New Fishroom Build

I want to share with you my new fishroom build project. I got tired of dragging the Python around and doing water changes and ran out of space for more tanks. I was inspired by many of the club memebers fishrooms, including Cabinetmkr39 (Dave G) 360 view, and decided to build my own Fishroom.

I worked with the Dave G and came up with design that would give me lots of flexibility. The water flow design will work similar to his system. All tanks will overflow into a 55 gallon sump and water returned to each tank via PVC pipes. Water changes will be accomplished by draining the sump and refilliing it. The plan is to make water changes take 10 minutes or less! I will be installing a central air system using the Alita-60 (from Kensfish) with sponge filters.





Since the room is in my lower basement I have to run electricity and have a plumber pulll water and provide drainage ($$$)

So here we go.

My cluttered basement



My Rack kit, only the vertical boards are 2x4, all horizonal rails are made from 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood glued together and cut to length. Everthing was numbered which made it super easy to put together.









Install Electric. I decided to locate 4 outlets per section. The are positioned to miimized water dripping in to the outlets. This was my first attempt doing electric work (I am now a YouTube electrician).





I wanted to seal the wood by painting it. (I ran out and need to get some more to finish) and apply a second coat.



Thank god for Petcos $1 per gallon sale which started today 3/31/13. I bought 3 x 40 breeders and 6 x 20 Longs. I already have a 1 x 40 Breeder. The plan is to have 3 x 40's on the bottem and 1 x 40 on the top with 6 x 20L lenghtwise. Thats 280 gallons




As I make more progress I'll keep you posted.

Very cool project.

I think with that stand design, all of the load is on the bolts (vs. the wood). If you added additional support beams under the horizontals, you'd be supporting wood with wood. Also, a piece of wood connecting the back and front legs wouldn't be a bad idea.

Are you planning to heat the sump and use that as a central heater?

Matt

support

dogofwar said:

Very cool project.

I think with that stand design, all of the load is on the bolts (vs. the wood). If you added additional support beams under the horizontals, you'd be supporting wood with wood. Also, a piece of wood connecting the back and front legs wouldn't be a bad idea.

Are you planning to heat the sump and use that as a central heater?

Matt

Click to expand...

The load is on the wood. it is all Dado cuts (wood to wood) and the Bolts are just for extra support.

Matt. Those tank support frames are all in Dados on each leg. they are fully supported by the wood. bolts are there to hold it together. In the forth picture you can see the numbers there in the dado.

Excellent

Matt

cabinetmkr39 said:

Matt. Those tank support frames are all in Dados on each leg. they are fully supported by the wood. bolts are there to hold it together. In the forth picture you can see the numbers there in the dado.

Click to expand...

Sweet build. Keep us posted on progress.


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Looks nice. Interested to see what the end out 20Longs look like... just growout tanks, or will you be scaping them?

One glaring item that I noticed... please swap one of the outlets for a GFCI outlet. age old equation of Water + Electricity = Bad things.

Cool stuff though!

Did you get the 20L's at petco?

that is just impressive!

Yep, got 6x 20long and 3 X 40 breeders $1 per gallon does not get any cheaper

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Awesome man!!! Looks amazing. You said you were doing mostly Africans on that system?

Youtube electrician, lol.

Very impressive, Reed!

Not sure if the rack is already in place, but ont thing I wish I had done with my setup is leave more room behind the rack for flexibility - power filters, drains, etc.

Jason - 20Ls end-wise are a great size, but sort of tough for catching fish or viewing the tank.... neither of which stopped me though. Love 20Ls, just not the best size for cramming tanks onto a rack (unless you do it that way).

Keep us posted, Reed.

Make sure you put covers on the tanks to keep down the evaporation. With end out tanks the standard glass canopies don't work the best and you will want to custom cut some with a hinge that runs front to back as opposed to side to side for an end out tank.

I learned the hard way and am in the process of tearing down half my fish room because of humidity problems.

Andy

Where is the best place to get custom covers

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Tony said:

Jason - 20Ls end-wise are a great size, but sort of tough for catching fish or viewing the tank.... neither of which stopped me though. Love 20Ls, just not the best size for cramming tanks onto a rack (unless you do it that way).

Click to expand...

So do you use them as more of a growing tank, or for viewing? Love the 20L profile in its standard orientation, very curious to
See how else its used. I've just recently become rather enamored with on end 10 gals for small dwarfs who like privacy.. Curious if the 20's would work the same.

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Hurts to say it but have to agree with Tony

End-on 20Ls are likely to prove rather unfulfilling unless you like not knowing/seeing what's happening in a tank. Access also tends to be more of a trial, but if they're bare tanks but for spawning surfaces these issues are less a problem - still likely wouldn't do it myself with anything bigger than a 15 which is a nice size tank unless it was strictly bare-bottom with a a sponge filter and pot and nothing else.

I keep 18 10s end-on in groups of six, Christine does similar with 15s, would probably choose the latter if I was starting from scratch for reasons of space, resiliency, and greater time between water changes and hence less disruption - with just single spawning pairs of dwarf cichlids per tank a month or more between water changes is not at all uncommon and in some respects desirable (like when pushing pH way down). But it's all good, and could be 20s on end would be fine as grow out tanks and maybe even better for certain Africans and/or shy types.

Thanks for the input on the End-on 20Ls. I am reconsidering swapping 3 of the 20L's for a 40 Breeder. That would give me a configuration of top row :3 x 20L's, 2 x 40b, Bottom Row: 3 x 40 Breeders. I can use the 20L's for grow out tanks and if necessary use dividers on the 40 b. I have some time since the $1 per gallon is still going on

You can buy hinges in 6' lengths from your LFS. If they don't have them ask as they can order them from both Aqueon or Marineland if they want to. Same with plastic backstrips.

For the glass you will want to take measurements and go to a local glass shop to get it cut.

Andy

Like I said, don't plan on too much viewing with a 20L end-wise. I keep groups of plecos in mine, with breeder caves up front facing the viewing pane. They appreciate the footprint and you generally don't see them outside of feeding (or in their caves) anyway....

JasonC said:

Looks nice. Interested to see what the end out 20Longs look like... just growout tanks, or will you be scaping them?

One glaring item that I noticed... please swap one of the outlets for a GFCI outlet. age old equation of Water + Electricity = Bad things.

Cool stuff though!

Click to expand...

I like the build as well, but I strongly suggest the GFI outlet as well. I'd change them all out to GFI's personally. The phrase ""YouTube electrician" scares me! While I appreciate the DIY effort(and I do it myself too), there is one thing that I hear often, being in the construction industy: Electrical work is not a hobby.