plumbing fish room

[limige]

ok guys, i suck at drawing so i'm just going to try and explain.
i'm looking for suggestions on how this system can be improved and see if i missed anything.

i'm setting up a breeder rack of 14 29 gal. tanks, drilled with standpipes.
later i will have a growout rack of 4 90 gallon tanks possbly some 55's as well in other racks.
then i have my 190 which i am doing planted.

the breeders will be on an entirely seperate system.
growouts on their own and the 190 is singled out in another room.

i have a 230 gallon water stage tank for the breeder rack.
i plan to have each tier of the breeder rack drain into a sump on the floor for heating and circulating the water between tanks to carry the hormones to others and keep them going. each tank will have it's own sponge filter but they will be centrally heated with 2-3 250 watt heaters.
the sump will have a mag drive either 500-700 gph pump for each tier.
the return line will be y'ed off to the water storage tank. so i can turn a valve or two and fill the tanks using my other pump from water storage. the drains to the sump will also be y'ed off to the floor drain during the water change ( flush actually)
i will be filling half of the storage tank from the tap with float valves and have a 100 gpd RO unit on 24/7. a float switch at top will activate the water change once the storage tank is full. may use a old computer to control the silenoids.

the waste water from the ro unit will be diverted to the growout tanks on a drip system. the grow will be drilled on the back with an adjustable stand pipe. each tank individually heated and filter with sponges.

the 190 will have a seperate drain and be filled from the tap.

everything is aired with the linear piston pump i bought from jason.


so am i missing anything?
thanks,
mike

ps: all tanks will be wrapped in foam insulation including sumps on the floor.

also the water from the growouts may be used to rinse cbw's being going down the drain!

[GulfCoastDiscus]

Sounds good. Can you post some pics. I'm trying to get some ideas for my fishroom. I haven't drilled any tanks. Scared I guess. Thanks

dan

[limige]

i'll try once finished, i'll have all my breeder tanks setup shortly, automatiing it will take slightly longer and it will be several months before i can get the growout tanks. for now i'll have the breeder rack and my 190.

almost done running air tube. hopefully my valves come in shortly, then this evening i'll do the drains for the tanks i have. still waiting for the word to pickup the other 29's.

[tony1313]

Nothin I can think of Mike! Sounds like you have it pretty well thought out. If you need help once you get going on the construction give me a call. I would be more than happy to help(schedule permitting).

ttyl,
Tony

[ronrca]

may use a old computer to control the silenoids Just curious as to how you are planning to do that? ;)

[limige]

basic bianary programing, kinda like the old apple programing. a friend of mine has been experimenting.

[limige]

I was thinking about using one of those.
do they accept inputs for sensors?

my buddy has been eager to try out the computer thing...he made program to turn lights on and off in a dual stage, first a center light then an outer light. he just like to tinker around, but i like simplicity.
i may just use a controller like you stated but don't know much about them, mainly i need to sense when the container is full to active the valves and turn the pump on, then when container is near empty to reset the valves and turn the pump off.

i haven't been focusing much on the automation part yet,
just the basic plumbing principles. i was going to do drip but was warned not to on the breeders, which i kinda wanted to be able to adjust ph so this system works. and r/o water is a waste so use it! my tap is 145ppm or so, so the waster water comes out around 250 or so, perfect for growouts. i've been using it to rinse cbw but that can be done with tank run off.

[ronrca]

Im actually in the process of designing my auto wc-er! Like yourself, Limige, I need something that exepts inputs like level sensors and/or switches. I looked into the irrigation controls however because they do not have the option of sensors I want, Im going with the PLC instead.

Tell us more about this program! Im curious about it! How does it control a solenoid? ;)

[limige]

well, like i said my friend has been experimenting. those interested can let me know and after my buddy shows me how it's all done i'll be glad to pass the information. all that is needed is a dedicated laptop or destop computer with a serial port. that much i know, program doesn't take up much space it's less than one page long.

so if you intereseted shoot me an email.

what i need to know is where i can pickup a Y type valve to divert flow from one line to the other, i rather use one valve to do this than two cuz of cost.and simplicity.

ttl,
mike

[Jason]

Hi Mike,

sounds good, I only see 1 item I would add or change.

on your breeder central(btw I'm a big fan of using centrals for breeders) I would strongly suggest a diverter valve under each tank so that you can drip tap into the tanks with parents and fry and divert the overflow water to the drain instead of the wet/dry so it can be isolated from the system and placed on straight tap or non-prepped water. beleive me this is gonna help big time!

I use cheap garden hose 3-way valves for diverters, maybe Dan has a pic?

[Smokey]

Howdy. I am also in the process of constructing a new discus room.[ #8, actually].

You setup system sounds great. Similat to my expierence and design.

Jason did bring up a good point. All my tanks are double drilled. The "OVERFLOW" port is a good idea....Believe me....lol...

The "y" , sound good, Jason.

The auto mation; I am standing back and let you and Ron do the foot work, first. Then I will tap you two for the knowledge..... lol...

My automation - a pump on a switch !!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahaha.

Smokey

[limige]

smokey, lol

well i talked to my friend and he hasn't quite figured out the input stuff yet, he started talking about programing a chip and building a circuit for something like that. so i may just go the timed route later, we'll see.

as for now i'll be doing things manually, like smokey, turn some valves, hit the switch for the pump and let her go. then refill halfway and start again the next day.


jason, thanks for the idea but alittle too slow on the reply, i fired it all up yesterday for the first time. no fish yet, but soon. so far i only have 6 of the 14 going on the rack. i still have to pick the other tanks up from cary.
since they are cary's old tanks and he cut the drain pipe i didn't have much pipe to work with.

my breeder is on a center water system, but not filtration system, several reasons for this.
power outage, just add air and i'm good.
easy to isolate a tank, just shutoff incoming water valve and add heater.

for pairs with fry i may shut off the tank and do water changes manually. this way i can sneak up the conductivity if i want, but i may water until after they are seperated to do this, not sure yet.

thanks for the input, keep it coming, i'll post pics when it's done if i can get tony to come over and do the photography!

[limige]

ok, still havent picked up the rest of the tanks, and its not automated yet but heres the start of it all!

[limige]

upper filling and air

[limige]

rear shot

[limige]

another

[limige]

water storage pump, i teed it off and put ball valves on it to adjust the pressure to my needs.

[limige]

i used two check valves for the pumps, the other is on a mag drive pump in the sump, both use same filling tubes into the tanks

[limige]

heres the drain valves, turn off the one to the sump and turn on the one for the drain and switch power from the mag drive to the water storage pump, then watch it flush the tanks out, once the water tank is empty, simply reroute the drain again into the sump and turn the storage pump off and the mag drive on!

[brewmaster15]

Hi Mike,
That system looks like it is coming along great.I'm envious...when it comes to automation.. The only things automated about my system are the coffee pot and alarm in the morning. :-\ Though I have been making some progress.

Question on your water storage... Whats that liner made out of? and is your water chlorinated?

-al

[limige]

yes, i have city water so it is chlorinated, but apparently not too bad cuz cary uses it straight out of the tap in his growouts.

it's a pool liner, 100% virgin vinyl been using the storage tank for over a year now, no problems.

[ronrca]

:thumbsup:

Sweet! Thanks for the pics! I like the water storage! What a great idea! I noticed you used pool liner instead of pond liner. Why? What kind of pumps are you using?

2 check valves? 2 pumps? 1 water storage? Explain!

You are still missing a pic! How are you draining your tanks ie water change?

How do you plan on automating it?

;)

[limige]

:thumbsup:

Sweet! Thanks for the pics! I like the water storage! What a great idea! I noticed you used pool liner instead of pond liner. Why?
because meijer had one on clearance i got for like $15, needless to say i have lots extra!

What kind of pumps are you using?
the pump in the water storage tank is i beleive a 1/2hp utility pump i got from harbor freight for $30, the one in my sump is a mag drive 700gph

2 check valves? 2 pumps? 1 water storage? Explain!
each pump has it's on check valve, the mag drive has one so that when the pump is shut off the tanks don't start to siphon into the sump, (there are drop tubes on the fill valves to quiet the water) also so that when the other pump is on it doesn't back flow into the sump.
the water storage pump has one for much the same reasons. could've been done with ball valves but this is much easier.

You are still missing a pic! How are you draining your tanks ie water change?
like i said the two ball valves are for directing the drain, for a water change you close the one going to the sump and open the one that leads to my floor drain. but first turn the mag drive off in the sump, the redirect the drain and engage the water storage pump. once the storage tank is near empty you shut the pump off, turn the valves and engage the mag drive again.

How do you plan on automating it?
still sketchy but this is what i'm thinking, the ball valves will be replaced with silenoid valves and hooked to the coresponding water pump. i'll need some type of water level switches to engage a relay leading to the pump and silenoids. still in the works and down the road a bit. next on my shopping list is a mixing valve.

i will run a hot and cold near the water storage tank, put the mixing valve in then a four way connector. one will go into the r/o filter, one on a silenoid valve to the 190 gallon and the last one on another silenoid valves to the water storage tank. that valve will be controled with a seperate fluid level switch located half way up the storage tank and on a seperate relay.


hope i didn't confuse you too much ??? ;D

[ronrca]

Thanks limige! I was just curious why you chose the pool liner instead of pond. Guess I'll have to check out the price difference betweent the two since they both will work I guess.

How is the water draining from the tanks once you open the drain valve? Do you have stand pipes from the bottom? Or do you have a siphon?

Thanks! ;)

[limige]

ron, i generally shut off the mag drive and begin siphoning the poop out of the tanks and clean filters, once thats done i turn the two valves and engage the filling pump.

it's pretty much just a flushing system, depending on how much water you siphon out before filling.

then stand pipes are set for the top of the water to skim off the top. if you wanted to empty out a tank you could pull it out, and it would completely empty.

seems to work fairly well, i need to get some new power run in my fishroom,i have a new breaker box just need to install it and run lines. i want a few strips on the stand so i can close the filling valves and seperate a tank off the system. then add a heater for the tanks seperated from the rest. i have two clutches of eggs down right now and would like to seperate them and add some hyde but i don't have the heaters or the power lines to do it right now.

[Smokey]

Love those hockey pucks.

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Have you got an idea of the total water volume in this setup ??

Smokey

[ronrca]

Thanks limige! Do you pics of the tanks and drains? Im still not clear how you are doing it! :-[

Im understanding the your tanks are drilled from the bottom with stand pipes inside the tank! Open the valve and the water draining to the height of the stand pipe?

Sorry!

[limige]

smokey, i'm pretty sure your the man who gets the credit there, i believe it may have been you who mentioned it awhile back!

14, 29 gallon tanks is 406 gallons plus another 3 or so in the piping during circulation.
storage tank is around 230 gallons.

i also have a 190 gallon
plan on 4 90 gallon tanks
and probably 4 55's.

by the time i get all these installed i'm looking at nearly a 1200 gallon setup.

ron, your halfway there, yes, open the valve and it drains to the height of the stand pipe which it's already at that height so it don't drain right!

but then your kicking on the pump in the storage container and pumping more water into the tank which causes the level to rise over the stand pipe and empty into the floor drain.

flushing.

but now remember, you have to vacuum out the poop, so if you do that before you kick on the water pump you can siphon a desired amout out for a true drain, and refill. sometimes i want to be sure of the amount of fresh water getting into the tank.

ps: i'm only online at work right now, so i have to remember to get some pics and put them on disk to bring to work and load online... i'll try to if i can remember but once it clicks it's really quite simple

[ronrca]

Thanks limige! I understand now! SO its like a overflow water change. ;)

[limige]

yup, now i could make two peice stand pipes and pull the top half to empty out 50% and refill or just siphon 50% out, actually, down the road i may get a pump for vacuuming so i don't have to carry buckets for cleaning poop out.

you could double drill the tanks and use one overflow for the sump and one as a drain for water changes but my tanks are used and only drilled for the stand pipe.

[limige]

well, i've been having no luck with fertilization, so i'm ditching the central idea.

water changes are still done with the overflow but no more valves in the system and i've added a few more tanks!

[limige]

..

[limige]

looking good so far!

[Haywire]

Nice,


Just out of curiosity, how much flow should there be into a breeding tank, and grow out tanks?