Large One Sided In-Wall aquarium?

Question

I am building a new house and want to put a 100gallon tank in an already existing 72”x24”x15” hole/indent in the wall. I am looking for advice and tips in placing the tank.

I am green when it comes to aquariums, I have been reading about aquariums a lot recently and think I spotted some grey areas in the setup:

• The in-wall aquarium is in an indent, meaning that only one side will be exposed
• I would not like to have a bulky frame around it (the house is 300 years old – I am quite particular when it comes to styling) – Will just the top horizontal flap do?
• I do not have a cabinet for all the filters etc.. will they all fit in the 4” gap behind the top horizontal flap?
• Will cleaning it be a problem? The location does not have direct sunlight but it quite well lit.

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I'm not a structural architect, but I can give you some tips.

You'll want to be sure that the floor/framing can support the weight, especially if there's open space below it. Water weight around 8.3 lbs/gallon, plus the weight of the tank, gravel, decor, and equipment. An architect/structural engineer will be better able to determine this.

You can distribute the weight better by having the length of the aquarium perpendicular to the floor joists.

Is this design intended as just a "framed" aquarium (see photo: http://www.aquariummd.com/Office%209b.jpg ), or a unit extending down to the floor? If framed, I think this will create some cleaning headaches - most tanks of this style are designed for rear or side access. You'll need enough headroom for lighting recessed above the tank that will still allow you access into the tank for filter removal if you're planning to use a hang-on type power filter - you'll need to remove the filter, pads, and uptake tube periodically for cleaning. Scrubbers and nets to reach the bottom of the tank can have fairly long handles.

For the size of tank (and dimensions if this is a custom unit) you might want to consider two hang-on filters, one at each end of the tank.

You'll need electrical circuits for filters, heaters, lighting, powerheads, etc. Back wall above the tank (and filters) would be easiest and would create a drip loop.

If to the floor, you could use a cannister filter or sump below the main tank - with a built-in cabinet appearance, you could use double cabinet doors below the tank for filter access, maybe include a few drawers or shelves for food, supplies that would be hidden. See some examples of cabinetry built so the aquarium is more or less flush to the existing walls: http://aquariumnetwork.net/PC310029.JPG , http://www.aqualease.com/aq-jpg/manz.jpg - not recessed, but could be, http://www.dovetaildesigns.net/images/Remodel/Living%20Room/Aquarium_dr_web.jpg - recessed in arched alcove

These would make access and cleaning easier - just adapt a design from a good-looking wood cabinet and stain or paint to match the existing woodwork probably already in the room for the time period.

Answer 2

The only problem i can think of is the 4 inch gap. I made a stand for my 55gal with a 40 gallon below it. The gap was about 4" also and it can be a hassle servicing the tank. I had My overhead sump filter for that tank barely fit in there. I had to put it through another hole and the light hood was just close to not even fitting throught the gap. I would suggest making the gap a little bigger (6inches +) to make it easier to service the tank as well as enough space to put decorations if any.

Also, the back part of the aquarium might be a hassle. I usually get water drips in the back and the only way to clean it is to actually take out the water to make it lighter in order to move and clean it.

As for the filters, it depends on what type of filter you are getting. For a 100 gal aquarium, i would try to get a canister filter. But since you might not have room to fit on in, get two hanging filters. The only problems with this is that it would mean that you would need a gap in the back to put the filter as well as a sufficient gap above it to service it (replace filter, etc).