Making a Fish Rack

[ifixoldhouses]

I'm making a Fish Rack in my Garage, that will hold upto 4 55's and 2 29's
I'm thinking of doing it like Ibanez's post. http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=68324

Will one charcoal filter do the job? and how often do you have to change the filter.

Heres what I have so far.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture044.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture045.jpg

[ifixoldhouses]

Got it painted and working on the drain, I'm going to run two drains into a bucket, with a sump pump in it. I'm going to put a 0-10 gph drip in each tank running off a house filter with a carbon filter inside it.I'll make The overflows like Ibanez described. I put a heat vent in the garage, and still have to install a washtub sink.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture047.jpg

Working on painting the tanks blue, and moving tanks around

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture046.jpg

I moved my office in there too

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture048.jpg

[Bilbo_wh]

I dont know how to answer your questions but it looks great so far. Keep the pictures coming

[ifixoldhouses]

I installed the sink, and moved some tanks in, I can change water the ol fashioned way for now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture053.jpg?t=1251322898

I have a line ready to hook up my charcoal filter.

heres the tanks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Fish/Picture.jpg?t=1251329689

almost ready to order some fish, I gotta get rid of all these cardinals and corydoras and whatnot too.

[subcooler]

It looks like things are really shaping up nicely!
Keep the pics coming.
Best of luck with your project,
Rob

[April]

do you have bolts through the cross bars under the boards that hold the tanks up? if you dont..i would. alot of weight pushing down on that. i didnt see any. i use big thick bolts. looks nice .

[ifixoldhouses]

do you have bolts through the cross bars under the boards that hold the tanks up? if you dont..i would. alot of weight pushing down on that. i didnt see any. i use big thick bolts. looks nice .

nah, It's nailed into the leg with 16 penny nails, and the cross board underneath is extra support.

I got my drip system down, now I'm working on the overflow

[ifixoldhouses]

Heres the water filter

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Picture057.jpg?t=1251415709


Heres the completed Drain system, I used a hvac condesate pump, paid $36 from local hvac supply house, their $75 at home depot. The sump pumps were gonna cost me $150, and is way overkill imo.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Picture056.jpg?t=1251416085

This thing really works, took me 5 minutes to build 30 minutes to figure out how to get it working lol, I didn't turn it around in the water enough, to get all the air out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Picture058.jpg

[ifixoldhouses]

Will it hurt the fish to glue the overflow parts underwater?

[subcooler]

Heres the water filter



Heres the completed Drain system, I used a hvac condesate pump, paid $36 from local hvac supply house, their $75 at home depot. The sump pumps were gonna cost me $150, and is way overkill imo.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/Picture056.jpg?t=1251416085


From my HVAC experience with that consensate pump-I would be wary of that model pump.It has lots of fancy lights and options(Air cond. applications).
Which offer you no advantage in your application.
I definately recommend that you do not use the lousy vinyl tubing that came with the pump to discharge any water.I have seen plenty of ceilings damaged when the tubing(which becomes rigid after a year or so) kinks & breaks.
One advantage you have is that you see the pump daily & will notice a broken pump discharge line.Poor homeowners put it in an attic & by the time they find out about the inferior vinyl tubing-thier hall ceiling is dripping water:mad:
As far as sump pumps being more expensive-I agree
(I got a decent one for about 70$ @Lowes.)
They are designed for exactly what we are using them for.
Even though a condensate pump will move considerable water, it is only used 1/2 of the year & and moves much less than the 50-100g of water that I'd be moving daily.I realize that some climates use A/C year round,but they sure don't move 100's of gallons(Daily/weekly),like we do in this hobby.
Just a word of caution

Keep the updates coming,
Rob

[ifixoldhouses]

From my HVAC experience with that consensate pump-I would be wary of that model pump.It has lots of fancy lights and options(Air cond. applications).
Which offer you no advantage in your application.
I definately recommend that you do not use the lousy vinyl tubing that came with the pump to discharge any water.I have seen plenty of ceilings damaged when the tubing(which becomes rigid after a year or so) kinks & breaks.
One advantage you have is that you see the pump daily & will notice a broken pump discharge line.Poor homeowners put it in an attic & by the time they find out about the inferior vinyl tubing-thier hall ceiling is dripping water:mad:
As far as sump pumps being more expensive-I agree
(I got a decent one for about 70$ @Lowes.)
They are designed for exactly what we are using them for.
Even though a condensate pump will move considerable water, it is only used 1/2 of the year & and moves much less than the 50-100g of water that I'd be moving daily.I realize that some climates use A/C year round,but they sure don't move 100's of gallons(Daily/weekly),like we do in this hobby.
Just a word of caution

Keep the updates coming,
Rob

good observation, I was in a bind on money and went the cheap way out, the only sump pump that will fit in a 5 gallon bucket cost $150,it has a float that slides up and down on a rod. I can always tweak it out later, especially if I build another rack or somthing.those condesate pumps have a warranty I believe, I'll swap it out if it breaks.

[j_li8]

what kind of wood did you use for the stands?

[ifixoldhouses]

what kind of wood did you use for the stands?

2x4's

[Larry208]

[QUOTE=ifixoldhouses;566251]nah, It's nailed into the leg with 16 penny nails, and the cross board underneath is extra support.



Just a thought from my bad building skills a few years ago,:( I used nails and over time those nails let go from one of my supports and cracked a 75 gallon tank that was on that shelf. Only takes a small unevenness (if thats a word) to crack a tank.

This time around I used deck screws and blocks and screwed from both sides and they are holding up fine, much like Discus Hans did on his stands.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=61740

Just a thought though, would hate someone else going through what I went through.

Larry

[ifixoldhouses]

[QUOTE=ifixoldhouses;566251]nah, It's nailed into the leg with 16 penny nails, and the cross board underneath is extra support.



Just a thought from my bad building skills a few years ago,:( I used nails and over time those nails let go from one of my supports and cracked a 75 gallon tank that was on that shelf. Only takes a small unevenness (if thats a word) to crack a tank.

This time around I used deck screws and blocks and screwed from both sides and they are holding up fine, much like Discus Hans did on his stands.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=61740

Just a thought though, would hate someone else going through what I went through.

Larry



I can see a hammered in nail slipping in, but I put like 8 in with a nailgun, doubt it will slip, and if it does theres 1/2 of styrofoam under each tank.

[jeff@zina.com]

Nails have two drawbacks, shear strength and resistance to removal. They are relatively easy to pull out of wood and notoriously poor for shear strength (breaking in half). Screws are better in the removal department, usually worse in shear strength. The solution for shear strength is thicker materials (Heavier nails) or more of them (Lots of nails).

The best of all worlds is a through bolt, though a lag bolt is a close second. Two 5/8" bolts will hold the joint for decades.

Jeff

[Ibanez540r]

My fish room!!!! LOL, I'm amazed at the resemblence! I came across the post by chance as I was browsing. It was like watching my room come together again. The rack, drains, overflow, the funny part is it's even the same wash tub as I bought. What are the odds. Looks good though. I had to laugh when I read about the overflow not working because of not getting all the air out. Took me a bit to learn the same thing at first. Was frustrating until I figured out what was going on. Hope the system is working well.

1 recommendation would be to use a clear carbon block filter. That way you can see the condition. Although if you plan on changing it say, every 6 months I guess you don't need clear.

BTW what are you flowing your drip at in your 55's?

[ifixoldhouses]

My fish room!!!! LOL, I'm amazed at the resemblence! I came across the post by chance as I was browsing. It was like watching my room come together again. The rack, drains, overflow, the funny part is it's even the same wash tub as I bought. What are the odds. Looks good though. I had to laugh when I read about the overflow not working because of not getting all the air out. Took me a bit to learn the same thing at first. Was frustrating until I figured out what was going on. Hope the system is working well.

1 recommendation would be to use a clear carbon block filter. That way you can see the condition. Although if you plan on changing it say, every 6 months I guess you don't need clear.

BTW what are you flowing your drip at in your 55's?

ya that overflow took 5 minutes to make, 45 to figure out how to get the air out lol. I don't know the exact number, I bought some drip emitters at Lowes, their for irrigation systems, I just turn the thing till a good flow comes out, I'd say its on 4 g per hr.

I have 2 carbon filters, one on whole house, one on my emitters.

[Ibanez540r]

Lol, it's funny how many times you have to spin them around under water.

Check out this site for any future drip stuff, it's where I've gotten all my stuff from. Quick shipping and good prices.

www.dripdepot.com

My 55's are at 1 GPH or 1.5 GPH if they're stocked a little heavier.

Hope it's goin well!

[ifixoldhouses]

I had one quit working and run water all over the floor, when I re spun it under water chunks of food came out, looked like a big cotton ball, apparantly the excess food just gets stuck there till it blocks off the flow.
thank god it's in the garage:)

[Ibanez540r]

Hmm.. never had that happen. Once mine were started, havn't had an issue.

[ifixoldhouses]

I think my 2 yo daughter got into it

[ifixoldhouses]

I've run into a problem with my drip system, the whole emitter pops off after a while, I guess cause of the temps, once that happens its running full blast cold water in there, had it happen in one tank, and the temp dropped to 70 before I caught it. l Used the mister landscaper stuff from Lowes, anyone know of a better hose to use?

[jeff@zina.com]

I've run into a problem with my drip system, the whole emitter pops off after a while...

That's a water pressure issue. There are pressure reducers for drip watering systems, do you have one installed?

Jeff

[ifixoldhouses]

ya I have one that they sold at lowes in the irrigation section.

[jeff@zina.com]

Then cut the hose to the emitter back 1/4" and reinsert it. Or if the emitter is in a large tube, use a plug on the hole and punch another. I run into this all the time on drip irrigation systems.

Jeff

[ifixoldhouses]

Update on my Fishroom, I just got a 90 gallon and set it up with a 29 gallon sump of sorts, I used 2 canister filters, one side of each pulling from each tank, and the other side of each blowing out in the respective tanks. The 29 gallon is mainly to hold all the heaters and sponge filters to clear up main tank. It has been working pretty good although the size difference in the canisters makes for a lot of fine tuneing. I may replace them with some pumps or something later.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom001.jpg?t=1267977488
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom002.jpg?t=1267977552
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom003.jpg?t=1267977576
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom004.jpg?t=1267977597
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom014.jpg?t=1267977687
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom015.jpg?t=1267977717
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/fishroom016.jpg?t=1267977740

[ockyra215]

Well I have a question for ya!Why didnt you drill the tanks and make one central system.One pump into a wet dry type filter and use heaters in every tank and when you have pairs or want to quarantine you just take a tank offlineand run it with a sponge filter.Easier to do water changes to.Just a thought:)

[ifixoldhouses]

Well I have a question for ya!Why didnt you drill the tanks and make one central system.One pump into a wet dry type filter and use heaters in every tank and when you have pairs or want to quarantine you just take a tank offlineand run it with a sponge filter.Easier to do water changes to.Just a thought:)

If I ever get any more tanks, I was thinking of some central things, now its just a hobby rack, to keep everything in one place. btw two canister filters is hard to get adjusted right, I bought one pump to pump back from the 30 gallon, and the big tank drains via constant syphon.

[hedut]

nice fish room. Hi Brian, where did you buy those white foam under tank?

thanks

[ifixoldhouses]

nice fish room. Hi Brian, where did you buy those white foam under tank?

thanks

Lowes sells them in the insulation isle, like 5 for $10 they are perfect for a 55 gallon

[ockyra215]

I agree with ya its hard to get those magnums to work together they never seen to be exactly the same.One seems faster and one is slower.I like the stand.I am getting stuff together.When I had my old set up years back I did the central system.More work in construction less work changing water .

[ifixoldhouses]

I agree with ya its hard to get those magnums to work together they never seen to be exactly the same.One seems faster and one is slower.I like the stand.I am getting stuff together.When I had my old set up years back I did the central system.More work in construction less work changing water .

even with the pump and syphon method it was tricky to get it just right, but once it's right it stays, the magnums were always changing flow rate. My next rack will probally be more evolved.

[ifixoldhouses]

Newest addition 135 gallon, holds 109 gallons though by my math, all I have to do is run a drip, and run overflow to the sink, can't decide what to do with it though, maybe sand and plants or something. I got that good blue styrofoam insulation on the bottom and glued to the back. I need to fashion a lid out of plexiglass.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ifixoldhouses/001-2.jpg?t=1269732967