Remodeling my fish room

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#1
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#1
This will be a journal of the progress setting up my fish room. The room I have been issued is only 11.5 x 7 and also serves as the utility room (wish I had a basement). Currently in the utility room are the hot water heater, HVAC, water softener, brine tank, and my water storage unit (http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/37957-ro-water-system.html). I will attempt to shoehorn 14 tanks totaling 255 gallons into this room. I have purchased 2 gorilla racks, (rack 1) a 72” x 30” and (rack 2) a 48” x 17”. The 72” x 30” is installed around my water storage unit and will house five 20 gallon long tanks. The 48” x 17” rack will be installed across from rack 1 and will house four drilled 20 gallon high tanks, a 55 gallon sump, and four 5 gallon hex tanks. I believe this setup will take a few months to complete so I will update this post often. I will start with rack 1, once it is up and running I will be able to transfer tanks/fish and install rack 2.

I needed to move the RO unit for access and to make room for tanks.

From



To



Next step was making cross braces for the rack to help support the tanks. The cross braces will fit within the rails.



Dave (davrkw) came over to help make the 38 cross braces I needed for both racks. The cross braces look like this.



They are notched on each end to fit within the rails of the gorilla rack.





Close up



This is how the cross braces fit in the rails.



Closeup





A piece of 3/4" plywood will sit atop the cross braces.

I will update this thread with posts as I complete steps.....DC
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#2
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#2
A little progress today.

Put the cross braces in the stand.



Lined them up to be under the frames of the tanks.



Ran the electrical for the water storage unit.



Placed the 3/4" plywood down, put one row of screws in and test fitted a tank









Next step is shimming the cross braces and figuring out the tank accessory (lights, CO2 manifold PVC CO2 Manifold - The Planted Tank Forum, airlines, electrical, etc.) mounting......DC
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#3
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#3
I spent the morning putting tanks in the stand to try some things out. I need to get these tanks going to move fish around.



I am thinking those 65 watt 6500K floodlights might be the ticket. They seem bright enough.



I like the way they fit into the top frame of the tank.



I think using these lights will work and not take up much room, I sure can use the extra clearance.



Yup, think I will order 3 more of those floodlights, if they do not provide enough light I can always double them up. Looks like I have the lighting clearance problem solved.



These tanks will be stable enough to move fish into and I will concentrate on plumbing the air and CO2 next......DC

 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#4
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#4
Did some electrical work today. I mounted power strips above the tanks on some of the cross braces we made. I used 4 power strips.

2 of these are installed for the lights and heater. It has a digital timer that controls one bank and the other bank is constant power. If you have a Target in your area, hurry down they are on clearance for $9.99.





I use a fire shield power strip on every one of my tanks. One is installed on this rack and is used as the distribution point for the other power strips.





Here is one of the digital timers being used to control 2 lights and 2 heaters.



On the right is a digital timer strip, on the left is the fire shield. It has 3 power strips, the air pump, and the Diatom connected to it. (The Diatom is temporary, currently cleaning tanks.)



This is the air pump that will power the 10 sponge filters, I got it at JEHMCO Main . The last tank (#5) will be installed in this opening.



The first power strip from this angle is just a regular power strip with an 8-foot cord to reach the fire shield strip. This power strip will control the powerheads, I want to turn them all off during water changes. This is the easiest way to do that, can turn them all off at once with one switch.



I have an old air manifold temporarily connected to 6 sponge filters until I can get a new one made. I have eco in the middle tank where the Galaxy Rasboras and a RCS colony will go. The 2 right tanks have red soilmaster select (what's in my Heckel tank); one tank will be a Apistogramma agassizii harem, one tank will be a Apistogramma cacatuoides 'triple red' harem. The 2 left tanks will have a charcoal/onyx sand mix and may contain different strains of Endler's and Shrimp colonies. More to come.......DC
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#5
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#5
Looks like an awesome project.

We're planning on building a fish room... at some point :)

We went to a presentation a while back on a cool fishroom with automated water changing, etc. It was really informative.

By the way, if you live in an earthquake zone, make sure you brace your racks or otherwise secure them.
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#6
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#6
Lotus said:
Looks like an awesome project.

We're planning on building a fish room... at some point :)

We went to a presentation a while back on a cool fishroom with automated water changing, etc. It was really informative.

By the way, if you live in an earthquake zone, make sure you brace your racks or otherwise secure them.
Click to expand...
It has been fun so far. Good luck building yours. I have seen some automated water changers, they are nice, unfortunately I have several tanks spread out all over the house and it would be impractical for me. Haven't felt any tremors here, I hear you though, was stationed in Southern California for 9 years.......DC
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#8
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#8
seastaar88 said:
nice! ..i might have to stop at target during lunch....!

what are the tanks in the fishroom going to be used for, since you have tanks throughout the house? quarentine? plant surplus?
Click to expand...
I will continue farming plants, Endler's, and shrimp. Will add some species i.e., Galaxy Rasboras, Apistos, BNs, etc. My wife grew up in Colchester.......DC
 

Pure

Pure

Elite Fish
#11
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
0
Jacksonville, FL
#11
Looks very impressive. I wish I had planned my racks this well when I built my room.

How are you getting power to the room? We started having problems with the circuit breaker feeding that part of the house that our room is in. The panel stays hot.
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#13
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#13
Pure said:
Looks very impressive. I wish I had planned my racks this well when I built my room.

How are you getting power to the room? We started having problems with the circuit breaker feeding that part of the house that our room is in. The panel stays hot.
Click to expand...
I have 3 circuits in the room; using 2 of them. Do not know of any problems.....DC
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#14
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#14
Several updates ahead:

Toyed around all week with light mounting. Leaving them on top of the tank was heating the water up too much and a good spread of light was not getting into the tank. Decided I would somehow mount the lights above the tank, keeping them mobile allowing access into the tanks. After much thought and playing around with ideas all week I decided to KISS and mount the lights onto the existing cross braces.





Each light rotates up and out of the way allowing access to the tank.





I used pipe straps to hold the lights to the cross braces.



I just completed the air/CO2 manifold.



Each tank has a needle valve/bubble counter and 2 air valves for sponge filters.



The CO2 comes in on the bottom manifold at the right side.



The air comes in on the top manifold left side.

 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#15
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#15
Top of the rack.





Next I will connect the CO2 and get sliding glass tops cut/installed.....DC

Apistogramma agassizii harem



Apistogramma cacatuoides Triple Red harem

 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#16
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#16
Put the last tank on the rack today.



Not too much room left.



Put the sliding glass tops on.



I made them the same size front to back so an equal amount of the tank would be accessable.















CO2 is almost done, need to put diffusers in the last two tanks then finish planting and stocking......DC
 

depthC

depthC

Superstar Fish
#18
Feb 24, 2003
1,417
0
0
WI
#18
Super nice setup diablo. I like how youve gone about your setup, its nice to say the least. This is a great thread for the hobbyist pondering a fish room theirself, youve documented many things others might just disclude as useless info, such as power strips.

Well done,
Andrew
 

DiabloCanine

DiabloCanine

Medium Fish
#20
Jan 24, 2007
75
0
0
#20
Grumpy_Marine said:
my question is... how are you going to get to back corners of tank that are against wall if you need to for cleaning or anything?
Click to expand...
Look through the thread again to see the pics. The lights lift up for access and both ends of the glass slide out of the way. It is tough but can be done....DC
 

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