This pleased my better half because she's not particularly into this hobby (to say the least). I do admit though, I miss having the tanks in a room I spend a lot of time in. My fish room is just that, and nothing else. I miss turning my head from whatever show I was watching to stare down the length of my 180 which I positioned next to my seat on the couch.

So I guess, if you are building the room, make sure you incorporate another function, otherwise it runs the risk of feeling like something you just maintain as opposed to something you enjoy.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Set up the fish room as a man cave/fish room,add weapons and other decor (skulls,posters etc)a chair /sofa and either a tv and/or gaming system

 

[esoxlucius]

Set up the fish room as a man cave/fish room,add weapons and other decor (skulls,posters etc)a chair /sofa and either a tv and/or gaming system

By the time me and you have decorated his fish room for him the poor guys only gonna have room for a nano tank, haha.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

We'd have to add another level lol

 

[ahud]

I have decided to contain my hobby in my office. I am still going to build the outbuilding extra large to give me the option to expand in the future, just in case. Two random factors helped me decide. I love Joey's (aka "The King of DIY") office setup. His most recent video on his shell dweller tank made the wheels start turning in my head. Additionally, a fellow aquarist I have followed for years left the hobby due to burnout.

I'm looking for layouts that accommodate a few sizable tanks in one room. I know I want two long and low tanks for dwarf cichlids. If I do 6'x1'x1' (45 gallon) tanks I can potentially stack them. I would like to fit in two additional large tanks, but I doubt I will have the room in the office. So I may have to settle for just one large aquarium for Central American cichlids. I would love an 8'x4'x2'.

I'm sure I will try the fish room eventually, but I am not ready to commit the time and money.

 

[ragin_cajun]

I'm in the same situation as you. I have a very large tank in my office, I'm thinking seriously of removing the sofa and putting a couple 180's in its place. It's just....it's a lotta glass in the house, if something happens it'll flood the office off the master bedroom.

I figure the more tanks you have, the more likely you'll have one bust.

But....building a shop outside in the backyard is kinda pricey.

 

[Bandit87]

I agree. The outbuilding would give a good place to hide out. Cant go wrong with a 8X3 either! If your not up to all the work, why commit?

 

[ahud]

I think a couple of large display tanks are easier to maintain than a fish room.

Spills have always worried me, along with humidity problems. Those two factors are for sure benefits to having your aquariums outside of the home. But I am considering 4 tanks. If one of the large tanks leaked, I would be up fecal creek. The smaller ones would not be as big of a deal.

I am trying to come up with plans in my head to make the office space work. I wish I knew an architect to bounce ideas off of. If I could have the office butting up to the garage then I could potentially place the tanks in the garage, but viewable from the office. Sort of like an in-wall build with the actual tank resting on the garage floor. Does that even sound feasible?