# Fish Room



## cantrell00

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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## loganloganlo

Start selling the fry to pay for that setup and your good to go


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## londonloco

So jealous.... opcorn:


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## PfunMo

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?


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## cantrell00

> 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.


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## londonloco

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.


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## prov356

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.


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## londonloco

prov356 said:


> londonloco said:
> 
> 
> 
> There's an AC unit in the drawing.
Click to expand...

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.


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## cantrell00

> 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.


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## prov356

> 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.


That's a good plan. Smaller inidividual tanks come in real handy.


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## cantrell00

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-


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## cantrell00




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## cantrell00

Sketch Up is awesome....


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## RRasco

Sweet. My fish room could definitely use some reorganizing like this. And funding.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

I am so jealous!!! That look's awesome!

*GOOD LUCK!*


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## cantrell00

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.


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## cantrell00

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...


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## Aulonocara_Freak

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:


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## cantrell00

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:
Click to expand...

My thumb has learned to move out of the way before I tell it to... :lol:


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## Aulonocara_Freak

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:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> My thumb has learned to move out of the way before I tell it to... :lol:
Click to expand...

You have tought your thumb well!


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## cantrell00

I didn't teach it.. The hammer did...


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## Aulonocara_Freak

:lol: LMAO

Your a funny dude!


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## des

:drooling: 
If I ever build a fish room, it's going to have to have a bed for me to sleep in. I wonder if I can rent a storage that comes with heating/cooling and water supply. I guess they would call that a small apartment! 

Good luck with your project.


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## cantrell00

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...


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## cantrell00

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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## Agridion

Looks awesome. So jealous... Can you keep Cynotilapia with peacocks or will they kill the peacocks?


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## dielikemoviestars

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## Aulonocara_Freak

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## cantrell00

> Can you keep Cynotilapia with peacocks or will they kill the peacocks


..

Depends on the Cyno... I don't think the peacocks will ever be comfortable with them..

The Lion, sp; Sanga & Lion's Cove variants are fairly docile.. Hara, etc can be aggressive but they really don't ever get out of control...


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## illinois9er

Agridion said:


> Looks awesome. So jealous... Can you keep Cynotilapia with peacocks or will they kill the peacocks?


I wouldn't but if you were I might be better to pair them with some of the jakes since they can be on the aggressive side.


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## cantrell00

A few shots of the insulation....


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## Picklefish

Hello
I'm in Charleston too. I have s 20x30' insulated steel building for a fishroom.
I have found that in winter I get by with a space heater and a few tank heaters. I also use a dehumidifier and it stays on dang near constantly. For the summertime I have a window AC unit but I only use it when I plan on being in the fishroom for awhile.
I do use a water barrel for water changes as after a heavy rain I can smell the extra chlorine n the water. I'm on Berkeley county water though so you may be different.

Later
Casey


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## Brooks74

Looking good so far I was trying to get some 40b tanks also but my Petco never had any in stock during the sale .They claimed it was a shortage and they could only get 2 per shipment but every time they got a truck none would come in.


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## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Hello
> I'm in Charleston too. I have s 20x30' insulated steel building for a fishroom.
> I have found that in winter I get by with a space heater and a few tank heaters. I also use a dehumidifier and it stays on dang near constantly. For the summertime I have a window AC unit but I only use it when I plan on being in the fishroom for awhile.
> I do use a water barrel for water changes as after a heavy rain I can smell the extra chlorine n the water. I'm on Berkeley county water though so you may be different.
> 
> Later
> Casey


I am actually in Summerville, Berkeley County also.. Does the room have a vent? I was going to buy a dehumidifier in the even that I needed one. I was going to address as neeed..

I was planning on 6 - 27 gal totes from Lowes for my reservoir. I was going to fill it & add baking soda & epsom salt & dechlorinator to get it to the right pH/harness & use it for water changes.

This room is only 11.5 X 6. I wouldn't mind seeing your setup. Send me a pm if interested..

Thanks..



> Looking good so far I was trying to get some 40b tanks also but my Petco never had any in stock during the sale .They claimed it was a shortage and they could only get 2 per shipment but every time they got a truck none would come in.


I had to go to 3 different stores to get the 4 that I have. I already had the fifth. The 3 - 20's were given to me by a friend of mine.


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## Picklefish

I just use a cheap window fan for a vent. It can get muggy with the windows closed and no vent. 
PM sent.


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## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> I just use a cheap window fan for a vent. It can get muggy with the windows closed and no vent.
> PM sent.


Ok... Yeah, I assumed that humidity could be a problem so I have made several contigencies to deal with it.. I have the capacity to run a A/C unit, dehumidifier, space heater & a vent.

I didn't know what to anticipate so I am going with a "buckshot" approach...


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## iwade4fish

I vacation near Boone,NC every year, would love to plan a couple stops to see some rooms when we go next year.?!


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## cantrell00

iwade4fish said:


> I vacation near Boone,NC every year, would love to plan a couple stops to see some rooms when we go next year.?!


I assume you come up I 95? You would be 30 minutes from me if so...

Sure... Would be fun...


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## iwade4fish

Yeah, we scoot around Charlotte and take 20something up and 70something over, to some other roads, Linville being the actual destination. Didn't want to give the impression I had Boone kind of money, I don't. Wife's parents do, though!!!


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## cantrell00

I would love for my 10 yr old to eventually end up @ App State.. It is beautiful up there. Particularly in the peek of fall.


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## Picklefish

I have thought of installing a vent line with a humidistat controller but I worry that exhausting too.much air will cause my heaters to run excessively in the cold months. Also thought of a heat-exchanger but they were a little too pricey.
Right now I use the oil filled floor heater and a dehumidifier in the winter. Windows still sweat but not too bad.


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## cantrell00

Completed the room.. Now working on building all of the supports for the tanks, etc...


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## Aulonocara_Freak

picture's, PICTURE'S, *PICTURE'S!*


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## cantrell00

I know... I will put some more up tomorrow...


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Oh my excuses excuses! :lol: HAHAHA

I am J/K.


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> Oh my excuses excuses! :lol: HAHAHA
> 
> I am J/K.


I don't blame you.. Build threads without pics are BORING!


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## Aulonocara_Freak

cantrell00 said:


> Aulonocara_Freak said:
> 
> 
> 
> Oh my excuses excuses! :lol: HAHAHA
> 
> I am J/K.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't blame you.. Build threads without pics are BORING!
Click to expand...

EXACTLY!


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## Rhinox

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## dielikemoviestars

Rhinox said:


> opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


+1


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## cantrell00

dielikemoviestars said:


> Rhinox said:
> 
> 
> 
> opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:
> 
> 
> 
> +1
Click to expand...

I know. I know. Patience Grasshopper.

I ordered the Cyno groups + Msobo for the six 40 breeders.

Cynotilapia afra Cobwe ''Orange Back'' X 8
Cynotilapia afra Jalo Reef ''Yellow Top'' X 8
Cynotilapia afra Nkhata Bay ''Yellow Blaze'' X 8
Cynotilapia sp. ''Lion'' Mara Rocks X 8
Cynotilapia sp. ''Mbamba'' Mphanga Rocks X 8
Metriaclima sp. ''Msobo'' Magunga X 8

I already have Cynotilapia sp; Hara "Gallireya Reef" & Cynotilapia Lion sp; "Lions Cove"

Sponge filters & pumps are ordered & on the way.


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## DanniGirl

Looks good! Can't wait for an update! opcorn:


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## Agridion

Cantrell00 Looks like you and mattrox have something in common.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=1629585#1629585
I don't think I could handle doing what either of you two are doing, plus my wife would kill me.... But its really impressive!  :thumb:


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## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> Cantrell00 Looks like you and mattrox have something in common.
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=1629585#1629585
> I don't think I could handle doing what either of you two are doing, plus my wife would kill me.... But its really impressive!  :thumb:


Yes we do except his appears to be on a larger scale...

As for the wife - Why do you think I am in the garage? :lol:


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## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> As for the wife - Why do you think I am in the garage? :lol:


Ha Ha great idea. I am glad she doesn't read these posts! :wink: My roommate who is moving out this weekend or next always jokes with me that I should convert my basement into a huge tank. Then my dad suggest that I create a tank around the whole boarder of my basement so that large fish can always swim in one direction. :lol: They just don't know muuuaaaaa muuuaaaaahahahhaaaa. One Millliiiooonnnn Dollars!


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## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> As for the wife - Why do you think I am in the garage? :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> Ha Ha great idea. I am glad she doesn't read these posts! :wink: My roommate who is moving out this weekend or next always jokes with me that I should convert my basement into a huge tank. Then my dad suggest that I create a tank around the whole boarder of my basement so that large fish can always swim in one direction. :lol: They just don't know muuuaaaaa muuuaaaaahahahhaaaa. One Millliiiooonnnn Dollars!
Click to expand...

It's only money... :wink:


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## cantrell00

Without further ado...

Outside wall, door, AC, etc..










From garage, looking into room.. Overhead H20 storage bins. I have extremely soft & acidic water so they will be pre-mixed for tank top off & water changes. 6 - 27 gallon totes that will be interconnected via bulk-heads & vinyl. Heaters & circulation pumps will be in there as well. Tight clearances, I know. Unfortunately, it had to be for the two rows of 40's to fit. You can also see the receptacles that were wired to power the heaters & circulation pump.










View of the door & AC from the right hand, back corner of the room..










Another shot of the overhead storage bins. More supports to be added..










Overhead shot of the door & AC.. Nice air funnel, huh? I am actually thinking of building one out of acrylic.










Back wall, lower support row for the 40 BR.










Here is the pre-fab tank support for the bottom row of 40's










Here it is nailed in place. Lower support legs still need to be added.










Another shot with me elevated on a ladder. The blue tape is a place holder to indicate the center line of the room. Everything is positioned relative to this point in the room.










Another shot of the overhead storage tanks from the ladder.










Most recent photo of the 180. I noticed that I had another female Hara holding :dancing: Second one in 3 weeks!!!!!

I really need to convince my wife to let me break out her Canon 50D so I can get some decent shots. That is probably a more controversial request than the fish room! :x


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## Aulonocara_Freak

AwEsOmE MaN! :lol:


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> AwEsOmE MaN! :lol:


Elvis voice ---> "Thank ya, thank ya very much" 8)


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## cantrell00

Looking at that photo of the wall AND ALL OF THE USELESS JUNK, well, I see a yard sale on the horizon... Jeez.


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## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


>


Nice overflow! :wink: I see you have also a backup canister? What substrate are you using to keep those plants alive?


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## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nice overflow! I see you have also a backup canister? What substrate are you using to keep those plants alive?
Click to expand...

Yeah.. I added a Magnum 350 because objects floating in the tank ALWAYS seem to stay suspended & never seem to make it to the overflow. That is the only negative that I see with the glass-holes overflow. The positive is they don't take any room. The large Aqueon megaflow overflows do a much better job of sucking lower & intermediate detritus that is suspended. There is always a trade off somewhere it seems. :roll:

Nothing special on the plants. Just pool filter sand. As for the type of plants, they are all different types of Swords. They have only been in there for a few weeks but seem to be doing really well & miraculously, the fish aren't eating or uprooting them. Well, yet.

I feed them a iron rich fertilizer every water change. 200 watts of 10K bulbs from 12-9 PM, 7 days a week. That may actually be too long of light duration. I am noticing some black hair algae starting to spread.


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## gliebig

The 180 looks great! Makes me want to redo my tank.


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## cantrell00

gliebig said:


> The 180 looks great! Makes me want to redo my tank.


Thanks! The greenery really helps...


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## cantrell00

DIY Bulkhead

1" Male Terminal Adapter - $.52
1" Female Terminal Adapter - $.59
4 pack Spout "O" rings - $2.16

I needed 8 for the overhead storage tanks... Beats $5.00 each & no freight.


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## cantrell00

Here are a few shots from last night & today...










32 X 12 Acrylic that I am building is going here. Guy with the 40 BR skipped out on the deal, so I am one short.










Fit testing..










Bracing the overhead reservoir..


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## Rhinox

Looking good! :thumb:


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## cantrell00

Rhinox said:


> Looking good! :thumb:


Thanks!

More from today. All of the supports for the 40's & the reservoir are done. Went ahead & set up the 20's for some fry tanks & fry.


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## Picklefish

Looking good. It's always nice to get that first tank with fish in it set up.


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## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Looking good. It's always nice to get that first tank with fish in it set up.


For sure... I have one more 20 to place & then I can run the sponges & get the cycling going.

I was going to attempt to set up all of the sponges in one 40 + some substrate from my 180 & let them do their thing. Once that was done, I could move all of them to their individual tanks.

Basically attempting to cycle 6 at once...

Do you think this will work?


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## Aulonocara_Freak

You can definitely cycling them at once. The best thing to do, to speed thing's up, is ask all your aquarium buddies to give you there old tank water. *Do not take an LFS'S water because 90% of the time there is a disease in the water column.*


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## prov356

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> You can definitely cycling them at once. The best thing to do, to speed thing's up, is ask all your aquarium buddies to give you there old tank water. *Do not take an LFS'S water because 90% of the time there is a disease in the water column.*


Tank water does little, if anything, to seed new tanks. The bacteria reside on surfaces. You need media, substrate, rocks, decor, etc.


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## cantrell00

Filtration is in...


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## cantrell00




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## dielikemoviestars

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

So cool! If you don't mind me asking, how much did the air blower set you back, and how many tanks (gallons?) will it work for?

I think cycling in the method you've suggested will work, but there was a recent cautionary tale about a CF member who did that and lost a ton of prized Tangs. Personally, I've done it many times and never lost a fish from it.


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## cantrell00

dielikemoviestars said:


> opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:
> 
> So cool! If you don't mind me asking, how much did the air blower set you back, and how many tanks (gallons?) will it work for?
> 
> I think cycling in the method you've suggested will work, but there was a recent cautionary tale about a CF member who did that and lost a ton of prized Tangs. Personally, I've done it many times and never lost a fish from it.


Around 100.00 - Ken's Fish.

It is powering 12 Pro 3's right now & I think it could handle a few more...

Yeah - I am cycling all 6 tanks individually. I hope there is plenty of nitrifying bacteria in the substrate from my 180.. If it drags too much, I may remove some of the bio-balls from the sump...


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## Picklefish

If you want some seeded sponges I've got plenty. I always run extra for that instant cycle action. Might have something to do with me always rearranging the fishroom.


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## londonloco

opcorn:


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## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> If you want some seeded sponges I've got plenty. I always run extra for that instant cycle action. Might have something to do with me always rearranging the fishroom.


I may take you up on that. I would need 6 for about a week if that could be arranged...

THANKS!


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## cantrell00

Got some work done on the overhead reservoir... Assembly sequence & distribution tank.

The spout I designed for adding chemicals, etc won't work though. The spout to add what is needed is too close to the ceiling. I am thinking of putting a female hose attachment end onto a PVC drop so I can just connect the fill hose there. Need to figure out a way to add the dechlorinator & other chems inline with the fill hose. May require some type of DIY fill attachment.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

WOW man I am really jealous now. I might have to come travel and see it for myself! :lol:

So where are those full room pic's you promised us?


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> WOW man I am really jealous now. I might have to come travel and see it for myself! :lol:
> 
> So where are those full room pic's you promised us?


The room so narrow (front to back) that it is hard to get a view of the whole room in one shot.

Let me see what I can do...


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## Aulonocara_Freak

You have a ladder right? :lol:

So use it.


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## Picklefish

Looking good. Is adding yhf chems to the tank as you fill an option?
I wish my fishroom was half as organized as yours is looking.
good job.


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## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Looking good. Is adding yhf chems to the tank as you fill an option?
> I wish my fishroom was half as organized as yours is looking.
> good job.


Yeah... The only way. The "spout" will have to be above the water line of the reservoir. If not - the water would spill out until it reached the lowest point. Would cause me to lose capacity that I will need for water changes.

I think I may be able to pour the baking soda, epsom salt & dechlorinator in the fill hose with a funnel & then connect it to the reservoir & turn the water on & fill it up.

This is not the ideal way to do it because it will be cumbersome but will work if I have to.

I should have left more room bewteen the reservoir & the ceiling but I was trying to preserve as much height as I could for additional rows of tanks. I didn't want to rest the bottom row on the floor because I wouldn't be able to siphon them out periodically without a pump.

I will figure it out but this wasn't the plan...


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## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> Got some work done on the overhead reservoir... Assembly sequence & distribution tank.


It's looking really good. Just one question: How will you judge the level in the totes? I was thinking you should build a level gauge out of clear piping to see the level inside the totes.


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> You have a ladder right? :lol:
> 
> So use it.


I will tear down the front wall, get a picture & put it back up. Will that suffice?


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## Aulonocara_Freak

cantrell00 said:


> Aulonocara_Freak said:
> 
> 
> 
> You have a ladder right? :lol:
> 
> So use it.
> 
> 
> 
> I will tear down the front wall, get a picture & put it back up. Will that suffice?
Click to expand...

That's sound's terrific with me!


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## Picklefish

Are the totes only connected by the pvc in the pictures?
if so how will the pump in the end tote be able to pump out the tote on the far end? Or is that just circulation? And you will gravity feed to refill the tanks? 
Instead of a female hose connection maybe a cam-lok quick disconnect would be more convenient for loading the chems.


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Aulonocara_Freak said:
> 
> 
> 
> You have a ladder right? :lol:
> 
> So use it.
> 
> 
> 
> I will tear down the front wall, get a picture & put it back up. Will that suffice?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That's sound's terrific with me!
Click to expand...

As good as I can get...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Thank's so much. Good Luck on putting that wall back up! LOL!

So i see you got the sand in the tank's?

Do you know what you are stocking in all of them? (You should do some dwarf pike's and some apistogramma's)


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Are the totes only connected by the pvc in the pictures?
> if so how will the pump in the end tote be able to pump out the tote on the far end? Or is that just circulation? And you will gravity feed to refill the tanks?
> Instead of a female hose connection maybe a cam-lok quick disconnect would be more convenient for loading the chems.


They are all connected to each other at the top... The pump is only for circulation. Mainly to distribute heated water throughout the six vats in the winter. I am thinking that those vats heated to 80 degrees will act as a heater for the room as a whole. There is a hose barb on the distribution & heat vat that connects to another vat on the opposite end. There will be around 1" of space open in the vat that will buffer the rate they refill from the circulation pump. Basically when the pump kicks on, it will create a void in that vat that will instantly be refilled by the water that is displaced in the other 5.

*Water vat from circulation pump - Notice vinyl barbs*










*And into receiving vat*










I have screwed up on them though. I have to disconnect them & take them back down. The drain of the tanks is gravity fed & since I only ran plumbing at the surface, only one of the 6 will drain right now because they aren't inner-connected at the bottom. I don't know how didn't realize this at the time. Forest for the trees & whatnot I guess.

Here is the solution for adding the chems... Male garden hose connection at the bottom. Open valve to add chems. Close the chem valve & open the fill valve & turn the water on to fill the vats. The device is clunky but it will work.


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Got some work done on the overhead reservoir... Assembly sequence & distribution tank.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's looking really good. Just one question: How will you judge the level in the totes? I was thinking you should build a level gauge out of clear piping to see the level inside the totes.
Click to expand...

Brilliant minds think alike...










:thumb:


----------



## cantrell00

And if any of you guys are wondering why I chose to build this overly complex contraption??? :lol:

Well, I only had 14" of space above the tanks & needed to store 180-200 gallons in the room. There was no such storage tank with that footprint. I initially thought of building one out of acrylic but that would have been way too expensive to just store water in it. If I chose to not store it, I would have needed atleast a 80 gallon water heater to provide hot water to the room AND I also would have had to run a water supply line to the garage also. So that was a "no go". Took up too much room & I don't have the amperage available in the garage. (fish room had to be run on only a 20 amp service) - SO, I had to resort to designing my own.

Well - here we are. :lol:

I am well under my total amp load too BTW. Whole room, lights, filters, heaters, A/C etc is running on around 8 amps. Obviously, when the AC is running, the heaters aren't & vice versa. =D>

I may still need a dehumidifier in the winter but don't know yet. ALOT will depend on how well I seal the top of the tanks to minimize evaporation. If it is a problem, I may put a humidstat on my vent fan so that it is only on when the total humidity in the room exceeds a certain preset threshold. My only concern about that is heat loss in the winter. The dehumidifier may prove to be a more efficient means of removing moisture. We'll see.

I will just be glad when the room has fish in it.... :dancing:


----------



## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> Thank's so much. Good Luck on putting that wall back up! LOL!
> 
> So i see you got the sand in the tank's?
> 
> Do you know what you are stocking in all of them? (You should do some dwarf pike's and some apistogramma's)


Yeah.. The sand is from my 180 as an attempt to seed the sponge filters & hopefully speed up the cycling.

Each group in one 40 BR.

Cynotilapia afra Cobwe ''Orange Back'' X 8
Cynotilapia afra Jalo Reef ''Yellow Top'' X 8
Cynotilapia sp. ''Lion'' Lupingu ''Purple'' X 8
Cynotilapia sp. ''Lion'' Lion's Cove WC X 8
Cynotilapia sp. ''Mbamba'' Mphanga Rocks X 8
Cynotilapia afra Nkhata Bay ''Yellow Blaze'' X 8

I also have 2 male Cynotilapia axelrodi Nkhata Bay coming as well. Need females.

There are another 6 tanks to go in the room @ some point. They will be 48 X 18 X 12 (45 gal) & built out of acrylic. More than likely they will be Cyno groups also. Some may be used for grow out tanks. Have to wait on the $$$$$.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

WHAT! No dwarf's! Should I follow this thread anymore? LOL!

Come on bro, you need some dwarf's!


----------



## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> WHAT! No dwarf's! Should I follow this thread anymore? LOL!
> 
> Come on bro, you need some dwarf's!


May add Ps Saulosi. They are considered dwarf. :thumb:


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

That's a slide but I mean true dwarf's like dwarf pike's, apistogramma's, and ram's.


----------



## cantrell00

True..

Will be all Mbuna for now... May add some variety later but that will mean more tanks..

My wife just might kill me..


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Why does it mean more tank's? Just change some of the other fish you want. YOU CAN DO IT!


----------



## Vadimshevchuk

Do you have any plans to go with a group of white top hara? Hopefully you will sell your fry on aquabid :wink:


----------



## cantrell00

Vadimshevchuk said:


> Do you have any plans to go with a group of white top hara? Hopefully you will sell your fry on aquabid :wink:


Have about 20 in my 180.. I think they are too large for a 40 BR.. I hope to eventually move the best male & 4 females from the 180 to a 45 that I will (hopefully) eventually build. They are all F1.

I never really intended to distribute fry but at some point I will have to figure out something to do with them, for sure. I don't have any experience with shipping fish, etc..


----------



## Picklefish

If nothing else they make good feeders. Lol.
There are auctions in Raleigh Atlanta and Charlotte.
I don't ship much any more. Although that many mbuna groups should crank out alot of fry.


----------



## Picklefish

For the bulk storage tanks. Not sure how tall they are but ruubermaid has a 70gallon stock tank. They are low and wide. You could easily plumb two together.
I have some of the 100 and 300 gal stock tanks and they are great. Easy to plumb and light weight for their size.


----------



## cantrell00

DIY Bulkhead = fail! :x

Maybe these guys will work... Anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/3-4-uniseal-bulkhead-alternative.html


----------



## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> DIY Bulkhead = fail! :x
> 
> Maybe these guys will work... Anyone have any experience with them?
> 
> http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/3-4-uniseal-bulkhead-alternative.html


Sorry to hear that! I picked up mine from http://www.jehmco.com/ and haven't had a problem with them.


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> DIY Bulkhead = fail! :x
> 
> Maybe these guys will work... Anyone have any experience with them?
> 
> http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/3-4-uniseal-bulkhead-alternative.html
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry to hear that! I picked up mine from http://www.jehmco.com/ and haven't had a problem with them.
Click to expand...

A typical bulkhead will not work on the bottom because of the recessed groove's in the center of the box... I drill the hole @ dead center & the max diameter that I can fit in there is 1-5/8".

I would have to reduce the size of the bulkhead to 1/2" to get one to fit... Too small of a drain..


----------



## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> I would have to reduce the size of the bulkhead to 1/2" to get one to fit... Too small of a drain..


That makes sense. In that case I have no clue.... But I do have another question for you.... Since this tote (tub) will have a varying height of water wouldn't you want to lay your heaters horizontally on the bottom of the tote so that they are not exposed to the air (below minimum liquid level) when you are emptying the totes? Most aquarium heaters have a minimum fill line.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

*Agridion,* that's a really good point!


----------



## Agridion

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> *Agridion,* that's a really good point!


Thanks! I'm just thinking INSIDE the box! :lol:


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Hahaha! I would give you a reputation point but C-F doesn't have that.


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would have to reduce the size of the bulkhead to 1/2" to get one to fit... Too small of a drain..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That makes sense. In that case I have no clue.... But I do have another question for you.... Since this tote (tub) will have a varying height of water wouldn't you want to lay your heaters horizontally on the bottom of the tote so that they are not exposed to the air (below minimum liquid level) when you are emptying the totes? Most aquarium heaters have a minimum fill line.
Click to expand...

Too cheap to buy new ones.. I have two 300W Fluvals, non-submersible (I know, I know!) that I am not doing anything with & have no other use for.

The only time the vats would be below the full mark would be when I am doing water changes so I was going to unplug them while that was going on & plug them back in after they were refilled.

I ordered a 3/4" & 1" version of those bulkheads that I attached. Going to try them out & MAKE CERTAIN they work before putting everything back together.

On a positive note - everything worked as planned. Filling them, adding chems, & draining all went without a hitch. The structure supporting everything was rock solid.

The only thing that didn't work were the bulkheads. I will see if I have a solution for them later this week. Should have fish in the tanks by then too.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

NICE! Good Luck. I have that same heater in my 20g Long and I personally don't like it, because it doesn't keep the whole aquarium the same temp. So you might want to put 1 heater on the LEFT side and the other on the RIGHT side.


----------



## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> NICE! Good Luck. I have that same heater in my 20g Long and I personally don't like it, because it doesn't keep the whole aquarium the same temp. So you might want to put 1 heater on the LEFT side and the other on the RIGHT side.


Good point. I don't like them either but I like them better than spending another $100.00.

As with everything, the costs associated with this project are running WAY over budget.. :lol:


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

It's just money, if you run out sell the wife! :lol:


----------



## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> As with everything, the costs associated with this project are running WAY over budget.. :lol:


My backdrop had the same problem. I called it the black hole and decided not to keep track of how much really went into it. I just felt better not knowing. :lol:


----------



## cantrell00

Here is a photo of the Uniseal...


----------



## Picklefish

I've heard of people using them and the only complaint I ever heard was that they sometimes pop out. But that wasn't mentioned much.
I think it was on reef central where I read a bunch of stuff about them. Make sure the holes are perfectly round.


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> I've heard of people using them and the only complaint I ever heard was that they sometimes pop out. But that wasn't mentioned much.
> I think it was on reef central where I read a bunch of stuff about them. Make sure the holes are perfectly round.


Exactly the same place where I read about them...

Completely forgot about tonight...

Will you be around tomorrow?


----------



## Picklefish

Yup


----------



## cantrell00

I think I now realize what the problem was.... If I had only found this link prior to constructing everything... 

From the website http://www.truetex.com/bulkhead.htm

*Here is the bulkhead fitting assembled on the hole at the bottom of the tank. The rubber gasket should go on the outside, between the outside wall of the vessel and the female fitting. (If the gasket were on the inside, the mated threads would be exposed to the liquid under pressure; and the threads, being straight, do not seal.) Putting the gasket on the outside also exposes less of it to contact with the tank contents.*










The good news is I found a solution, tested & it works! :dancing: The key is to put the seal on the OUTSIDE of the container wall..










Tank filled & no leaks. Well, other than the masking tape that was an attempt to hold the water long enough to test the fitting..


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

NICE FIX! :thumb:


----------



## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> NICE FIX! :thumb:


Thanks...

And another moment of brilliance... :wink:

So, I am cycling six tanks @ once with one test vial.. Slow, a royal pain & I inevitably forget which tank I had tested last.. I am A.D.D. I guess..

Anyway, I bought a daily medication thing & a syringe that measures in ml. You need 5 ml of tank water to do the analysis (DUH!) The cool thing is that each compartment is water tight & if you shake only lightly, one test won't spill into the other. Another cool thing is you can compare the colors (ammonia concentration) of one tank to the other automatically. REALLY helps.

For whatever reason & also despite setting all of the tanks up at the same time, same water parameters, temp & seeding - they all have seemed to progress at their own individual pace.

I have no idea as to why. Perhaps the substrate I removed from the 180 had varying degrees of bacteria present?.. Anyway... A picture is worth a 1000 words, right? Sorry, I couldn't get this image to save rotated 90 deg to the right.. Crazy..


----------



## DanniGirl

Brilliant idea, *cantrell00*! :thumb:


----------



## cantrell00

DanniGirl said:


> Brilliant idea, *cantrell00*! :thumb:


I thought so too... Hopefully if anyone has a similar circumstance they will use it... It helps a ton!!

Another thing I thought of but don't know how long you can leave a sample isolated is to use it for a series of days that you pull samples from the same tank while cycling...

If the color stayed the same, you could use it to compare Day 1 - Day 7 for amm, nitrite, whatever. As you know, the color changes can be very iffy but you can quite easily see a change in color when they are side by side like this...

It was cheap too. Two syringes & the pill container were only 5 bucks!


----------



## Rhinox

*cantrell00*
Good thinking with the pill container :thumb: . I've been using a syringe for testing water, putting in ammonia, and putting in dechlor ever since I set up my tank, it helps a bunch. Never thought of using a pill container. I usually use 4 vials and set them side by side. Unfortunately, I don't think any of the tests stay the same color if you let the sit for too long, so comparing day by day results probably won't work. Now, if you saved water from each day and then tested each sample at the same time...

With those bulkheads - I have a 40br that has bulkheads like that, only capped off. They're at the waterline more or less so there's not much pressure, but what I did was use the gasket on the inside and then put teflon tape on the threads. When the tank was given to me, it had gaskets on both sides, which I suppose also would work.


----------



## cantrell00

Rhinox said:


> *cantrell00*
> Good thinking with the pill container :thumb: . I've been using a syringe for testing water, putting in ammonia, and putting in dechlor ever since I set up my tank, it helps a bunch. Never thought of using a pill container. I usually use 4 vials and set them side by side. Unfortunately, I don't think any of the tests stay the same color if you let the sit for too long, so comparing day by day results probably won't work. Now, if you saved water from each day and then tested each sample at the same time...
> 
> With those bulkheads - I have a 40br that has bulkheads like that, only capped off. They're at the waterline more or less so there's not much pressure, but what I did was use the gasket on the inside and then put teflon tape on the threads. When the tank was given to me, it had gaskets on both sides, which I suppose also would work.


The pill container idea was born out of necessity. I have broken 2 vials in the last 3 days on the floor of the garage. I had had enough & had to find another way.

Great idea on saving the previous day's water... That would work..

As for the bulkheads, I had teflon on the threads but maybe not enough? No matter, changing the position of the seal fixed it! :dancing:


----------



## Bevo5

I don't think saving the water will work for you. Seems to me that bacteria in the water would continue to work through the cycle until all the available oxygen was used up. Then it would start dying off right? And that would create more ammonia. I guess there isn't too much bacteria floating in the water, but might be enough to affect the accuracy of your readings.

What about photos?


----------



## cantrell00

Bevo5 said:


> I don't think saving the water will work for you. Seems to me that bacteria in the water would continue to work through the cycle until all the available oxygen was used up. Then it would start dying off right? And that would create more ammonia. I guess there isn't too much bacteria floating in the water, but might be enough to affect the accuracy of your readings.
> 
> What about photos?


I am not a chemist but what you submit seems plausible.. Hard to say & I don't really know. We are measuring in PPM so any slight deviation "could" have a impact - particularly when the sample size is only 5 mL.

As photos, you mean take a photo of the sample from the day before? Possible but the lighting effects photography so much that if it were not optimal, the comparison may be skewed.

It would also become too much work! :lol:


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

The light thing is also an issue with me also. Do you match the color's in direct sunlight or indirect sunlight, I have always done it in indirect sunlight.

opcorn: :fish: opcorn: :fish: opcorn: :fish: opcorn:


----------



## cantrell00

Neither.. always indoors... Seems like I can never get an absolutel match with the color on the card so i round up when in doubt & address the issue, if any, accordingly.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

NO NO NO, alway's indoor's but from the light coming through the window's.


----------



## cantrell00

Gotcha...


----------



## ceech

Very impressive looking forward to lots more pics opcorn:


----------



## Picklefish

Good fix and much cheaper than bulkheads.
I like the idea of the pill container. So obvious it never occurred to anyone.
I can't count how many times I've tested a bat h of samples 1 vial at a time.


----------



## shellies215

Nice Idea with the pill container. I already use a syringe for dosing de-chlor, and a syringe for mixing fry food with water to feed directly into the shell for shell dweller fry.


----------



## cantrell00

shellies215 said:


> Nice Idea with the pill container. I already use a syringe for dosing de-chlor, and a syringe for mixing fry food with water to feed directly into the shell for shell dweller fry.


I can see where it would be very useful for feeding fry..


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Good fix and much cheaper than bulkheads.
> I like the idea of the pill container. So obvious it never occurred to anyone.
> I can't count how many times I've tested a bat h of samples 1 vial at a time.


It only occured to me out of necessity.. It wasn't all of the little vials as much as I kept breaking them.. Basically, I RAN OUT & had to come up with something different.

Point being, the brilliant idea really wasn't the idea... LOL :lol:


----------



## cantrell00

Pics aren't great but atleast you can tell they are fish in the room... Arrived Friday.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Did you see that thread on Plasti-Dip? That would be great on those hose's and pipe's.

Look's Good! When you getting the dwarf's in?


----------



## cantrell00

Here are some shots of the plumbing from the overhead storage bins. All of the tanks have their own fill valve for top-offs & water changes. It has been plumbed where I can "T" off to the left & right for the other two rows of tanks. No more leaks!

Top Row:























































Bottom Row:



















A few more shots of fish:

Cyno Jalo Reef










Cyno Mbamba










Cyno Nkhata Bay. Demasoni, Labs & Mel. Johanni fry










Still need to get the lights hung & will eventually have to do something with glass tops..


----------



## gliebig

Really cool. Hope you aren't planning to move anytime soon. :wink:


----------



## cantrell00

gliebig said:


> Really cool. Hope you aren't planning to move anytime soon. :wink:


My wife may force the issue... :lol:


----------



## Valous

Everything looks like its coming along nicely. great job and keep up the good work.


----------



## rkeiger

Hey man,

Can I swing by there and take a look around? I always like seeing new setups.

Bobby


----------



## cantrell00

rkeiger said:


> Hey man,
> 
> Can I swing by there and take a look around? I always like seeing new setups.
> 
> Bobby


Anytime... PMing my cell..


----------



## cantrell00

Valous said:


> Everything looks like its coming along nicely. great job and keep up the good work.


Thanks..Working on it...


----------



## Picklefish

Looks very nice. I'm thinking of a better way to refill my tanks. Maybe running some plumbing with drops across the ceiling.
I guess I need to finish rearranging first.
Nice looking fish.


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Looks very nice. I'm thinking of a better way to refill my tanks. Maybe running some plumbing with drops across the ceiling.
> I guess I need to finish rearranging first.
> Nice looking fish.


Thanks... Shoot me a text the next time you are in Summerville. Would love to show you around...


----------



## Picklefish

Will go. As nice as it looks it will be worth the trip.


----------



## cantrell00

WC group of Cyno Lion, Lion's Cove..

One of three (fish on the left) is seriously being questioned as Lion, Lion's Cove or even Cynotilapia at all... Looks more like Metriaclima to me...

Atleast the male, is really coming into his own & really looking nice...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

:thumb:  :thumb:  :thumb:

Is all I can say! LOL!


----------



## iwade4fish

cantrell00 said:


> WC group of Cyno Lion, Lion's Cove..
> 
> One of three (fish on the left) is seriously being questioned as Lion, Lion's Cove or even Cynotilapia at all... Looks more like Metriaclima to me...
> 
> Atleast the male, is really coming into his own & really looking nice...


Looks like an Mbamba or, IDK. Get them from Importer, or an individual?!


----------



## cantrell00

iwade4fish said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> WC group of Cyno Lion, Lion's Cove..
> 
> One of three (fish on the left) is seriously being questioned as Lion, Lion's Cove or even Cynotilapia at all... Looks more like Metriaclima to me...
> 
> Atleast the male, is really coming into his own & really looking nice...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks like an Mbamba or, IDK. Get them from Importer, or an individual?!
Click to expand...

Importer...

It definitely isn't Lion's Cove... No way to determine what it is. Particularly a female. I have 6 others that I know ARE Lion's cove females so I am ok on that front.


----------



## iwade4fish

Talk to the Importer, and show him, just out of curiosity. Could be from an adjoining tank, or an overlooked individual mixed in w/ the Lion's Cove group. 
I like a good mystery! opcorn:


----------



## cantrell00

Came home to a holding WC Lion, Lions cove female.. Schaweet!

:dancing:


----------



## iwade4fish

Yayyyyy, my Chailosi's sealed the deal as well!!!

Sure that isn't a sub-dominant male?!?!?


----------



## cantrell00

iwade4fish said:


> Yayyyyy, my Chailosi's sealed the deal as well!!!
> 
> Sure that isn't a sub-dominant male?!?!?


Holding? Not sure that I follow...

Awesome... Ps. elongatus? Are they as mean as I have heard... ?


----------



## iwade4fish

I was still thinking about the unknown fish in pic1. Chailosi's, from my experiance, would prefer to have a tank to themselves, but do very well in my 5foot mixed mbuna set-up. Just the pair, he is sub-dom to my Fuellebourni 'Katale'.


----------



## cantrell00

iwade4fish said:


> I was still thinking about the unknown fish in pic1. Chailosi's, from my experiance, would prefer to have a tank to themselves, but do very well in my 5foot mixed mbuna set-up. Just the pair, he is sub-dom to my Fuellebourni 'Katale'.


Awesome... I have a female. Don't ask me how I ended up with it.. Just one of those deals.

Sorry.. No, it wasn't the female in question. One of the other 5 that I know are Lion's Cove.

Speaking of which - I have 2M & 5F.. I am thinking about splitting them up into 2 tanks. They are fairly passive fish so i am not that concerned with the 2 males fighting. This has more to do with getting offspring from each male because their markings are different. Both are Lion's Cove but are colored somewhat differently.

In your experience, have you had better luck keeping multiple males in the group? As it stands now, I don't know which male she spawned with...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

AWESOME! What are you going to do with the fry? Sell them or keep them?


----------



## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> AWESOME! What are you going to do with the fry? Sell them or keep them?


Will be keeping the first two batches from each male as I need more males. After that, who knows..


----------



## Picklefish

Looking good. Its a testament to your planning that they are spawning already.
As for the mystery fish. Is segregating it an option. Maybe with a female lions cove to see if he colors up. Those sub-dom males can be quite sneaky.


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Looking good. Its a testament to your planning that they are spawning already.
> As for the mystery fish. Is segregating it an option. Maybe with a female lions cove to see if he colors up. Those sub-dom males can be quite sneaky.


Yes, I can pull "it". That is the thing though, "it" is the dominant fish in the tank. I still think it is female.. When it gets frustrated at the other fish, the fins don't flare & go erect. Nor does it's colors change.

She is a nasty B**** too!


----------



## Picklefish

Just like people. All fish have their own personality. I've had some hyper aggressive fish that were quite mellow and vice versa.


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Just like people. All fish have their own personality. I've had some hyper aggressive fish that were quite mellow and vice versa.


You just never know...


----------



## cantrell00

Just went back & made some more measurements.. Here is the complete tank count when done...

5 - 40 BR
3 - 60 X 12 X 12 (~40 gal) These still need to be built (Acrylic). Will be to the left of the door, opposite the 40BR rack. Will also be on a centralized sump.
1 - 30L
6 - 20L (Still need to build or buy one used)
3 - 36 X 12 X 12 (Still need to be built - Acrylic)

18 tanks total in ~60 sq ft. Not bad...


----------



## cantrell00

Ok... Here is my first foray into building a tank from acrylic... This is 32 X 12 X 12 and built from scrap given to me by a plastics shop.. The purpose was to get my feet wet & see if I could pull it off. Based on this I think I can.. It is not pretty but it does hold water..

I initially started with joining/welding the seams using a "butt" method where the two panels rest against one another. This is an easier, less time consuming approach that in my experience produced less than desirable results. Solvent puddling in the seam, permanently staining the panel, etc.. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of joining them this way..

I started shooting when I started joining using a "pin & shim" method.. I have far from perfected it, it is more laborious & time consuming but IMO will produce better results.

I still struggle with "placing" the solvent without allowing to much into the seam but am getting better with more practice.. Here are a few photos of that. The lip that is overhanging the face will be route edged with a trim but that is typically used to edge the face of a Formica counter-top once bonded to the MDF, ply, whatever..

Setting up to join:










After & with pins removed..










Close ups of the seams... Ouch! I am hoping that the trim bit will clean up the "bubbled" areas on the outside of the panel..



















Here are some that are on the inside of the panel. Basically, there isn't much that I can do about it.. I think there may be two things that are causing it..

1) The pin that I am using is too large & is producing too large of a gap & too much solvent is accumulating in the seam.

2) I am not letting the solvent set up long enough prior to removing the pin.

It could also be a combination of both.. Still working on it..


----------



## cantrell00

Route Edging:





































The clarity of acrylic blows glass away...










Recent 180 tank shot for the heck of it...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Awesome mate, and the 180 look's so good.


----------



## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> Awesome mate, and the 180 look's so good.


Thanks..


----------



## Picklefish

Looks good. Building custom size tanks is great. Did you consider using glass or only acrylic? 
The 180 looks great. What are the red ones? They really stand out


----------



## prov356

> I am not letting the solvent set up long enough prior to removing the pin.


The solvent evaporates. If you watch the joint closely, you can actually see when that happens. It's at that point that you want to pull the pins.

As mentioned in our other conversations, I'm leaning toward too much weight on the piece after removing the pins. It'll squeeze out the softened acrylic.

Looks like the router trimming went well. That little router trim bit turns us into pros, doesn't it?

The euro bracing looks good. I don't think you'll need anything in the middle. Did it bow at all when filled?

To have a first tank not leak at all is a nice accomplishment. =D>


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> I am not letting the solvent set up long enough prior to removing the pin.
> 
> 
> 
> The solvent evaporates. If you watch the joint closely, you can actually see when that happens. It's at that point that you want to pull the pins.
> 
> As mentioned in our other conversations, I'm leaning toward too much weight on the piece after removing the pins. It'll squeeze out the softened acrylic.
> 
> Looks like the router trimming went well. That little router trim bit turns us into pros, doesn't it?
> 
> The euro bracing looks good. I don't think you'll need anything in the middle. Did it bow at all when filled?
> 
> To have a first tank not leak at all is a nice accomplishment. =D>
Click to expand...




> The euro bracing looks good. I don't think you'll need anything in the middle. Did it bow at all when filled?


Uhmmm ... I don't think those pins were pulled when the solvent had evaporated..

As for the router trim bit.. For sure.. The right tools makes everyone llok like a pro! :thumb:

Yup... The front & back braces are 1.5" (all that I had left) - I think if they had been 2-2.5" all would be ok.

I went back & added a center brace & the bow went away.. It bowed out in the center by 1/4" 

This is only .177 material so that probably has something to do with it also. I thought it was actually 3/16.

All of the rest of the 12" tanks I build will be 1/4".

Thanks BTW.. I was stunned that it didn't leak...


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Looks good. Building custom size tanks is great. Did you consider using glass or only acrylic?
> The 180 looks great. What are the red ones? They really stand out


Considered glass until I determined that I could actually get acrylic much cheaper.. I can buy 1/4" cellcast for approx $3.60 per square. All of the cut glass quotes I got were $8-10.

And you are right.. building them yourself provides almost infinite flexibility. Helps a lot when you are trying to maximize a small space the way I am..

The red ones are Red Zebra's (Metriaclima Estherae)


----------



## cantrell00

Here is the first draft of the sumps I intend to build.. 40 X 20 X 15T.

To conserve space under my tank racks, I have designed a long & less tall bio chamber that will rest in a drawer. Egg-crate on the bottom & a drip tray on the top...

The main issue I see with the design is the fact that water will drip all over the floor when slid forward.. Trying to design an easier way to remove the filter floss from the drip tray. If I go with a drawer design, the entire top will be covered & the drains will be plumbed into the top. If no drawer, it will be as shown. That way I can remove it from either side of the 6" strip running down the center.. Still working on the concept...

Also debating internal or external pumps. External would be much easier to access.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

I like the idea. :thumb:

Good Luck!


----------



## prov356

> The main issue I see with the design is the fact that water will drip all over the floor when slid forward..


I turn off the pump and let it drip for a few minutes before pulling the tray into a cheap plastic tray big enough to hold the drip tray.

Design looks good, but why the baffle in front of the pump?

Also, will this be enclosed with a lid? You want the biomedia chamber to retain humidity. I'd go thicker on the cross piece that the drains will connect into. I'd make it a full top. Stresses can crack acrylic.


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> The main issue I see with the design is the fact that water will drip all over the floor when slid forward..
> 
> 
> 
> I turn off the pump and let it drip for a few minutes before pulling the tray into a cheap plastic tray big enough to hold the drip tray.
> 
> Design looks good, but why the baffle in front of the pump?
> 
> Also, will this be enclosed with a lid? You want the biomedia chamber to retain humidity. I'd go thicker on the cross piece that the drains will connect into. I'd make it a full top. Stresses can crack acrylic.
Click to expand...

Yeah.. I was thinking some cheap plastic rig for any residual water to drip in would work also..

No idea on the baffle..??? Pointless in this configuration... :wink:

Ok, re: humidity..

Sounds like the full top & extrenal pump are the way to go...

Oh, one more thing... There will more than likely be 4 of these & they will all have a overflow & a common drain out of the fish room. Water changes...

I also built another rack of 20 longs over the weekend... Will have photos later...


----------



## prov356

> Sounds like the full top & extrenal pump are the way to go...


Depends on if you think you'll need/want the heat the pump will put out.

Yeah, lose the baffle. Adding them comes from the reef keeper in all of us.


----------



## cantrell00

> Depends on if you think you'll need/want the heat the pump will put out.


Good point..

Ver 2.0


----------



## prov356

Looks good. The tray will slide in at the front? Is that what the top panel represents?


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> Looks good. The tray will slide in at the front? Is that what the top panel represents?


Correct...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

*cantrell00,* so where are the pic's you promised?


----------



## prov356

I'd put a hinged door on it, just be sure to use polycarbonate (Lexan) for the door or it will warp on you. Ask me how I know that.  Lexan has never warped for me, in spite of claims even from the manufacturer that it will. I use it for covers, doors, etc in almost 30 different places thoughout my acrylic tanks and sumps. Been in place for years.










It'll keep humidity in, reduce evaporation, and keep noise down. I used a simple catch with a piece of acrylic attached by a plastic push pin that I got at Lowe's to keep the door closed.


----------



## cantrell00

Here is the drawer...

3/16" holes @ 1" spacing... I need a drill press... :lol:


----------



## prov356

> 3/16" holes


I wouldn't start that large. I'd start smaller and test. Too big and the water will drain down before extending out the full tray.

And you're right about the drill press. I drilled four at once one time thinking I was being smart. The hot bit melted them together a bit. Got them apart ok, but I won't do that again. I think I killed a saturday drilling drip tray holes.

One bit of caution. Make sure that if/when the tray overflows that the water doesn't have a track to run down and out the chamber. I had to mod mine afterward to correct this. I had used 1/4" square stock on the sides for the tray to slide onto. I ran them full front to back. Water when overflowing the sides ran down that piece, out the front and onto the floor. Normally the tray won't overflow, but there are times when I stirred up sand, etc, so there was an unusual load and I wasn't paying attention to it.

Consider adding a 3/4" X 1/8" stock piece to hold the prefilter pad in order to discourage bypass around the pad. You can also see the plastic tub I use in this pic. This one's in the family room, so not a good idea to drip water all the way to the basement sink.










This is where the thickened weldon 16 in a tube comes in handy. I marked the outside of the tray with a line of masking tape to use as a guide for glueing the piece in.

One last thought. You'll be surprised to see how flimsly eggcrate is. I had to support mine even thought it was only holding up plastic bioballs. Two pieces are attached vertically.


----------



## cantrell00

Good info...

Looks like you have perfected wrong too! :thumb:


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> The clarity of acrylic blows glass away...


Is it really that noticeable of a difference?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> The clarity of acrylic blows glass away...
> 
> 
> 
> Is it really that noticeable of a difference?
Click to expand...

Yes... Glass has tons of glare & very reflective. Acrylic doesn't show these characteristics nearly as much.


----------



## The King Crabb

I may need to rethink some of my current DIY ideas then!  Is it about the same price?


----------



## prov356

> Is it about the same price?


Acrylic isn't cheap, just generally easier to use when putting together the type of sump that he is. I'm not sure you could build the same thing using glass. That generally only involves adding baffles to an already built glass tank. For me, acrylic is just easier to work with and customize than glass. The clarity is an extra bonus.


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> I may need to rethink some of my current DIY ideas then!  Is it about the same price?


Depends... I think I have one heck of a "Brother in Law" deal because I can buy 4 X 8 sheets of 1/4" cell cast cut to my specs for $115.00 a sheet... ~ $3.60 per sq ft.

All of the glass I had quoted locally was ~$8-10 / sq ft. cut to my specs. Most of the cost is in the labor.. This price may also be ridiculously expensive relative to the area you live in.. Glasscages.com sells it for $3.00 but the freight is VERY expensive...

I will being doing some photos of the construction when I build them on this thread... Will be sometime next month... Gotta come up with the cash...

Will also be building 3 - 60" X 18 X 12T tanks also...


----------



## ahud

Looking good, when I come down to Charleston over the summer I'll stop by and check it out :thumb:


----------



## cantrell00

ahud said:


> Looking good, when I come down to Charleston over the summer I'll stop by and check it out :thumb:


You are more than welcome. Anytime.

Way to go taking out those cheating SOB's in Opelika..

Wife is a Clemson fan but I am originally from Birmingham & a huge Bama fan.

Seeing them lose is good for the soul!


----------



## ahud

:thumb: :thumb: agreed. Hate to admit it, but I was counting on Clemson loosing after that terrible game with Wofford. Going to pick up my tickets tomorrow for the Florida state game, hope they pull through again.

Don't want to derail your great build thread. I'm looking forward to the pictures of the 60" tank builds. I plan to do something similar when I am finally able to have my own fishroom. You can't beat how customizable acrylic is, and if you plan to use the tanks for 5-10 years the cost is not really a factor.

Do acrylic tanks hold their seals better than glass?


----------



## prov356

> Do acrylic tanks hold their seals better than glass?


If done right will never leak. It's as one piece once properly welded. The trick is in doing it right.



> Don't want to derail your great build thread.


Thanks, sports talk makes me :zz: :zz: :zz:


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> Do acrylic tanks hold their seals better than glass?
> 
> 
> 
> If done right will never leak. It's as one piece once properly welded. The trick is in doing it right.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Don't want to derail your great build thread.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks, sports talk makes me :zz: :zz: :zz:
Click to expand...

Yeah - kind of the wrong place for it but it is that time of the year! Southeastern "guys" are pretty far out there when it comes to college football...


----------



## cantrell00

ahud said:


> :thumb: :thumb: agreed. Hate to admit it, but I was counting on Clemson loosing after that terrible game with Wofford. Going to pick up my tickets tomorrow for the Florida state game, hope they pull through again.
> 
> Don't want to derail your great build thread. I'm looking forward to the pictures of the 60" tank builds. I plan to do something similar when I am finally able to have my own fishroom. You can't beat how customizable acrylic is, and if you plan to use the tanks for 5-10 years the cost is not really a factor.
> 
> Do acrylic tanks hold their seals better than glass?


I had start to lose hope on Dabo.. He may be starting to put it together though...

I will post plenty of pics.. Prov356 has built way more than I have with great success. I will for the most part be following his "recipe" for construction.

I see nothing beneficial from recreating the wheel...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

*cantrell00,* picture's???


----------



## prov356

How are you draining water for water changes? I thought you mentioned an overflow drain on the sumps one time.


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> How are you draining water for water changes? I thought you mentioned an overflow drain on the sumps one time.


That is what I have in mind right now.. All of the tanks and sumps border the perimeter wall of the room from left to right so I was going to connect a 1" line at the top edge of all of them. They would all be interconnected and will be routed centralized drain that runs out the wall...

I think I am going to leave the 20L (2 wracks of three) on sponges as they will primarily be used as grow out, quarantine tanks.

I think I will have 4-40 BR on one. The other two 40BR's on one, the 3 - 60" tanks on one and the 3 - 30BR on one.


----------



## prov356

> That is what I have in mind right now.. All of the tanks and sumps border the perimeter wall of the room from left to right so I was going to connect a 1" line at the top edge of all of them. They would all be interconnected and will be routed centralized drain that runs out the wall...


Ok, that was my concern. There are problems with draining off at the sumps instead of the tanks. If power goes out, water will drain off the tanks into the sump, then out the overflow drains. When power returns, you're sump will run dangerously low, unless you've also got some sort of sump topoff working in conjuction. And one that'll refill quickly.


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> That is what I have in mind right now.. All of the tanks and sumps border the perimeter wall of the room from left to right so I was going to connect a 1" line at the top edge of all of them. They would all be interconnected and will be routed centralized drain that runs out the wall...
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, that was my concern. There are problems with draining off at the sumps instead of the tanks. If power goes out, water will drain off the tanks into the sump, then out the overflow drains. When power returns, you're sump will run dangerously low, unless you've also got some sort of sump topoff working in conjuction. And one that'll refill quickly.
Click to expand...

Yup... Still working that part out... My drains are going through the bottom so I can adjust the height of the down tubes until I find that happy medium where I can address both concerns.

I can run multiple drains out the wall but REALLY want to avoid that if at all possible.

A ATO could be designed using the overhead reservoir if needed.. I need to research all of this some more.. Also need to make sure that the floor is relatively level.. If not, I will have to adjust the height of the drain from one sump to the next to compensate for it..


----------



## ahud

cantrell00 said:


> ahud said:
> 
> 
> 
> :thumb: :thumb: agreed. Hate to admit it, but I was counting on Clemson loosing after that terrible game with Wofford. Going to pick up my tickets tomorrow for the Florida state game, hope they pull through again.
> 
> Don't want to derail your great build thread. I'm looking forward to the pictures of the 60" tank builds. I plan to do something similar when I am finally able to have my own fishroom. You can't beat how customizable acrylic is, and if you plan to use the tanks for 5-10 years the cost is not really a factor.
> 
> Do acrylic tanks hold their seals better than glass?
> 
> 
> 
> I had start to lose hope on Dabo.. He may be starting to put it together though...
> 
> I will post plenty of pics.. Prov356 has built way more than I have with great success. I will for the most part be following his "recipe" for construction.
> 
> I see nothing beneficial from recreating the wheel...
Click to expand...

Yeah its tough to contain yourself during college season, NFL is blah at best imo.

Prov is the man. When I start my room in a few years I'm getting his number :lol:. I'm forming the opinion that acrylic is the material of choice for fish rooms.


----------



## cantrell00

> I'm forming the opinion that acrylic is the material of choice for fish rooms.


I agree. Well, once you get past the initial fear of working with a foreign material. Requires a lot of prepping, checking again - double checking everything before you start laying solvent. That is the point of no return & can be very expensive mistakes if you didn't plan thoroughly.

He has been a great resource to me. I agree with you re: the NFL. The current path of major Div 1 football is headed down that path though..


----------



## cantrell00

Finally got my water change drain installed... Here are a few photos...

Also removed the strip lights in favor in hi-eff incandescent. Much better arrangement that provides much more room above the tanks...


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Awesome! I like the way everything's setup.


----------



## cantrell00

5 - 40BR
3 - 30BR
1 - 30L
6 - 20L
3 - 60 X 18 X 12 (56 gallon)

I still have to build the 3 - 56G & the sump for them..(to the immediate right of the door)

Almost done..


----------



## cantrell00




----------



## prov356

How is that eurobracing going to work? The sketch sort of cheats, doesn't it?


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

I really like that tank, the dimension's just get me. :thumb:


----------



## The King Crabb

That looks like a great lighting option! I have a single CFL (6,500K) on my 29G but I can never get it to look quite as bright as your's do... Height maybe?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> That looks like a great lighting option! I have a single CFL (6,500K) on my 29G but I can never get it to look quite as bright as your's do... Height maybe?


Possible... May have to do with the fact that there are three within 7' of one another.

I plan to eventually put domes over them.. THEY ARE BRIGHT!


----------



## The King Crabb

That could be a factor, maybe you'rs are different wattage/ color spectrum?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> That could be a factor, maybe you'rs are different wattage/ color spectrum?


I think they are 40W, 5000K. Bought them at Lowes...

They are about 6-8" above the tank..


----------



## The King Crabb

Mine is at about 4" above, I'll try raising it and see how it works! I think the wattage has something to do with it too, mine are only 12W.


----------



## cantrell00

I will dbl check the wattage...


----------



## cantrell00

18W - 1200 Lumens - 5000K


----------



## The King Crabb

I'm really thinking it's the height, I'll raise mine today.


----------



## cantrell00

Very rough & sorry for the glare. The aluminized bubble wrap is highly reflective.

My fish had a lot of stage fright too.. :lol:


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

:drooling: Nice!

I'm jealous!


----------



## gliebig

I was just watching your 180 vid on utube. It looks great. How do you get all those Dem's to get along? I started off with 20 and am now down to about 6.


----------



## cantrell00

gliebig said:


> I was just watching your 180 vid on utube. It looks great. How do you get all those Dem's to get along? I started off with 20 and am now down to about 6.


I never could. Had 30 when I started & when I decided to get rid of them, I had 16.

I don't think them "getting along" is possible. I think the only way it will work long term is if you have them repopulating the tank faster than they kill one another.


----------



## pyu

Very interesting project.


----------



## cantrell00

Rack of 33L's on a centralized sump..


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Nice, what size tank's r those?

_____________

My new thread - Which one!? <-- Click it


----------



## cantrell00

33 Long... 48 X 12 X 12

Very handy footprint for breeding mbuna..


----------



## cantrell00

From today... Almost done. Just need to add more grow out tanks..

From left to right as you walk in the door... Grow out tanks will be to the immediate left in the future..

3 - 33L's

Top - Yellow Lab breeding group

Bottom Two - F1 Cynotilapia sp; Hara breeding group - Eventually, Cynotilapia sp; Chinyanskwazi will be in the middle tank. Four sub-dom Hara males are in that tank now. Debating if I will keep the Labs long term..










To the right of the 33's..

Top tank (40BR) F1 Cyno afra 'Likoma' & Cyno Mbamba 'Mpangha Rocks' breeding groups (still juvenile)

Bottom tank (40BR) - WC Cyno Lion, 'Lion's Cove' breeding group










Middle Row directly in front of the door..

Top tank (40BR) - Cyno afra 'Jalo Reef' breeding group

Bottom tank (40BR) F1 Cyno afra 'Nkhata Bay' breeding group










Right of middle row..

Top tank (40BR) - Cyno afra 'Cobue' breeding group (still juvenile) & Cyno Lion 'Lupingu' (still juvenile)

Bottom tank (30BR) - F1 Cyno Mbamba 'Lundu' breeding group - F1 breeding group of Cyno axelrodi juveniles are on the way.










Far right wall -

Top
20L grow out - Cyno Lion, Lion's Cove

Middle
20L grow out - Cyno afra 'Jalo Reef'

Bottom
20L grow out - Cyno Lion 'Lupingu'

There is also a 10 gallon raised off the floor with more Cyno afra Nkhata Bay










To the immediate right of the front door as you enter..

Top
30 tall - Cyno sp; Hara and Red X Red Met. Estherae grow out

Middle
30BR grow out - Cyno afra 'Nkhata Bay' and Cyno Lion 'Lion's Cove'

Bottom
30BR - unoccupied at the moment..


----------



## JimA

Looks great. So you selling fish or just raising them?


----------



## cantrell00

JimA said:


> Looks great. So you selling fish or just raising them?


Just raising them right now... Will have to do something with them but weary of a hobby becoming a job so don't really know what the long term plans are yet.


----------



## CITADELGRAD87

Holy COW this is a cool room. I am going to reread the thread. Very neat work, I like the pvc work, looks industrial neat. My lfs could take some lessons.


----------



## cantrell00

Thanks!

If ever in the low country again - look me up...

Here is the mechanical for you guys that enjoy looking at this kind of stuff...

Red = water supply to and from overhead reservoir.. 
Blue = air supply to filters
White = waste drain


----------



## rich_t

Impressive.

Very very impressive.

How much did it cost you to set all of that up if I may ask? How many man hours do you think you have invested in the build?

My wife wants to know why so many tanks. She didn't buy my line it's a hobby.

=D>


----------



## cantrell00

rich_t said:


> Impressive.
> 
> Very very impressive.
> 
> How much did it cost you to set all of that up if I may ask? How many man hours do you think you have invested in the build?
> 
> My wife wants to know why so many tanks. She didn't buy my line it's a hobby.
> 
> =D>


$2000.00 give or take a couple hundred, including fish. I have done this on the thriftier side though.. Most of the insulation & electrical wiring I got for free.. Most of the tanks were either discounted @ Petco for $1/gal, craigslist, of fish for tank trades @ the LFS.

Geez - man hours? Well, there was a couple months where I was working on it all weekend & some during the week too. It still isn't finished actually. Just a wild guess, 10-12 8 hr days? 100 hours or so I would guess.

You never have too many tanks, right? I guess the wife defines what are too many, huh? :lol:

Mine did..

That is why I am in the garage. Now way I could ever get away with having this stuff in the house.. !


----------



## Picklefish

Very nice. My wife decided when my tanks got too many, lol


----------



## cantrell00

Picklefish said:


> Very nice. My wife decided when my tanks got too many, lol


They seem to decide when anything is "too much" don't they?

Alcohol, football, golf, etc etc.. :lol:


----------



## kamikaziechameleon

Doing my own cichlid room in my basement and its finally starting to come together. Let me know how substrate pans out for you I currently have glass bottom tanks all around and the fish breed but doesn't look nearly as good.


----------



## cantrell00

kamikaziechameleon said:


> Doing my own cichlid room in my basement and its finally starting to come together. Let me know how substrate pans out for you I currently have glass bottom tanks all around and the fish breed but doesn't look nearly as good.


The sand is a pain from a maintenance standpoint but I like to see the males dig, etc..

I even have rocks in the tanks too. I know a lot of people use flower pots, PVC pipe, etc.. I just like the tanks to look as natural as I can.


----------



## prov356

cantrell00 said:


> kamikaziechameleon said:
> 
> 
> 
> Doing my own cichlid room in my basement and its finally starting to come together. Let me know how substrate pans out for you I currently have glass bottom tanks all around and the fish breed but doesn't look nearly as good.
> 
> 
> 
> The sand is a pain from a maintenance standpoint but I like to see the males dig, etc..
> 
> I even have rocks in the tanks too. I know a lot of people use flower pots, PVC pipe, etc.. I just like the tanks to look as natural as I can.
Click to expand...

I'm the same way. I removed most of the sand from my tanks at one point, but am starting to put some back because it just looks better. But, I've got a holding female I've got to catch out and the decor is a problem. Last time I removed it all to catch her out, she freaked out and swallowed the brood. Hard to have the best of both worlds.


----------



## cantrell00

prov356 said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kamikaziechameleon said:
> 
> 
> 
> Doing my own cichlid room in my basement and its finally starting to come together. Let me know how substrate pans out for you I currently have glass bottom tanks all around and the fish breed but doesn't look nearly as good.
> 
> 
> 
> The sand is a pain from a maintenance standpoint but I like to see the males dig, etc..
> 
> I even have rocks in the tanks too. I know a lot of people use flower pots, PVC pipe, etc.. I just like the tanks to look as natural as I can.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I'm the same way. I removed most of the sand from my tanks at one point, but am starting to put some back because it just looks better. But, I've got a holding female I've got to catch out and the decor is a problem. Last time I removed it all to catch her out, she freaked out and swallowed the brood. Hard to have the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...

Fortunately, I haven't had that happen. Removing decor on these smallish tanks hasn't been a big deal. On my 180? Forget about it. That is a several hour job.


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## tim_s

Wow! -- This is an extreme hobby, do you sell fish?


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## cantrell00

Eventually, I hope to - yes.


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## Rhinox

Glad to see your fish room project is still coming along nicely. I haven't posted on site here in a while, so I was glad to see this still near the top of my "view my posts" link.


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## cantrell00

Rhinox said:


> Glad to see your fish room project is still coming along nicely. I haven't posted on site here in a while, so I was glad to see this still near the top of my "view my posts" link.


Yeah.. Still going right along..

What happened to the 125?


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## Rhinox

cantrell00 said:


> Rhinox said:
> 
> 
> 
> Glad to see your fish room project is still coming along nicely. I haven't posted on site here in a while, so I was glad to see this still near the top of my "view my posts" link.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah.. Still going right along..
> 
> What happened to the 125?
Click to expand...

Had to be taken down when I moved. Had to say goodbye to some of my fish. The ones I was able to keep are in a mostly bare 55g right now. I'm looking for a 4' 120g display tank for the space I have for a tank in the living area of the new place, and then the big project for sometime will be finishing my new basement which probably be getting something like an 8' 240 main display and a behind the scenes supporting fish room. But thats not going to happen right away.


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## cantrell00

Rhinox said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rhinox said:
> 
> 
> 
> Glad to see your fish room project is still coming along nicely. I haven't posted on site here in a while, so I was glad to see this still near the top of my "view my posts" link.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah.. Still going right along..
> 
> What happened to the 125?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Had to be taken down when I moved. Had to say goodbye to some of my fish. The ones I was able to keep are in a mostly bare 55g right now. I'm looking for a 4' 120g display tank for the space I have for a tank in the living area of the new place, and then the big project for sometime will be finishing my new basement which probably be getting something like an 8' 240 main display and a behind the scenes supporting fish room. But thats not going to happen right away.
Click to expand...

That sounds awesome... I don't know how much DIY you are comfortable with but if looking to do a large 8', large footprint tank - I would consider looking at some of the DIY plywood tank threads on monsterfishkeepers.com. There are actually a couple here by "thefishguy" too.


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## Rhinox

cantrell00 said:


> That sounds awesome... I don't know how much DIY you are comfortable with but if looking to do a large 8', large footprint tank - I would consider looking at some of the DIY plywood tank threads on monsterfishkeepers.com. There are actually a couple here by "thefishguy" too.


Yeah I used to spend a lot of time over there reading stuff and getting ideas. I would totally try it for a basement tank where a flood wouldn't be a super damaging thing. I think I've read of of TFG's threads here 

I'll probably have more trouble fingding the 4' 120g...


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## cantrell00

Rhinox said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> That sounds awesome... I don't know how much DIY you are comfortable with but if looking to do a large 8', large footprint tank - I would consider looking at some of the DIY plywood tank threads on monsterfishkeepers.com. There are actually a couple here by "thefishguy" too.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah I used to spend a lot of time over there reading stuff and getting ideas. I would totally try it for a basement tank where a flood wouldn't be a super damaging thing. I think I've read of of TFG's threads here
> 
> I'll probably have more trouble fingding the 4' 120g...
Click to expand...

Weird.. I see them listed here a lot.. They are a very common reef foot print... Ideal for that actually.


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## tim_s

Puts on the pressure: When can we see pictures.


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## cantrell00

tim_s said:


> Puts on the pressure: When can we see pictures.


You weren't satisfied with the 100 in this thread already? :lol:


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## tim_s

cantrell00 said:


> tim_s said:
> 
> 
> 
> Puts on the pressure: When can we see pictures.
> 
> 
> 
> You weren't satisfied with the 100 in this thread already? :lol:
Click to expand...

Uh Sir!~ NO ha ha :lol:

I mean close ups of the tanks themselves.

We got to:

1. Planning
2. Building
3. Explaining the idea
Next. We have some fish but the pressure is on to get this all up and lighted


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## cantrell00

tim_s said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tim_s said:
> 
> 
> 
> Puts on the pressure: When can we see pictures.
> 
> 
> 
> You weren't satisfied with the 100 in this thread already? :lol:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Uh Sir!~ NO ha ha :lol:
> 
> I mean close ups of the tanks themselves.
> 
> We got to:
> 
> 1. Planning
> 2. Building
> 3. Explaining the idea
> Next. We have some fish but the pressure is on to get this all up and lighted
Click to expand...

Ok.. So you are in the process of building your own room?


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## Steveboos

Wow your room is amazing! Also your pretty close to me, if you want some good customers, there are tons of us waiting for a good supply of Cichlids!


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## cantrell00

Steveboos said:


> Wow your room is amazing! Also your pretty close to me, if you want some good customers, there are tons of us waiting for a good supply of Cichlids!


That is certainly good to know... I will eventually have fry from the following...

Labs
Met. Msobo
Cyno sp; Chinyankwazi
Cyno afra Nkhata Bay (available)
Cyno afra Likoma
Cyno afra Jalo Reef
Cyno Mbamba Lundu
Cyno Mbamba Mphanga Rocks
Cyno sp; Hara
Cyno axelrodi, Nkhata Bay 
Cyno afra Cobue
Cyno Lion Lupingo
Cyno Lion, Lion's Cove (available) F1


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## cantrell00

I need more grow out tanks so I found a ad on craigslist for odd & ends acrylic for $1.00 / lb. I checked it out and brought a bunch home. The fry wracks are approximately 48 X 18 X 10"T and will have three removable dividers. This will allow a ton of flexibility as fish are growing. I also picked up a ton of polycarbonate (Lexan) to use as tank covers.

There will be three of these and will be on a auto-drip. I hope to achieve 50% water changes daily. The auto-change system will be fed via the overhead reservoir. Approximately 30 gallons per day.

Here is a concept drawing:










Pile of acrylic:










Assembly sequence...






















































































































Two are built with one more to go. Waiting on the acrylic joining "U" channel to arrive for the partitions. Also have to cut out the partitions and install everything. Including the covers for all of the tanks... Once completed, I will have the capability for basically 12 - 10 gallon tanks for holding mom's or recently stripped fry. As they grow, I can combine certain types into larger segments as I remove partitions. Filtration will be sponge filters.


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## Vidockq

Hello *cantrell00*

I have watched your topic very closely and have to say you did a amazing job there.
Keep up the good job and i wish you the best in this en-devour.

I would also like to ask you about your heating system. Do you heat up the water in the above storage tanks ? If so doesn't it add up to a whole lot of a electrical bill ?

Or do you heat the water by having the room temperature up to lets say 29 degrees so the water temperature is 23-24 ?

Either way when winter is coming how do you cope then ?


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## cantrell00

Vidockq said:


> Hello *cantrell00*
> 
> I have watched your topic very closely and have to say you did a amazing job there.
> Keep up the good job and i wish you the best in this en-devour.


Thank you..



> I would also like to ask you about your heating system. Do you heat up the water in the above storage tanks ? If so doesn't it add up to a whole lot of a electrical bill ?


Two things: One, I live in a very mild climate. For reference, it was 81 degrees here yesterday. Secondly, I do both... I heat the overhead storage tanks & heat the room as necessary. I heat the overhead water because I need it warmed faster than the room itself would warm it. I am constantly using it for water-changes



> Either way when winter is coming how do you cope then ?


Winter here is almost over.


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## Cromak

Must cost you a fortune to run all that


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## cantrell00

Cromak said:


> Must cost you a fortune to run all that


$50.00 a month, maybe? Hasn't been that much and I have been pleasantly surprised.


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## cantrell00

Here is the fry tank with the dividers.. I ended up making a channel out of 1/4" strips - 1/2" wide. The fabricated 2X4/ply support is under it..

Please excuse the camera phone pics..










In the room..










My 11 year old "helper" screwing down the ply.. 










Second tank..










I have more on my camera showing the feed and drain lines for the auto-drip. The dividers, etc.. Will post later.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Nice! Do you have holes in the divider or are you doing it so each one is separate?


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> Nice! Do you have holes in the divider or are you doing it so each one is separate?


I drilled a series of holes in each acrylic divider so that each "cubicle" is sharing the same water from the auto drip and sponge filter.

I have pics of all that and will be in the next post..


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## Steveboos

Your fry tanks are Identical to the tanks we have at petsmart. They are 3 tanks but a solid piece of acrylic on all 4 sides, 2 dividers in between, 4 small holes drilled near the back to let water flow through and everyone works on a overflow system.

I have a feeling you are going to have some nice happy fry!!!

Hows the breeding going along?


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## cantrell00

Steveboos said:


> Your fry tanks are Identical to the tanks we have at petsmart. They are 3 tanks but a solid piece of acrylic on all 4 sides, 2 dividers in between, 4 small holes drilled near the back to let water flow through and everyone works on a overflow system.
> 
> I have a feeling you are going to have some nice happy fry!!!
> 
> Hows the breeding going along?


WOW... That is where I got the idea from. Mine are running on a continuous drip and sponge though..

The breeding has been prolific! :lol:

I have stopped stripping several species. Just too many!


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## Steveboos

Yeah you need to have a method of filtration that is small enough so that's it's easy to maintain and keep in the house, but you also need it to do a good bit of water flow.

Our main system is 1675 gallons and the tanks are 10 gallon squares i believe.

This is the tank setup, your acrylic seems to be the same thickness also, 1/4"??


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## cantrell00

Steveboos said:


> Yeah you need to have a method of filtration that is small enough so that's it's easy to maintain and keep in the house, but you also need it to do a good bit of water flow.
> 
> Our main system is 1675 gallons and the tanks are 10 gallon squares i believe.
> 
> This is the tank setup, your acrylic seems to be the same thickness also, 1/4"??


1/4", yes..


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## Steveboos

Nice, perfect for the size tank's you made and man you got it for dirt cheap. Even after 3 years, our tanks still look great and have little to no scratches!


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## E82M6

Wow I just read the entire thread and I must say you are addicted to fish keeping lol. Keep up the good work.


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## cantrell00

E82M6 said:


> Wow I just read the entire thread and I must say you are addicted to fish keeping lol. Keep up the good work.


I have a tendancy to take things to the extreme..


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## Aulonocara_Freak

cantrell00 said:


> E82M6 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow I just read the entire thread and I must say you are addicted to fish keeping lol. Keep up the good work.
> 
> 
> 
> I have a tendancy to take things to the extreme..
Click to expand...

I don't think extreme is a strong enough word! :lol:


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## cantrell00

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> E82M6 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow I just read the entire thread and I must say you are addicted to fish keeping lol. Keep up the good work.
> 
> 
> 
> I have a tendancy to take things to the extreme..
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I don't think extreme is a strong enough word! :lol:
Click to expand...

Ok... Ridiculous extremes... I believe that is what my wife called it anyway... :lol:


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## cantrell00

Here are some better photos....

Top two fry tanks with continuous drip emitters-










Bottom










"Mister Landscaper" .5 GPH emitter & hose adapter nozzle










Here is the DIY 1/2" overflow-drain. 1/4" vinyl










And to the floor drain










This is what I came up with to add chemicals/dechlor while filling the overhead reservoir.










Hopefully I will see really good growth rates.


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## iphister

your fish room is legitly the best thing i've seen in my life, i can't wait to see the final product of all your hard work bro :thumb:


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## cantrell00

iphister said:


> your fish room is legitly the best thing i've seen in my life, i can't wait to see the final product of all your hard work bro :thumb:


Why thank you... I need to update the thread..

I removed three 40 BR's in favor of 4 - 75's.


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## iphister

cantrell00 said:


> iphister said:
> 
> 
> 
> your fish room is legitly the best thing i've seen in my life, i can't wait to see the final product of all your hard work bro :thumb:
> 
> 
> 
> Why thank you... I need to update the thread..
> 
> I removed three 40 BR's in favor of 4 - 75's.
Click to expand...

yea you definitely need to update this thread, i went through all 19 pages from start to end reading and looking at what you're up to with this room of your's


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## ryencok3

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## quentin8

:drooling:


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## AfricanLove

Not that its any of my business, so feel free not to answer but how much do you estimate this to cost you?


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## cantrell00

AfricanLove said:


> Not that its any of my business, so feel free not to answer but how much do you estimate this to cost you?


A lot of the materials were free, specifically most of the insulation & wiring. Most (if not all) of the tanks were $1.00 per gallon deals @ Petco, craigslist deals and fish for LFS store credit tanks. So they were cheap. The acrylic was a $1.00 per lb. Again, cheap.

All that being said, I still probably have $2-2500 in that room, including the fish. But this has been built in the thriftiestest of fashions... Except for the fish though.. Most of my stock is F1 from very reputable breeders and certainly not cheap..


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## ahud

You got away much cheaper than I would have estimated. Well played :thumb:


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## cantrell00

Well.. I have changed several things around again..(Imagine that!) :lol:

1) I removed the partitioned grow out tanks that were on continuous drip. Mainly because the partitions are/were too small & I didn't see any growth rate advantages to the continuous drip. No sense in wasting water. I now have converted my 3 - 33L's to grow-outs.

2) Removed 3 - 40br and added 4 more 75's. I rearranged things to make more efficient and less crowded use of the space.

3)I covered all of the tanks with Lexan & added plastic betweeen the top & bottom rows to block most of the light glare that was occuring from the exposed CFL's.

Here is the stocking of the tanks...

75 - Cyno afra Nkhata Bay, Labs, Ps Acei Luwala
75 - Cyno afra Jalo Reef, Ps Elongatus Usisya
75 - Cyno sp; Hara, Cyno Mbamba - Mpangha Rocks
75 - Cyno Lion, Lion's Cove, Cyno Lion, Lupingu, Cyno axelrodi (juvenile)
40BR - Cyno afra Likoma
40BR - Cyno Mabamba, Lundu
40BR - Cyno afra Cobue
40BR - Grow out
30 - Grow out
3 - 33L - Grow out
4 - 20L - Grow out (currently not being used)

From right hand side of the door around to the left of th room.. The 75's are on the bottom row.


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## cantrell00

3d rendering of the room now. The 3 - 40BR's are not shown on the top row of the long wall. Neither are the 3 - 33L's.


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## Guest

ahhh! i'm taking a road trip down to SC to hangout with you! haha!


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## JAyliffe

phister said:


> ahhh! i'm taking a road trip down to SC to hangout with you! haha!


 :lol: I think I might have to crash that party


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## cantrell00

The more the merrier!


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## larngai

like x 1000!!
any update


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## cantrell00

Nothing new recently. Just raising fish.


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## cantrell00




----------



## cichlid-gal

Wow...nice Fish Room Cantrell...and your tanks look very clean and workable.

I noticed at least one tank with multiple cyno's in it...afra "nkhata bay" and cyno lion "lions cove" ...not knowing this species well (I have one tank with some cyno in it but know there are lots of these) is it OK to house these two cyno's together? The cyno species has always confused me...with the afras, zebroides, axelrodi, lion...what do all those mean? Are they separate subspecies? I'm boggled...can you enlighten me please?


----------



## cantrell00

cichlid-gal said:


> Wow...nice Fish Room Cantrell...and your tanks look very clean and workable.
> 
> I noticed at least one tank with multiple cyno's in it...afra "nkhata bay" and cyno lion "lions cove" ...not knowing this species well (I have one tank with some cyno in it but know there are lots of these) is it OK to house these two cyno's together? The cyno species has always confused me...with the afras, zebroides, axelrodi, lion...what do all those mean? Are they separate subspecies? I'm boggled...can you enlighten me please?


Thanks!

I have never been concerned with keeping multiple Cyno species together, within reason.

I would avoid multiple afra (zebroides) types (nkhata bay, likoma, jalo reef) together primarily because the make are blue black barred.

Keeping Hara with Lion's or one afra would work. Lions Cove and Nkhata Bay, Jalo Reef has worked for me also.

As long as the males/females look dissimilar, I go for it.


----------



## iwade4fish

That's a nice fry trough


----------



## cantrell00

iwade4fish said:


> That's a nice fry trough


Thanks. It works well. Only 8" tall. 48 x 18.


----------



## jchild40

cantrell00 said:


> Agridion said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Got some work done on the overhead reservoir... Assembly sequence & distribution tank.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's looking really good. Just one question: How will you judge the level in the totes? I was thinking you should build a level gauge out of clear piping to see the level inside the totes.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Brilliant minds think alike...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :thumb:
Click to expand...

Going through this thread for the first time, and love this idea!!!!


----------



## cantrell00

Thanks. It worked well.


----------



## cantrell

Awesome fish room dude!


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## MeCasa

If your as good with raising fish as you are manipulating the arch/drawing software then you should be in good shape. 

Everything looks well thought out and the construction is neat and tidy

I wish you well


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## jimmie

Good job brother, ,, nice work man, nice work....


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## cantrell

These storage totes later proved to be toxic... Took a couple of years but eventually started leaching something in the water that was taking out fish..

Rapidly.


----------

