Fish room has been approved!!!!!!!

[jgentry]

Well my wife has agreed to allow me to convert one of our spare bedrooms walk in closet to my breeding/fry room. It is not real big but I'm just going to have to make it work because she isn't going for the build in the garage idea. The closet is 8'x4'. I've got a ton of work to do and am extremely excited.

Things to do
-pull up carpet and install vinal flooring and a floor drain.
-Install sink and run water lines
-run electrical for everything and I'm thinking 10 outlets will do
-build tank racks (thinking I'm just going to do concrete blocks but I'm going to look into industrial rack and just building a wood one.
-Brace floors. Just going to put some concrete blocks under the house to support all the weight.
-Filters (can't decide what I want, some one help me out here. I can do sponge filters on the small tanks and hang ons on the bigger ones or I can do a central system. Suggestions?)
-Tanks, by my measurements I can do 10 20g longs and 2 75g tanks if I stank 2 high and more if I go 3 high.

I'm so excited!!!! Please anyone give me some suggestions if you have any. This is going to be my first big fish project other then just setting up my other tanks. So I'll need any help I can get.

What am I forgetting folks??

[angel]

Well if you can do it all on one central system that's really great because you also can heat them all with one unit. I hate having so many heaters and knowing they can go nuts. Alsok lighting. And I've really been liking LED lighting. I got some cheap light strips on eBay to try and they work nicely, and cost only pennies to run. With a lot of tanks you need a lot of lights. Mine came from a seller called frogfood-half and they're the LED light strip that has like 198 white lights in them. Got a lot of 5 for $48 I believe. Each one is perfect size for a 20L

[angel]

Way excited for you!

[titansfever83]

Sweet, atleast you broke the ice with the wifey!!!

One question, when you walk into the closet, is it 4ft wide at the doorway and 8ft deep or vice versa?

Seems like you covered every aspect, just need to get the best layout for "x" number tanks and enough working room. Let me know if you want me to come by and help or give some second opinions. I've got plenty of tools too if you need to borrow something.

[jgentry]

Well I just measured it. It is 56" wide when you walk in the door and the 9ft long. My 8x4 was just a guessimate.

I was thinking just doing lowes shop lights hanging above all of the tanks. Nothing fancy just enough light to see the fish and check everything. This room will stickly be for breeding purposes and fry raising. So hopefully I don't have to go with a light on everytank. They are going to be stacked in so tightly I think the hanging lights will work.

I was also thinking of going heaterless. Ken Davis told me he doesn't use heaters on any of his tanks other then his discus. The room stays cool in the summer and I think with an area that small I can just use a little space little space heater in the winter. That is just going to be trial and error though. I think it can work though.

[jon carman]

This sounds great- take lots of pics of the progress for us. Will you put a dehumidifier in there? Insulate- and I think there is a mold resistant material you can put on the wall. Lastly I would put one of the bathroom vent fans in. Sounds like I need to start a fishroom thread.

[fishme]

JD...sounds really exciting. I'm with Jon...post lots of pics as you are doing the project. I find this kind of thing fascinating.

[jgentry]

I was thinking just a dehumidifier but the exhaust fan is a great idea. I'll have to add that to my electrical work. Going to clean out the closet, rip up the carpet and paint everything with a mold resistant coat this week/weekend and try to get the new flooring in. Might be more then I have time for. It is probably going to take a couple months to finish this project.

I'll start posting pics of the progress in the fishroom forum. Feel free to move this thread if you want Jon.

Thanks for the advise everyone.

[jon carman]

Will do- good luck.

[jgentry]

Well things are coming along slowly. I have cleaned out the closet, ripped up the carpet and braced the floor. I am going to put down vinyl tommorrow on the floor. I found a piston pump that I believe will run all the sponge filters I need for free. I ordered a 16 port splitter for the air pump. I decided to try the electrical and plumbing myself to save money. Still have to buy my electrical equipment and still looking at sinks. I probably won't get to the electrical and plumbing until weekend after next. Once it is done I just have to build the racks and buy the tanks. Still debating about a cement block rack or building an all wood one.

Pics will be coming soon. Hopefully I'll have time to really start working on it over the next 2 weeks.

[titansfever83]

Sweet deal on the air pump!

JD, have you ever seen those extremely deep sinks, like I have usually seen them in peoples utility rooms or even in someones shop/garage. They're like two feet deep and two feet square! I've always wanted one for cleaning my canister filters. They make a kitchen sink look small! I know space is tight but, we all know this fish room will eventually extend into the bedroom, right?! ;D

Kinda like this one, I'm sure you could find something on craigslist for cheap.


www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=170866-70683-MF10000FM.001&lpage=none

[angel]

hahaha Dennis and I were just saying that same thing--forget guests! The fish can be your guests!

[jgentry]

LOL, you are on to me Jamie. Start in the walking closet and slowly start filling up the bedroom as well. I wish I had room for one of those sinks. Would be great for cleaning a FX5. Going to have to make due with something much smaller for now though.

I got the floor down tonight. I've been debating between buying some of the heavy duty racks at lowes/home depot or just building them. They have some 77 inch long ones that would stach three high and are rated for 1500lbs per shelf. Anyone ever try these?

[jon carman]

I would try them, Keep your receipt.

[titansfever83]

I have some racks from Lowes, not sure if they're the 1500lbs ones but they are nice and sturdy. Only downside is mine came with particle board rather than plywood. Particle board will turn into mush(<~~sp?) if ANY water gets on it.

www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=224490-1281-7224PRB&lpage=none

Read the customer ratings, one of them are from a guy that used them for reptiles and he suggested a cable support if you have a lot of weight on the top shelf.

Hit up a welding shop and have them price you a shelf/rack per your dimensions needed for the fish room. I'm sure it will cost a little more but might help you sleep better at night