Fishtank in the fireplace

[MCTMike]

Hi all! I'm getting ready to get into aquarium hobbying for the first time, and I'm contemplating putting a big tank in the area of my fireplace. It sits centrally in my house, has easy access to electrical power, and doesn't get direct sun. It's BIG, too - I've got room for probably a 30 or 40 gallon tank in there (see picture).

Here's my two big questions: How much clearance do I need overhead to be able to access/maintain the tank? (I don't want to put everything in the tank and find I can't get the lid open) And is there any concern about the amount of weight that the fireplace brick will be able to withstand? Other things I'm missing?

 

[PB_Smith]

That looks like it could be a real problem for maintenance, only two sides to access and very limited top access.
Is it a hollow space under the fireplace?
I think if you can open up the wall/mantle to allow for full access to the top it could be done, otherwise it looks to be problematic.
What is on the other side? Could you use a portion of that space for filtration equipment and such?

 

[MCTMike]

>> Is it a hollow space under the fireplace?

I don't think so. I believe it's more brick or concrete supporting the top layer of bricks. There's a second fireplace in the basement, and this one lies directly above it - so it's probably one complete stack of brick/concrete.

>> What is on the other side? Could you use a portion of that space for filtration equipment and such?

Left of the fireplace as you see it is the flue for the basement fireplace, and behind it is the cabinetry for the kitchen. To get in there, I'd have to bust through the brickwork, and that doesn't sound like a good move to me.

There is quite a bit of headroom inside the fireplace proper (see attached picture), but your point is good - getting at it will be a bit challenging.

Can you give me a sense of what kind of maintenance tasks will be most difficult without easy direct access to the top of the tank? Thanks for your assistance!

 

[Brookster123]

unless you can get some kind of access panel installed I'd think you'd be best to put a bunch of candles in there rather than a tank.. it may seem like a good idea having never maintained a tank before, I can assure you'll regret it, so will your back...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[PB_Smith]

cleaning, water changes, scaping it, retrieving any critters that pass away, pretty much anything you need to do, you want to be able to easily reach each area of the tank.
I've maintained a couple of tanks that were built into a wall.......NEVER AGAIN!

That really just looks like a tough spot to do it.