Der ABT October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 (edited) Well we have moved, tank hasnt made it over yet but plan to have it over soon, and would like to have the fish room ready for it. basically have a small area in the furnace room next to my office behind the finished basement. It will be an inwall tank with 3 sides exposed in the fishroom. Here are some issues im looking for guidnace with 1. Waterproofing - its a concrete floor and the wall the tank will go into is the finished portion of the house....so we just put down new carpet and i dont want a leak/spill/whatever to destroy the new carpet by going under it....is there a coating, membrane,rubber mat etc that should be used...other thought was to put down vinyl flooring or tiling everything. Other thought was to make a tub around the tank to catch water and then put a pipe over to the sump just in case but i still worry about water spilling on the floor etc. 2. leveling- floor is unlevel where the tank will sit (slab was poured in the 50s and they had a bad day) I was thinking of using the self leveling cement and buiding it up a little prior so that and water would run back towards the sump pump in the corner not towards teh finished basement. Or to tile the it to do the same (level/angle towards the sump. My fear in doing this would be that the weight of the tank (156g) and other tanks (frag/sump/etc) woudl end up just cracking the cement and or tiles and make them worthless. I do not want to jackhammer the floor to build a drain to the sump but if i have to i guess i could do that. So really i want to get the floor/waterproofing worked out then i can work on the electrical/ducting and actually building everythign out, then comes the transfer. Thanks for any input, if you have pics of what you did that would be SWEET, if anyone has a good program they could suggest to do some rendering i would appreciate it. here is the basics of what im dealing with where the finished basement is on the other side of the lefthand wall...i want to seal the bottome off as best i can. Tank will go on this back wall with only one side visible from the finished basement Edited October 30, 2012 by Der ABT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 floor drain. I'll jackhammer it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 i wouldnt worry about the uneven floor if you are building a stand to hold the tank. you can just level it by cutting vertical supports so that the surface the tanks sits on is level. If you are using an existing stand that may get a little tricky but i guess you could try to shim it to level but thats not really ideal. If you decide to pour concrete just use regular concrete from home depot, and form it up so that you make sure the new concrete is at least 3 inches in depth, if you go too thin its not going to have any strength and its just going to crack. also use some wire mesh for reinforcement (placed in middle of concrete) on the new slab and try to score the old concrete surface first so that it is rough so the new concrete will bond better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 i just re-read your post and i think you were talking about adding concrete to change the slope of the floor, but not necessarily you were talking about the floor underneath the tank? not sure. I would take zygote up on his offer. putting in a floor drain is the way to go in the long run, do it right the first time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT October 30, 2012 Author Share October 30, 2012 Yeh i was just talking about adding some to the existin floor under the tank not the entire thing. floor drain is what i really wanted to do as the sump is just off to the right corner of the pic so it wouldnt be that bad. but still a PIA.....was hoping there would be an easier way (aka build it up some with tile/concrete etc so the water would flow over to the sump...or just use something so seal off the floor to the finished part (left side of pic) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 A floor drain is almost worth the jackhammer. I had one once in a fish room and it was heaven. Things people often overlook.... Ventilation. Find a way to get at least a 4" duct line out of the room. You can attach a 4" inline blower from a pot-supply store and control it with a cheap humidistat. Otherwise basement sump rooms are always damp and everything (including your HVAC) will corrode. It is easy to add while roughing in wiring. Drilling he whole through brick can be an adventure though. The other thing is an outside airline for the skimmer. Just drill a hole for a 1/2" or 3/4" PVC line on an outside wall. Run that to line to your skimmer, and you will never have a problem with seasonally low pH again. It is. 15 minute $5 project when building the room. A PITA to add later. Another design feature.... Get the sump off the floor. It is best to have it at least waist-high. It reduces the noise and hassles of the overflows and makes water changes easier. You can use the space below for your saltwater mixing station then just pump it up for water changes. Just a couple of thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 I don't have any suggestions about leveling the floor to the drain but for my tank room I did waterproof the walls to protect the other rooms. I used Sherwin Williams Tile Clad epoxy on the floors and 12" up the walls. I made sure to put plenty on the bottom plate of the walls. I then came back through with silicone calking and ran a bead along the floor and bottom plate. I did this along all 4 walls of the fish closet. There is a sump in that room but the floor is not sloped to it. I figured with a 2x4 bottom plate, as I can have up to ~1"-1.5" of water and by then it will overcome any negative slope and flow to the sump. I haven't gotten anywhere near that much water but have had some minor floods. Nothing has escaped the fish room. I also did the same approach at the bottom of my stand on the interior surfaces. I have had my sump overflow many a time and I basically have a 1.5" deep well that holds all that water before it escapes to the floor. Works well there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 You probably don't really want to dump saltwater into your sump anyway. If you put in enough for the sump to kick on, then it will pump it into the yard. Do that too much and you'll kill your grass. A jackhammer and adding a floor drain to your house drain is a great idea, but not to the sump pump, especially if someone is offering to help you do it. You can rent a 35 pound electric Makita for $50 for 24 hours. You could open up the entire basement floor with that in 24 hours. It goes in like it's cutting butter, and it's fun to use. Then it's a matter of digging out the dirt under the slab along the path to the main drain pipe, cutting that cast iron pipe with a sawzall to put in a PVC Tee with some armored Fernco no-hub couplers, running a PVC line to where you want the drain, ending it in a trap, bury it all with the dirt you saved from the digging out, and cover it up with the cement you would have had to use to level the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 30, 2012 Share October 30, 2012 You probably don't really want to dump saltwater into your sump anyway. If you put in enough for the sump to kick on, then it will pump it into the yard. Do that too much and you'll kill your grass. A jackhammer and adding a floor drain to your house drain is a great idea, but not to the sump pump, especially if someone is offering to help you do it. You can rent a 35 pound electric Makita for $50 for 24 hours. You could open up the entire basement floor with that in 24 hours. It goes in like it's cutting butter, and it's fun to use. Then it's a matter of digging out the dirt under the slab along the path to the main drain pipe, cutting that cast iron pipe with a sawzall to put in a PVC Tee with some armored Fernco no-hub couplers, running a PVC line to where you want the drain, ending it in a trap, bury it all with the dirt you saved from the digging out, and cover it up with the cement you would have had to use to level the floor. Wow. Sounds like some real pro advice from someone who's done this a time or two. Glad to hear the 35# demo hammer is up for something like this. I picked up a Hitachi unit this summer to remove some cracked and settling patio slab in the back yard. Unfortunately, the summer got by me and it looks like it'll be a Spring project now. Any advice on using it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM October 31, 2012 Share October 31, 2012 Wow. Sounds like some real pro advice from someone who's done this a time or two. Glad to hear the 35# demo hammer is up for something like this. I picked up a Hitachi unit this summer to remove some cracked and settling patio slab in the back yard. Unfortunately, the summer got by me and it looks like it'll be a Spring project now. Any advice on using it? The bust-up will be simple. It probably came with a chisel type head and a pointed head? The point worked fine when I was putting in two basement bathrooms (mine and my neighbor's), but you might as well try them both. Put on your eye and ear protection, keep your toes out of the way, set it on the concrete and pull the trigger. You don't even have to push. It will work it's way in. If you let it go too far in one spot you'll have a heck of a time pulling it back out because it will work it's way down into a hole. Hardest part will be schlepping away the broken stuff, but if you cut it into small enough pieces maybe you can use them as base to support your new pour if you want to buy less CR-6 aggregate. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 31, 2012 Share October 31, 2012 The bust-up will be simple. It probably came with a chisel type head and a pointed head? The point worked fine when I was putting in two basement bathrooms (mine and my neighbor's), but you might as well try them both. Put on your eye and ear protection, keep your toes out of the way, set it on the concrete and pull the trigger. You don't even have to push. It will work it's way in. If you let it go too far in one spot you'll have a heck of a time pulling it back out because it will work it's way down into a hole. Hardest part will be schlepping away the broken stuff, but if you cut it into small enough pieces maybe you can use them as base to support your new pour if you want to buy less CR-6 aggregate. 8) Yes, both. I was thinking about using the pointed one to break out chunks that I'd then haul away or, more likely, use to fill the depression below the slab that I'll have to tamp down and pour over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosco's Reefs October 31, 2012 Share October 31, 2012 I never cease to be amazed at the levels of expertise that come out of this club...and all for $20 bucks a year! Go WAMAS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT November 1, 2012 Author Share November 1, 2012 Thanks for all the suggestions, a floor drain would be very nice but the house drain is on the other side of the house so there is no way to tap into it. Sump is the only way to exit water from the house, not ideal but im ok killing some grass vs flooding the finished part of the basement. So im looking at doing a floor drain, wife isnt on board with cutting a hole in teh slab but we will see. also looking at Por-15, sani-tred, and a schluter ditra underlay and framing in the room around the floor to make it waterish proof/make it so a flood would end up into the sump pump if there was a drain on this side of the basement it would be a no brainer...but of course there isnt.... ventilation i was planning on venting out one of the windows in my office (next room on the otherside of the furnace). hopefully ill get some stuff done this weekend and have a plan of action and or have started on it. going to try and sketch some stuff up so any other suggestions thoughts would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM November 1, 2012 Share November 1, 2012 Here's a few suggestions from what I'd been planning to do. Install this on the walls adjacent to the finished part. It's what the glassreef.com guy put up: http://www.homedepot.com/Lumber-Composites-Paneling-Fiberglass-Reinforced-Plastic-Panels/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbqo3/R-100389836/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.UJLckYZ1NCM Then do like others suggested here to caulk around the floor and stuff to prevent water getting in to the finished part and make a pan to catch it in event of spills. Then what if you elevated the aquarium sump about 2 feet off the ground instead of putting it on the floor and plumbed in some PVC drain pipe along the walls leading to drain into the sump at about knee height. You can have a P trap at the very end and water changes could come out of the sump and into that P trap (not a vapor trap, just a convenient way to turn the angle up to vertical). Or were you planning on using the sump just to catch emergencies? If that's the case, then I'd get a big shallow tub or two, maybe from the storage section of KMart or something, push them under the aquarium sump tank and put a couple of garden hose bulkheads in them and run a hose across the utility part of the basement and to the sump pit. Would get the water there and prevent a flood at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT November 1, 2012 Author Share November 1, 2012 ok guess im not explaining this all that well, here is a sketch i did of the room bottome left is the finished wall, top to the left of the frag tank/stand is the sump pump (top left is the ac/vent) I am just planning for flooding emergencies, i would like to seal off the finished area/floor joing to prevent and water from getting under there, a rubber coating will probalby do the trick and build it up a few inches to hopefully hold water to the point it runs back to the sump.... floor drain would be best for the emergency but the wife is not to keen on it (and its more time involved i think) but this will be the basic layout (well the plan right now (55g drum may or maynot be there for RO/top up water. hope this helps with the set up vision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami November 1, 2012 Share November 1, 2012 Is this a concrete floor, Evan, in the utility room? And it's only for holding water for emergency purposes, right? How about some sort of plastic L-channel caulked into place along the walls and some sort of threshold at the doorway? At least, if it flooded it would remain contained. You'd then use a rubber driveway squeegee to direct the water toward your sump cover (which would be open to allow water to drain in). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS November 1, 2012 Share November 1, 2012 Your plan (and issues) has a lot of similarities to my room. Take a look at my build thread for some ideas or come by sometime to see it in real life and chat about the issues. Is there a considerable sloped away from the sump? One thing I found is that for most of my common spills where I don't have standing water or it hasn't spilled enough to overcome the slope, I just use a 12" squeegee and push the water towards the sump as part of my cleanup. I don't bother with mops and wet vacs, just the squeegee and then maybe a towel to pick up the remaining dampness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS November 1, 2012 Share November 1, 2012 squeegee jink... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami November 1, 2012 Share November 1, 2012 squeegee jink... I was thinking the same thing. I was also thinking about how you set up the area behind your tank as a model here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco November 1, 2012 Share November 1, 2012 slope it or dam it in some way as well. Sandy taught me sump pumps fail, rainwater up through the well and into my fish room. Made it in to the bdr and now I have a insurance claim for my wood floor. Joys f home ownership! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM November 2, 2012 Share November 2, 2012 Sheesh, the sump pit is so close. If you're willing to put saltwater out in the yard you could easily hammer a drain into the middle of the room and lead it to the sump pit if the squeegee gets tiresome and you splash a lot. I was picturing it all the way across the basement like mine is for some reason. Of course, if the room doesn't slope down to the drain you just put into the middle, you're kind of back where you started of needing to squeegee it towards the drain, heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT November 2, 2012 Author Share November 2, 2012 Checking out daves thread next....basically yes its a small room, but there is a pretty good slope away from the sump....which is the only thing that may save my arguement for a floor drain... Sump pump failing makes me think to do both of them...but then again...i have 2 freaking sump pumps...now youve got me more scared....better double check my new insurance...Sorry to hear about the issues doug, guess you could put a floor drain in now haha....not that it would help. I have been looking at the two ruberized sealers i listed above to basically make a 3-5 inch tub around the fish room to hold any emergency water....i dont usually spill enough to fill anything up but at the same time ive had a hose pop out and spill a gallon or two (we have all been there im sure....so im ok with the towels and not pushing it to the sump but really im trying to plan for the worst.... i think caulking/sealing a few inches up the wall all the way around would do just fine. or whats that infomercial stuff where he seals a screen door for the bottom of the boat, i mean if i buy one i get one free....how can i not do that. Wish i had a sink in the room but oh well, next house i guess Thanks for all the advice etc...trying to do the first "fishroom: a little nicer than the last mess i had going. will document the build/solution well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott711 November 2, 2012 Share November 2, 2012 Evan, In my fish room I used pond liner to keep all the water in. It has saved me several times other times, not so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 November 2, 2012 Share November 2, 2012 Why not put some FRP panels 4' up the wall and caulk the bottom joint. Do top of room with drywall. Something like this (sideways) http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=8566-21553-8566&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3462790&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw November 2, 2012 Share November 2, 2012 If you really want to go the cool route, You could always tile it over some shower pan. You could actually drain that into the sump pump area. If it's only for emergencies then you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now