The fish bench

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Drayven

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
177
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
So I've been trying to think of a way to get a tank into my rather small living room and I think I've finally come up with something and I just wanted to get some feedback on it. Basically what I'm thinking is that I build a good solid bench that has enough room inside it to hold a 55 gallon long fish tank (48x13x20) and doubles as seating. As you can see from the picture below the tank would be about 2" off the ground and the entire top of the bench would be padded for seating. The seating portion of the bench would flip up allowing access to the top of the tank for feeding, cleaning, etc. what I'm looking for is advice to see if I'm over looking anything. Also I'm curious how disturbing it would be for fish to be near ground level where they constantly see feet moving around and will undoubtedly be starred at by the cats and dog. And the last question is how much do you think a subwoofer being about a foot from a tank would bother the fish?

fishbench.jpg
 
Wow that's a very interesting and bold thought. I think as far as seeing ppl walking by and floor movement it really depends on the traffic flow in your living room. I don't think it would be any different than having a tank in a high traffic area (ie. a kitchen or large living room) but the concern for me would be the mention of dogs. My dogs (Australian shepards) are nuts and knock in to anything on their level which would def. be the tank in your case. That would be very bad for the fish because it stresses them out each time they have to go through the aftermath of the thrashing. Also something to consider is peoples feet and accidentally hitting the tank with them while sitting down and you'd obviously have to be worried about that with a glass set up. As for the subwoofer, IMO not a good idea. The bass and constant knocking that comes from them would stress the fish out pretty bad. All in all this is only my opinion and common observation. Good luck with it and should you go through with it pictures are def. wanted :)
 
I like the originality of your idea and it has not been done before probably because it poses some unique challenges such as: oxygen, humidity (water and wood usually add up to moisture and rot). Also, sitting and kicking your feet accidentally on the fish's home is like putting your head underwater in a bathtub and banging on the sides. You may want to go back to the drawing board and look at a way to build up into a shelving unit, get rid of some other furniture, find another room, or maybe a 29g nano tank. I use a 44g high corner tank that literally just takes up about two feet by two feet.:bowl:
 
Thanks for the feedback, some good stuff to think of.

As far as oxygen goes, the tank isn't going to be sealed completely into the bench. The bench is more like a stand for the tank. Both ends of the bench will be open and the back will also be open. I plan on leaving about 6" of space behind the tank for filters and such. In my mind when the bench seat is lifted up you will be looking down on teh top of a normal aquarium with a glass lid. I figure I'll probably need 4" of space or so between the top of the tank and the bottom of the seat for room for lights. So i don't think oxygen will be a big concern as there should be plenty of airflow around the tank.

I've considered the kicking issue too and it's something I'm trying to work out. The thing is though this bench will likely very rarely be used as a seat it's just overflow seating for when we have too many people over which is like twice a year. For the most part we have a pretty quiet house with just me and the fiance.

The dog is a concern just because her tail tends to bang on things, I think I might have to build a quick mock up and see if it's an issue. I think she's actually tall enough that her tail wouldn't come near the glass part.
 
IMO..

oxygen will be an issue
heat in the summer will be an issue
condensation will be an issue
corrosion will be an issue
salt creep will be everywhere

The subwoofer is the least of the issues you'll deal with...

Sounds like a project and a half.. Be interested to follow along and see how it works out in the long run
 
Well we do have central air so heat shouldn't be a factor and it'll be freshwater so no salt concerns. I just hope i'm describing it correctly because it sounds like there might be an image of building a fish tank into the bench like one of those coffee tables. But it's more like building one of those double stack fish tank stands but instead of there being a 2nd tank on the top it'll be seating and I'll just be setting an off the shelf aquarium into the base.
 
aside from the above mentioned concerns, i have one that i had thought about the minute i saw this thread. if your living room is that small, how are you going to even see the fish?
 
Not being saltwater alleviates some of the obstacles. Low level fluorescents might not be a heat issue, air stones help w/ o2, a small fan placed in the back would help w/ condensation..

Ok, I'm on board... The height is a worry.. feet, vacuum, etc.. and the skittishness (is that a word) of the fish w/ the animals, feet, legs, etc....

Go for it
 
Just make sure that your top seat is sturdy and nobody with a body mass index (BMI) greater tha 1.3 sits on it or they may drop in and surprise your fish.
 
It's definitely an interesting idea. If it's going to be on the floor, you may want to tack up a molding the goes around it to safe guard it from the vacuum,feet, etc. Also with the bench part, if you mounted the bench on the wall with a hinge and plan to lower it for extra company, you could also install a drop guard on the bench so when you unfold it a piece of wood will cover the front of the tank thus preventing people from accidentally kicking it with their heels while sitting. My only concern would be if that hinge broke, you'd have some very wet guests sitting in your tank.
 
What if you had the front of the bench be a plexiglass window. That way, even if it did get bumped, you wouldn't worry about the tank breaking, and if you made sure it was really clean when you set it up, you probably won't even notice.

Also, seems like you could just screw the light fixtures to the bottom of the hinged benchtop, so that if you need to work on the tank, one less thing to worry about.

I agree on the fan for condensation, if it gets really bad, maybe a dehumidifier or something. Water changes are going to be a pain unless you have a python/gravelvac setup to the faucet, have a pump in the tank to pump water out, or you are able to maintain a decent siphon.

Looking forward to following this thread!
 
I thoughta bout the plexi glass window but figured it was another to try and keep clean. One idea I'm toying around with is creating a roll top door that would slide down over the front so if I was gonna have company over that might need to sit on the bench I'd slide the door down and hide the tank.
 
This a very interesting idea, hope you do it, and living in Ann Arbor i am hoping your a Michigan fan (Go Blue)
 
Well I'm not that handy but the fiance's dad has been doing carpentry as a hobby for alot of years and my dad is an electrician so I've got that all covered. And if it gets really crazy my brother is a mechanical engineer :p

As for adding another room. That's not limited by my handiness but by my wallet :)
 
Who is really going to kick a tank that is a bench? only children. a dogs tail? please.

One DIY tank I saw had a stand and canopy in the shape of a treasure chest. If you start out with a hope chest sort of design, you will not have to worry about strength. teak of course would be the best wood, but that costs $$$ so get a good urethane on the pine. If you make jagged cuts on the front, it would look like the treasure chest was broken into, then some gold doubloon in the tank for color... lol

the subwoofer, as long as it isnt pointed at the tank will be a very muffled to the fish. they depend upon air movement, not high pressure. we are talking about a TV sub, and not one for your rock bands PA right?
 
Yeah just my surround sound sub and I'm gonna move it to the other side of the room to be safe. And yeah I'm not too worried about the kicking thing since I do everything in my power to keep kids out of my house :) As for the dog's tail, it's actually the main concern I have. I don't think she'd break it but her tail packs a punch and could make a pretty good smacking sound. Not sure if you've ever been thwapped by a pitbull terrier's tail but it's sorta like a whip.
 
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