I'm working on turning my home office into a fish room. My plan is to have a rack with a 180 gallon as the centerpiece, turn my current 90 gallon community tank into the sump down on the concrete, then either get some short tanks like UNS 60s or build some tanks myself for the top shelf to house the nano fish and shrimp. Please enjoy this ridiculously realistic rendering I made. Green is supply line, red is drain. Obviously the aquaponic planter part is not to scale 
I've ripped out the carpet, the only room in the basement that had carpet. Pretty nasty underneath with a bunch of adhesive.
I tried using every type of adhesive dissolver and scraper I could find, but I eventually had to get a diamond wheel for my grinder and grind the whole thing. It was horrible, and I hope I never have to do this again.
I've painted concrete before, and it never holds up, so I decided to go with a dye/acid etch from Direct Colors. It eventually worked out well, but I had some issues initially. The dye soaked into some parts more than others even though it had been ground down, leading to this elephant skin like effect when you look close.
I just kept putting on more and more dye until it eventually became more or less even. I think it took 7 coats instead of the two they claim. Each time spraying with a pump sprayer then backrolling. This is progress, but far from finished.
Then I applied some polish and let it cure. It was very sensitive for about a week, but I'm finally happy with how well it holds up. After that, I was finally ready to start on the stand. The legs are two 2x4s glued and screwed, and the long span is two 2x6s glued and screwed. All screws are structural GRK screws with a shear strength of ~1000lbs.
Added some plywood on the back and the top shelf. Will probably add another sheet on the middle back to help prevent racking.
I got a 180 gallon tank used for a decent price that will be the centerpiece tank. I still need to vinyl the back.
Still not positive about a stocking list for the main tank. Currently leaning toward an Oscar, an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, a couple Geophagus Sveni, Red Spot Gold Severum, some Silver Dollars, and likely some sort of pleco or catfish or maybe a bichir because my 10 year old son really wants something eel-like. AQ Advisor puts me at 104% even with an ornate bichir included in that list, so I should be fine since I'll have all the extra filtration with the terrestrial plants.
The small tanks up top will house my existing CPD, shrimp, corys, tiny plecos, and some other nano fish. I'm waffling back and forth on whether I want to tie them into the sump too. I would like the additional water volume, but I don't love trying to keep shrimp inside the tank with my current sump. Even if I didn't fish them out, they're proliferating, so maybe the sump just becomes a skittle tank.
I've ripped out the carpet, the only room in the basement that had carpet. Pretty nasty underneath with a bunch of adhesive.
I tried using every type of adhesive dissolver and scraper I could find, but I eventually had to get a diamond wheel for my grinder and grind the whole thing. It was horrible, and I hope I never have to do this again.
I've painted concrete before, and it never holds up, so I decided to go with a dye/acid etch from Direct Colors. It eventually worked out well, but I had some issues initially. The dye soaked into some parts more than others even though it had been ground down, leading to this elephant skin like effect when you look close.
I just kept putting on more and more dye until it eventually became more or less even. I think it took 7 coats instead of the two they claim. Each time spraying with a pump sprayer then backrolling. This is progress, but far from finished.
Then I applied some polish and let it cure. It was very sensitive for about a week, but I'm finally happy with how well it holds up. After that, I was finally ready to start on the stand. The legs are two 2x4s glued and screwed, and the long span is two 2x6s glued and screwed. All screws are structural GRK screws with a shear strength of ~1000lbs.
Added some plywood on the back and the top shelf. Will probably add another sheet on the middle back to help prevent racking.
I got a 180 gallon tank used for a decent price that will be the centerpiece tank. I still need to vinyl the back.
Still not positive about a stocking list for the main tank. Currently leaning toward an Oscar, an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, a couple Geophagus Sveni, Red Spot Gold Severum, some Silver Dollars, and likely some sort of pleco or catfish or maybe a bichir because my 10 year old son really wants something eel-like. AQ Advisor puts me at 104% even with an ornate bichir included in that list, so I should be fine since I'll have all the extra filtration with the terrestrial plants.
The small tanks up top will house my existing CPD, shrimp, corys, tiny plecos, and some other nano fish. I'm waffling back and forth on whether I want to tie them into the sump too. I would like the additional water volume, but I don't love trying to keep shrimp inside the tank with my current sump. Even if I didn't fish them out, they're proliferating, so maybe the sump just becomes a skittle tank.
