Two years ago I was knee deep in the trenches of building my house. If you’ve ever built a home, you know that so many aspects require attention to detail, it’s easy to get lost and confused. If you’re a reef aquarist like me, then it is inevitable that at some level, reef aquariums factor into your construction plan. Building, or even large scale renovation, creates a perfect canvas for a reefer to create their dream working environment. There is so much that can be done when building that doesn’t greatly impact cost, which will make your aquarium maintenance life much easier down the road. Over the course of building my home, and eventually designing an entire fish level, I learned some dos and some don’ts – if you’re seeking the optimal place to pursue your hobby. Many of these ideas could easily be applied to an existing room, or used if you wish to turn a room of your home into a dedicated fish room. 
Go for the basement level: Basement levels are often the perfect place to keep utilities. Pressure tanks, hot water heaters and furnaces are all loud, and take up copious amounts of space. When designing my house, the basement level was initially added to serve the sole purpose of a utility area. Upon closer inspection, it became clear it was also perfect for a fish room. Being below grade, and on a cement floor, means that there is no tank too large, and weight stress on the home’s structure becomes a non-issue when working in the basement. Utilities and aquarium equipment share a lot of similarities. One, they both can be loud, and are often best left un-seen. Protein skimmers, sumps and other filtration devices are cool, and hardcore reef keepers love to dissect their equipment, though they don’t offer anything aseptically pleasing, especially if you seek to re-create a natural environment. Using a dedicated fish room, or in my case fish level, allows you copious amounts of working room to hide various filtration equipment. If you’re handy with building, or using a team of contractors, building or renovating is the perfect time to create the stand, cabinets and custom design YOU want. When laying out my fish room, I decided to tie two large fish only systems together, on one massive sump, which is hidden behind cabinetry which matches the rest of the home’s style and décor.… More:
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