Unexpected costs of an XL reef tank

[MnFish1]

I’m in the initial brainstorming stages for an extra large (500g+) tank in our future new house. We are just starting to look at land for the home build, so probably at least 6 months from breaking ground. I’m looking to incorporate the tank, plumbing, and sump room into the home building plans and want to make sure I’m not missing anything WRT operating costs in my budget. Most things I think I can scale linearly from my 120g operating costs after 8 years of running that.

For those of you keeping large tanks, or that have considered them, is there anything to watch out for that surprised you, or might surprise me?

1. support underneath.
2. Location next to convenient water supply and drainage for water changes
3. Remember if you include those things into your building plans - it may diminish the value of your home to a potential buyer - so - I would ask whomever you're using to take into account what the space/etc could be used for for a potential buyer that doesn't want a tank.
4. Humidity.
5. The workload is going to not be 4x your current tank - but probably 20x.
6. What will happen if the tank leaks - it's a lot of water. Plan for a drain such that your home is not damaged
7. I have a whole house generator - if I had to do it again - I would use a battery system and solar

 

[Formulator]

Remember if you include those things into your building plans - it may diminish the value of your home to a potential buyer - so - I would ask whomever you're using to take into account what the space/etc could be used for for a potential buyer that doesn't want a tank.

GREAT point. This will be our second home and we expect to live there through retirement or beyond, but still important to think about. Maybe an indoor spa with jacuzzi and sauna… convert it myself when I get too old to maintain the reef!

 

[MnFish1]

GREAT point. This will be our second home and we expect to live there through retirement or beyond, but still important to think about. Maybe an indoor spa with jacuzzi and sauna… convert it myself when I get too old to maintain the reef!

also - I meant to mention. solar - unless you can afford it - only to charge a battery system that can keep things going for 3-4 days (depending on how often your power goes off - and where you live). You could check with an electrician - with regards to adding other things that you want left on in case of an emergency. Refrigerators, freezers, etc - whatever is important that you need.

 

[TinnysReef]

I built my house in 2020 with a 300 gallon in mind. Built the tank into the wall of the utility room and have been working on making the space more efficient as I realize more of what I need, despite planning as best I could at the time.

Things I did:
1). Air exchanger in the ceiling above the utility room.
2). Floor drain.
3). RODI with mixing tank and utility sink in the utility room (which has access to the back of the tank) - can mix water and do water changes without hauling anything.
4). PVC baseboards caulked at the bottom so that IF there was a leak it will all go into the floor drain and not under the baseboards and into the rest of the house.

Things I wish I did:
1). Humidistat in addition to the air exchanger.
2). Soundproofing the cabinets enclosing the tank since it's in the living room - you can always hear it. It doesn't bother me and it's just the trickling of the overflows, but guests comment on the "water noise."
3). Making the utility room bigger vs making things fit in the existing floor plan's footprint of the utility room. Never enough room to hold ALL THE THINGS.
4). Wall opening to access the tank taller (it's a tight squeeze).
5). Some kind of wipeable paneling on the walls in the utility room.

Good luck - 500 GALLONS seems very cool What kind of dimensions are you thinking?

 

[MnFish1]

Also one more thing - I would set up a quarantine tank/system that is running all the time - or at least easily set up

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

The system I am building is right around 500g when I get everything up and running.

1) Electric: I already have 400 amps in breakers in my house and I don’t have anywhere near enough power/circuitS where the tank/room is going. Adding 5 circuits and adding yet another load center. At this point, a whole house generator would be $50k due to multiple additions over 40 years. So, I am having to add 125 amp box, I chose to add a 3000w inverter with auto transfer and 4 280ah batteries to buy me time as I am also adding manual transfer switch with a 17k generator that will get human basic life support up and running, plus fish.

2) In wall dehumidifier rated for 2.2k sq ft for a fishroom that is somewhat exposed to the first floor.

3) core drill my slab in 2 spots to have water and drainage in the fish area as well as plumb my mixing station to my fish room for salt/rodi etc. I didn’t realize how expensive core cutting slabs was $6k for 2 holes.