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drakedeming

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drakedeming
, 01-13-2010 at 10:15 AM (8812 Views)
So after asking the wife about my bookshelf tank she nixed the idea. She did mention though I can put whatever I want in the cellar after I clean it and move the treadmill and exercise bike down there. Now some questions. I have a house built in 1880, the cellar really is a "cellar" think creepy rock walls and stuff like in a horror movie. It has a concrete floor that is not exactly level. There are also some black rat snakes that like to dwell in there in the spring before moving out to mate(I never see them enter in the fall). So my questions to you guys are:

1. Is a not quite level concrete floor really that bad if I want to put a large - 125 - 300 gallon tank in there eventually. I know I can just shim smaller tanks.
2. Has anyone else ever dealt with snakes near their tanks? I assume they will not bother them and also my tanks would be enclosed with a hood and a cabinet for everything else. Furthermore the snakes are more in the crawlspace and I only see them sitting on the water pipes next to the crawl space for about 2 weeks in the Spring. Also no one lived in the house for a year before we moved in, last spring was our second and there was a considerable amount less of the friends, only 1 or 2 noticed instead of 8 individuals the previous spring. Maybe we are really scaring them away. I also understand they might just want to sit on top of the hood since it would be pretty warm.
3. My oil heater is down there. Could this be bad? It is basically just a oil powered furnace that kicks on occasionally.
4. There are spider crickets like crazy certain times of the year, probably not a huge problem since tanks would have a hood. Does anyone know if they are poisonous to reef creatures? I doubt anyone would even know.
5. Only other negative would be it is in my cellar and not on display in the house but lack of conrete anywhere else in the house is an issue.

*I have no intention of attempting to get rid of these snakes, they are extremely good for the mice population of my kitchen and I have no problem with snakes or grabbing snakes. The second I see a poisonous snake though it will die.

OK the bonuses of the cellar are:

1. It is cool in the summer and warm in the winter!!!
2. It is a concrete floor, the only one in my house so I can have a tank larger then a 125.
3. It has direct access to the breaker box!!!
4. It has water hook ups for my RO/DI unit.
5. I can workout down there and stare at a fish tank instead of the wall.

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Updated 01-14-2010 at 02:31 AM by melev

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Comments

  1. Trido's Avatar
    For me, the negatives would outweigh the bonuses. I prefer to have my tank in my living space that I spend the majority of my time.
    IME spiders arent a worry, likely due to salt creep everywhere. I'd be real suprised if the snake were a problem other than seeking the warmth of the hood. An out of level floor can always be dealth with no matter what size of tank. The furnace shouldnt be a problem provided its working like its supposed to and vented properly. People put large tanks in their up stairs all the time, you would likely just have to support the floor by doing the structural post and beam work in the cellar. Depending on how its laid out, you might be able to just add a couple additional floor joists to support a large tank upstairs. I would recommend calling your local contractor if thats the route you want to go.
  2. drakedeming's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Trido
    For me, the negatives would outweigh the bonuses. I prefer to have my tank in my living space that I spend the majority of my time.
    IME spiders arent a worry, likely due to salt creep everywhere. I'd be real suprised if the snake were a problem other than seeking the warmth of the hood. An out of level floor can always be death with no matter what size of tank. The furnace shouldnt be a problem provided its working like its supposed to and vented properly. People put large tanks in their up stairs all the time, you would likely just have to support the floor by doing the structural post and beam work in the cellar. Depending on how its laid out, you might be able to just add a couple additional floor joists to support a large tank upstairs. I would recommend calling your local contractor if thats the route you want to go.
    Spider crickets are actually crickets, but probably nothing. I do spend 5-7 days a week working out so there would be no problem there with getting to spend time seeing my tank and enjoying it. I would also be likely to put a couch down there near it. I don't think my wife will ever let me put a tank larger then a 125 on any of the other floors in our house. I have read the older houses can support more but she is worried by the creaks and moans the floors already have. The joists above the cellar holding the next floor up are actually tree logs. about 10 inch diameter and I am pretty sure they are close to 100 years old. They just kind of scare me a little bit.
  3. melev's Avatar
    Does the cellar smell of the oil? Is it really pungent? You might try a test tank with some simple livestock to see how it fares for a bit before committing to the big one. It would be sacrificial unfortunately, not unlike the canary in the coal mine.
  4. brotherd's Avatar
    Any chance of seeing some pics of your house?It sounds really unusual.