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Fish Room

54K views 297 replies 46 participants last post by  cantrell 
#1 ·
Still in the design stages but should start soon.

Basically, adding a back wall into a detached garage, insulation, some extra electrical circuits & heat/AC.

6 - 40G Breeders
6 - 33L Tanks

There will also be some 20L's...

 
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#4 ·
Some points that I might ask about. What type fish are you breeding? Smaller or large? Several kinds or only one? Reason for the questions is that I would want more small tanks like ten gallon. This lets me seperate the type and size better. Your plans may be different. Since I see the water reserve, I'm quessing you will have water and drains as well?
 
#5 ·
Some points that I might ask about. What type fish are you breeding?
As many Cynotilapia species that I can "fit".

Smaller or large? Several kinds or only one? Reason for the questions is that I would want more small tanks like ten gallon. This lets me seperate the type and size better. Your plans may be different. Since I see the water reserve, I'm quessing you will have water and drains as well?
Yeah... This is being built in a detached garage.. I live in SC, so most of the year, I will be able to do water changes straight from the hose. There isn't any heated water in the garage, so in the winter - I will have to heat it. There will be multiple reservoirs in the attic space. I just need enough water to be heated in a weeks time to do the necessary water changes in the winter.

Yeah.. All of the tanks shown on this layout will be on centralized sumps. I have room for a rack of 10/20's under the A/C unit.. All of them will be running on sponge filters & air.
 
#6 ·
I'm not familiar with the Charleston area, do people successfully keep fish rooms in their garages? Is the garage air conditioned, summer temps don't get too high? What type of winter temps do you get in Charleston? Just asking, hate to see you build this and have temp problems 1/2 the year.
 
#7 ·
londonloco said:
I'm not familiar with the Charleston area, do people successfully keep fish rooms in their garages? Is the garage air conditioned, summer temps don't get too high? What type of winter temps do you get in Charleston? Just asking, hate to see you build this and have temp problems 1/2 the year.
There's an AC unit in the drawing.

I like the sump setup change. I think that can work without too much hassle. Bio chambers are within reach of all racks. You removed the ones on the 'door' wall? For that matter, you could now just do the one sump with the two biochambers, I believe. Then going with one pump or two would be optional. I'd be tempted to try to design it with one first. If going with two, I might stick with separate sumps.
 
#9 ·
I like the sump setup change. I think that can work without too much hassle. Bio chambers are within reach of all racks. You removed the ones on the 'door' wall? For that matter, you could now just do the one sump with the two biochambers, I believe. Then going with one pump or two would be optional. I'd be tempted to try to design it with one first. If going with two, I might stick with separate sumps.
I have a gazillion ideas in my head on how to do it... The 40's will only be filled to 12" so I am thinking that I will be filtering @ the most 200-250 gallons. I would like the reservoir to not have to exceed 1/2 the total tank volume.

As for the sumps.. One large with bio-chambers one each end would probably be easier to build.

I am thinking the sump will need to be able to hold 100 gallons so whatever footprint meets that will probably work. Total height cannot exceed 2' though - including the elevated bio-chambers.

The racks on the door walls will be 10/20's on sponge filters. Too much of a pain to route the plumbing to the sumps. I didn't show them in the drawing because I havent decided how I am doing that yet.

Missed that... A friend of mine built on to their house, instead of extending their central HVAC, she bought one unit that heated and cooled a huge bedroom, large bathroom and large closet. Might check into one of those units, tho I don't know how they cost.
The room is only 60 square feet & the winters here are short & mild.. With the amount of insulation I am packing in - I am hoping that the room will be very energy efficient.
 
#11 ·
Any of you guys know anything about dehumidifiers?

Rating in liters per day per cubic foot relative to the ambient humidity %?

Struggling to figure out what size is needed, or needed at all?

Another thing if anyone has a similar situation...

During most months I am planning on the room temp regulating tank temp. During the winter - I plan on using heaters in the sump & reservoirs...

My question is, due to the fact that a large % of the room volume will be water that is heated - I would think that it alone will go a long way to also heating the room..

I have to be conscious of total amperage & hoping that I don't have to run radiant heaters in the room (VERY INefficient) + external heaters on the tanks.

Where these tanks will be located is detached from the house so I can't rely on heat from anywhere else...

Thanks-
 
#16 ·
RRasco said:
Sweet. My fish room could definitely use some reorganizing like this. And funding.
Surprisingly, it isn't going to be as bad as first feared.. I managed to score the insulation & wiring for free. The Petco $40 per gallon deal definitely helped with the 40BR.
 
#17 ·
Aulonocara_Freak said:
I am so jealous!!! That look's awesome!

GOOD LUCK!
Thanks. I hope it turns out as nice in reality as it appears in SketchUp.

The 3D definitely helps with setting it up before you have to start swinging a hammer...
 
#19 ·
Aulonocara_Freak said:
cantrell00 said:
The 3D definitely helps with setting it up before you have to start swinging a hammer...
Oh ya 1 thing!

MOVE YOUR THUMB BEFORE YOU START HAMMERING! That's one rule most people forget! :lol:
My thumb has learned to move out of the way before I tell it to... :lol:
 
#20 ·
cantrell00 said:
Aulonocara_Freak said:
cantrell00 said:
The 3D definitely helps with setting it up before you have to start swinging a hammer...
Oh ya 1 thing!

MOVE YOUR THUMB BEFORE YOU START HAMMERING! That's one rule most people forget! :lol:
My thumb has learned to move out of the way before I tell it to... :lol:
You have tought your thumb well!
 
#24 ·
Here is the 50 gal wet - dry that I am building from a Lowe's Contico "Pro Tuffbin" with an acrylic or glass instert to hold the bio-ball & the drip tray... I will probably have to build two for all of the tanks...

Here is the Tuffbin:



Here is the Sketch Up of the Tuffbin & DYI bio-ball insert., once modified...

 
#25 ·
Blank slate - well, kinda..



The free insulation I scored... It is the stuff that they put in steel buildings.. Not ideal but free..



Four of the six 40 BR.. One is in the house & still need to locate the sixth. Three 20L sitting on top..



Here is the electrical starting... The electrical tape marks is the location of the tanks, their supports & the spacing in between. 40BR on the left, 33L on the right.



Here is the wiring for the overhead lights & the vent fan... Also a 2X receptacle for the circulation power heads and the heaters for the overhead reservoir.



It was STEAMING in there... Brutal.
 
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