Wall prep behind tank, and distance from wall?

[bues0022]

Happy new year!!

 

I ended the year in a much better place than it started. I began broken and divorcing, and ended happily married to a much better partner. (Rather unexpected, and a whirlwind for sure!). She’s the big reason for this post, actually. She saw my tank hidden in a corner of the basement and asked me: “why do you have something you love and spend time on hidden? That should go in the living room”

 

???

 

120 cube tank (3’ x 3’ footprint) finally getting setup in the living room. I’m doing a built-in wall unit, and the tank is the cornerstone. I’m building the stand “onto” the wall. Both holes in the bottom of the tank will be used for overflow, and I’ll have an external return. I want to keep the tank as close to the wall as possible to reduce room real estate taken up. 
 

1) what should I put on the wall behind ti tank to protect it? My past tanks have always been a distance away from the wall on their own stands, and I anticipate this will be closer. 
 

2) how close is too close? Return options would be to go between tank and wall, so that puts me about 4-6” minimum. Or, I could push the tank super close to the wall and put return in the corner by the tank/wall interface and hide it with the cabinetry I’ll be doing. 
 

I’d love your thoughts. Pic of where the tank is slated to go (half wall came down yesterday to prep for the build). Room is messy from the construction project. 

[ReefdUp]

I've always had tanks by painted walls. We use a clear plastic film over the paint (removable) - can't remember for the life of me what we used though. Maybe the carpet walkway protective film? It has always left the paint looking just as good as the rest of the room (we move a lot, so minimizing damage is a must.) We do the same for the flooring too. 

 

I always leave about 4-6" behind a tank. Things fall... snails climb... fish jump... salt creeps... Just leave enough room in case you need to reach back there.

 

Best of luck in 2022 for you!

[bues0022]

That’s an amazing idea! I was worried about having to use starboard or something similar that wouldn’t look as nice.
 

The hard part for me figuring out the distance from the wall is I am building and attaching the stand to the wall, so I’ll need to know where the tank ends up before I begin. Maybe I’ll plan for 4”, tape it out, and see what it looks like. I’ll “hide” the gap with a removable board. 

[AlanM]

You can use fiberglass reinforced panel on the wall if you'd like.  It's a bit institutional looking, but it is waterproof and easy to install if you aren't looking at it.  I used it on my walls in the sump area in the basement.