Tank in the attic?

[Drzy]

Hey folks. Does anyone have any experience with an in-wall tank with the tank/equipment in the attic, or can you provide some pros or cons for this idea? In my upcoming new home the side of the game room backs to an attic storage area, and the wall seems to be screaming "put an in-wall tank here." This would not be a large tank since it'd be in an attic and thus have no foundation beneath it.... maybe 30 gallons? I'd love to use my current 55 if it's possible, but that's probably too much.

The obvious problem is the temperature... attics get hot hot hot in the summer and ice cold in the winter. The winter's not a big problem... heaters are cheap... but in the summer, would a chiller be enough to counteract the heat? I'd also install as many good exhaust fans as needed to blow the hot air and moisture directly out of the attic.

What do you think? Is this doable? I'm meeting with the builders next Wednesday to talk about how we'll frame the house, so if you know anything I should bring up with them that'd be appreciated.

[hobogato]

you might be able to wall off and insulate a little fish room in the attic to avoid the heat issue.

[Bill S]

With as much of a problem as heat is for us, I'd avoid that UNLESS you either: 1) go Fish Only or 2) use a Solaris LED light for it. Ace's idea MIGHT work, especially if you can ventilate the area well and/or put in a window unit for your "fish room".

[cpreefguy]

I wouldnt do it unless you can wall off a little room as Ace suggested. Without the isolated room I see too many variables that could go wrong

[Drzy]

Cool, thanks for the info. I like the walling off idea, although it'll be somewhat of a last resort just because it'd be nice to not do the work if I don't need to.

My main tank (reef) would be downstairs, and I was debating whether to make this reef or FOWLR. I could make it FOWLR and use fake corals, similar to the Helotes El Chaparral tank. I think my last remaining question is, how effective are chillers? Do they work well enough that the water temperature will be fine, and it's just the room heat that's an issue? If I can't control the water temp all bets are off, but if I can do that then I'm sure I can swing something to make the attic bearable. The fish are my main concern, attics are meant to be hot.

Sorry if I'm sounding like one of those people who asks for advice, gets told that it's not a good idea, and proceeds to say "screw you, I'm doing it anyway." I'm just tryin' to find a way. :)

[Ram_Puppy]

DrZy,

I have a JBJ Artica Nano chiller that can drop a 40 gallon tank 8 degrees below ambient temperature.

I also have another suggestion that I think you should investigate for your whole home, not just the area w/ your tank.

Radient Barrier.

it's installed on the inside of your attic, and is sort of like a thin layer of tinfoil. My parents have this installed in their attic and I have stored a christmas tree shaped candel out there in their attic for 5 years and it has never once melted. When I go into their attic I am always amazed at how cool it is, nothing like the sweltering inferno that was the attic in the house I grew up in.

it could end up saving you a lot of money if you have it installed in the roof over the entire house. (lowers your cooling costs)

[LoneStar]

So if you do make a room in the attic, I'm assuming it will be insulated well and of course have either central or a window unit aircon running. If thats the case, then you may be ok up there. Although the dead space between the attics help cool and take the heat from the standard living quarters. I'd make sure the room is cooled and heated well enough, depending on the season.

If you decide to use a chiller, I wouldn't place it inside the attic. They are not meant to be used in areas that get that hot. Most aquarium chillers are meant to run inside houses or in well shaded areas outside, without extreme heat. Just remember, if you run a chiller inside the room, you will have to cool the hot air it produces with air conditioning some how :)

[DaBird47]

Yup, the only way to go is to frame up a Reef room, if you have a framer, it won't be that much extra. Attics get up to 140-150deg in the summer, I don't have a chiller yet but that sounds like a lot of heat to remove plus the previous concerns...