Questions about setting up a fish tank in the Basement

[Bao]

Hello everyone.

I was thinking of setting up a 6 feet long tank in the basement. I want to set it up in the dinning room but there is no more space. But the basement is very dark. I will only turn on the Metal Halide for 6-7 hours a day. The corals will be fine because that's how long I run the MH everyday for the last 5 years.

So my questions are:

1) will 6-7 hours of MH be enough for my fishes? I really don't want them to suffer in darkness when the lights are not on.

2) Does anyone set up their tank in the basement? I just worry that once I set it up, I don't go down to the basement as often to take care of them. Right now, they are in the dinning room, I see them everyday so its easier to take care of them.

3) How much more electricity will go up since the basement will be in the 50s in the winter. <== this is a difficult questions.

Thanks,
Bao

 

[firstimer]

hey bao. i have a 180 in my basement. i'm running 750 watts worth of heaters just to keep it up at 78. a standard light bulb is 100 watts. do the math!!

 

[JasonandRay]

I am thinking about doing the same thing, and insulating almost everything, is this in a unfinished basement?

 

[jtmac]

The problem I had with having things in the basement was neglect. I had my entire filtration system down there. It was great to have the space but I never went down there to check on things. Now that I have moved it all back upstairs accept the water making system that I feed through the floor for top off and water changes, I clean and care for it better resulting in a better looking DT.

 

[BEReefer]

I have both my 46 and 90 gallon in my finished basement along with my 65 inch HD TV, so I spend alot of time there especially during football season. My 46 is built into the wall so I have plenty of room for the sump and refugium. My 90 is in the open but am hoping to sometime build it into the wall also. there are many advantages to having a built in wall tank (doesn't use up space in the living area, lots of room for all the equipment, tanks, etc., looks great), but what I like best is that since the fish are fed from the back of the tank they never associate people as a food source, and will act normally when you approch the tank to observe them instead of collecting at the top of the tank looking for food. What a better saltwater experence, its like scuba diving in your own house.

 

[JayM]

if the basement isn't finished, and you aren't down there EVERY DAY for something else, it takes a BIG effort to go down and check it...believe me, I have had my system in a basement for 19 months.

the good news is, that's going to change very soon

to answer your questions, the MH will be fine for your corals, but I would add some actinic and keep your photoperiod longer.

on the heat....if the space is unfinished, you will have difficulty getting your tank form the ambient air temp in the 50's up to 78, no matter how many heaters you put in. You will spend a LOT on electricity if the tank is not going into a finished/insulated area.