Planning Breeding Racks

[Termato]

Word of advice, don't do it in a rental, definitely not in an apartment, and absolutely not before you move.

That's what everyone told me before moving into an apartment with a 150G tank ahahaha. The landlord knows I have large tanks up here and they said as long as I have my insurance, I'm good. Just don't put a hole in the floor. The reassuring fact is concrete flooring and a lot of coverage on liability insurance. They require you to have insurance before moving into this apartment because of the sprinkler system in the building. I made sure to double the required coverage. Last week, if you saw one of my posts, the sprinkler pipe broke in an apartment down the hall and it flooded a few thousand gallons into the hallways. It leaked through 8 floors after water kept pouring out for a good 20-30 minutes before it was shut off. It was a lot of water. After I saw how that was handled, how much water poured out and how everything worked out, I was definitely a little scared about going through with this. I feel like with anything else in life that if I approach this with caution and execute everything with extreme care and focus to details, then I can really limit my risks. I think I'm willing to take the risk to do a small set up like this because I have very good experience with building things and I will have expert help when I do it...on top of the fact that I really want to do it and I think the benefits outweigh the risks if done correctly. I have a very good amount of coverage on my insurance so let's hope this all works out. I do appreciate the warning though.

Also, if you ignore all of that, you'd better have renters insurance.

Additionally, think about what you hope to get out of doing this. A lot of folks think they'll make money breeding fish, but it's extremely difficult to do this, even when dealing with fish that sell for high prices. Others want to be able to keep a wide variety of species and have some space to grow out spawns and quarantine newcomers.

My goals is to breed beautiful fish that I enjoy keeping. I also want to be able to get new species without having to randomly set up a new tank or mess up my stocking situations. I also want to breed just to experience it. That's why I want to breed discus and grow them out. I really want to see a giant group of siblings grow together. As I explore the deep world of fish keeping, I want to share my experiences with fellow hobbyist by giving them what I've been given so far--beautiful fish. Being exposed to some of the fish the people here at the club breed, like Frank does, has inspired me to do the same for the fish I care for. I do the things I love to do because I enjoy them and not for monetary value. Everything I've ever done for money I get bored and tired of. All the things I am passionate about end up sticking with me for life. These are the things I fill my time with nowadays. This doesn't mean I'll squander on the opportunity to sell fish when I breed them. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll be able to use my skill set to properly sell some of the fish . I can imagine it will be challenging, as I've been selling artwork and programming services for years now. It's a hard business to sell things, especially live creatures when you don't have a reputation. It's just not my goal or motivation behind this project so I'm just concentrating on what I enjoy about it. If I get some money, awesome! But in the end, it will probably a good chunk of cash to set up and then keep running.

The only thing I would change would be the the left wall. If you switched out those tanks for a combo of pre-made racks, you could hold more tanks, more storage, and be able to move the tanks around without having to build new racks.

Here are three of the best steel racks I've found:

With adjustable racks like those the possibilities are endless.

Ill post up a pic of mine soon

Those racks will work great! Light weight and sturdy. 2,000lbs for one shelf, wow. You're giving me some great ideas here.

I may still have to build a wooden one for the small corner because it's only 31" but I still have time to look/think.

I'm still considering just building everything though so I can make it look nice, custom and still be cheap. My step dad and I built the stand for my 150G tank and it could actually hold two tanks. I've been meaning to add doors to it. This way I can customize the overhead part of each tank for light fixtures, swivel hinges for access inside the tank, and things like that. I'm thinking similar to what Joey (The King) did for his plywood ~370 gallon tank but not such a heavyweight fixture.

My step dad gets extra wood from his job so I can see if I can get some extra lumber.

 

[Forester]

If you do go with plywood I would love to see how it goes. When I move my fish room downstairs I'm planning on building the tanks, and am torn between plywood and glass. Good luck with the fishroom.

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[Leffler817]

Definitely take lots of pictures as you go through the build. There are a few threads on CCA where other have documented their fish room builds. It's good reading.i would bet Joey's book would be a good resource too. That is if you are coming to the BFD.


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[Termato]

If you do go with plywood I would love to see how it goes. When I move my fish room downstairs I'm planning on building the tanks, and am torn between plywood and glass. Good luck with the fishroom.

I'd only build that 150G custom over the fireplace as a plywood tank. I have to speak with the management about how that fireplace top is constructed and what I can put over it. It has two I beams on both sides so I'm hoping the giant wood section is sturdy. Depending on what it can support will dictate the sized of the tank I build for that. The rest of the tanks will be glass. I just saw that it was far cheaper and easy to customize if you build weird and large tanks instead of buying them. Just the way it was constructed also looked safer to me. The connections were sturdy and reinforced so it gives a great peace of mind.

Definitely take lots of pictures as you go through the build. There are a few threads on CCA where other have documented their fish room builds. It's good reading.i would bet Joey's book would be a good resource too. That is if you are coming to the BFD.

I plan on documenting the entire process with videos and pictures. I've been looking through multiple build threads on here and plantedtank to get an idea of what people have done. I'm going to take the approach some of the more professional shops have done when setting up huge racks where they create more permanent aesthetic fixtures.

I will definitely be going to the BFD and I have already pre-ordered Joey's book!

 

[Becca]

Ok - so long as you've thought it through. I've been the renter whose 150 gallon leaked on the condo downstairs, I've been a landlord, I've worked at a hatchery, and I've gone and done the fish rack/room, too... they all have their ups and downs...

 

[dhavalsp]

Reading about it is also overwhelming for me.

All the best and keep us posted!

 

[Termato]

Ok - so long as you've thought it through. I've been the renter whose 150 gallon leaked on the condo downstairs, I've been a landlord, I've worked at a hatchery, and I've gone and done the fish rack/room, too... they all have their ups and downs...

Absolutely! I appreciate the insight you bring from your experiences. It has made me think twice about each and every piece of the set up to ensure the risks are minimal if not zero.

One of the biggest things I'm rethinking after what you've mentioned is an automated water changing system. I may just opt to do everything by hand until I move out so I don't have to have pipes going everywhere and risk leaking on the carpet during installation, deinstallation, accidents, etc.

I'll probably going to take a page out of Lucas' book and set up a nice air system similar to what he showed in his presentation at the last meeting. This way I wont risk water spilling but can still provide a universal system to the tanks and save money.

------------

Reading about it is also overwhelming for me.

All the best and keep us posted!

You can say that again! I'll have a lot of work to do.

As of right now I'll be getting the 210G tank sometime this weekend... hopefully. It's just a deal I can't pass up so I want to take advantage of this opportunity.

I'll be looking for two 40G Breeders, two 29G, and one 10G tanks in the near future if anyone has any to spare. I'll probably end up getting both the 33G Longs from Lucas and then I'm going to wait on that bigger 150G that is going to go in my room as a grow out tank.

The first thing I'm going to do is the rack for the 29s and the 40s. This way I have some room to put fish in from BFD. In order for me to setup the 210G, I have to move my 75G Iwagumi. I want to have those racks set up first so I can hold the fish in them while putting together the 210G. It'll be a long process and by the start of summer/ end of spring I'll hopefully be done with everything.

 

[Forester]

I have two 29s that i can bring the BFD with your 33s

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[AndyNarwhal]

How are you going to deal with the excess humidity? More importantly how are your neighbors going to deal with the excess humidity coming from your apartment. They aren't going to be very happy with you when their windows and walls start sweating in the winter.

Are you prepared for a $500 a month electric bill? Will you be able to sleep at night with a dehumidifier running full blast 24 hours a day?

Just some things to keep in mind before you start building all this out.

 

[Termato]

I have two 29s that i can bring the BFD with your 33s

That'd be great! Thanks Lucas

How are you going to deal with the excess humidity? More importantly how are your neighbors going to deal with the excess humidity coming from your apartment. They aren't going to be very happy with you when their windows and walls start sweating in the winter.

Are you prepared for a $500 a month electric bill? Will you be able to sleep at night with a dehumidifier running full blast 24 hours a day?

Just some things to keep in mind before you start building all this out.

I have been thinking about this one for a while. I've had to run a humidifier for quite some time now and I don't have a problem with them running while sleeping. I've noticed that tops to the tanks help a lot with the evaporation. My goal will be to trap as much water in the tanks as possible without evaporation. One of my concerns is that if I have that thing running all the time it's just going to be easier for water to evaporate out of the tanks. I'll be a lot of lids to prevent that. Do any of you know if it's safe to use that water from the dehumidifier? I usually dump it.

My electric bill is already off the charts and I'm taking big steps to reduce those costs. My computer alone sucks up 700W consistently. By taking some very small measures, I've reduced it $100/month by running lower wattage lights (LEDs), putting more things on timers, and creating my own systems for these tanks. I'll be doubling the amount of tanks so it would come close to $500/month. It's something that is worth it to me and I have thought about this fact. It's one of the biggest reasons I'll be taking the DYI approach. I think if I do it right, I may be able to double the tanks and keep my electric bill more reasonable. I just have to take a smart approach.

I'll also be limited on where I can plug things in. I've already overloaded multiple fuses in one area of the apartment so I'll have to strategize how to work the electrical components of this system. In the end, this may be the most limiting factor of how and where I can set up my tanks.

 

[lkelly]

From my experience, having the ability to reach the sides of the tank and get behind the tank are pretty important. Ever drop a net or a container of food behind a tank? Not sure if you are using HOB filters at all, but if you need to clean one or re-run some wiring for it or the heater? How about if you use some external material for the background of the tank and want to swap it out? A fish jumps out of your net or container and ends up on the floor behind. Lots of reasons to have some access.

Jamming so many tanks into a space without much room on the sides or behind can be frustrating once you are up and running. You aren't going to want to empty 75 gallons of water and relocate fish for something maintenance related.

 

[Forester]

From my experience, having the ability to reach the sides of the tank and get behind the tank are pretty important. Ever drop a net or a container of food behind a tank? Not sure if you are using HOB filters at all, but if you need to clean one or re-run some wiring for it or the heater? How about if you use some external material for the background of the tank and want to swap it out? A fish jumps out of your net or container and ends up on the floor behind. Lots of reasons to have some access.

Jamming so many tanks into a space without much room on the sides or behind can be frustrating once you are up and running. You aren't going to want to empty 75 gallons of water and relocate fish for something maintenance related.

+1 especially with longer racks/tanks access on both sides is a must.

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[Termato]

This is a very good point. I've only account for about 1.5 feet of space for in between the tanks. I am going to leave enough space behind the tanks where I can reach down far enough some how. Really great points. I actually have to move my 150G forward at some point because I blew out one of the fuses behind it and it has to get replaced. I'm going to have to really spread the power to these tanks across the apartment. and bring it to the main area. Luckily, everywhere but my room is open area.

I've now accounted for all tanks except for two 40G Breeders. My friend is getting out of the hobby and I'll be getting his 125G tank. I'll settle for a 125G for now. That happened really fast...

Btw, he has a pair of blood parrots (not sure of sex yet) I'll be getting if anyone wants them. I don't want to keep them so I will be looking for new homes for these fish.

 

[Termato]

So the goal of this project is going to be South American Cichlids and one tank with Central American Cichlids. I'm mostly going to have discus, but I want to try and find as many different species of dwarf cichlids as I can from the new world group. Bolivian Rams, German Blue Rams, Apistos, etc. If anyone has any cichlid from South America from the C.A.R.E.S. list specifically, especially dwarf species, please let me know.

Did I mention I'm originally from Brazil and came to the US when I was 7? I'm actually going to Brazil for 2 weeks in March. On my next trip, I plan to head to the amazon for an exploration trip to through jungle's rivers. Ideally next year.

 

[FishEggs]

would be awesome to explore the amazon. even better if you could bring some back.

 

[Termato]

would be awesome to explore the amazon. even better if you could bring some back.

Yea, I want to go so bad. I'll be going to an island off of the north eastern coast this time around though so I'll get to see some marine animals. I want to take the time to go look in the rivers though. See where Discus come from first hand.

I do feel iffy about grabbing them from the wild though. I think if I can find a group that goes to little pools that are drying up (like Dustin from FishTankTV did in one of his videos) I'd be willing to do that, but catching wild fish from there I'd have to make sure they aren't being threatened or anything. It's a big reason why I want to breed South American C.A.R.E.S. species is to help repopulate some of those fish so I don't want to contribute to the cause of removing those populations. If I find a way to do it right, then I will 100% bring back as much as I can hahahaha. No joke. If anyone knows anything about that let me know.

My family does live near the highlands so I could find some totally different crazy fish for us! I'll have 2 weeks to find stuff while I'm there.

 

[Termato]

Right after the glass studio, I went straight to Drew's house to pick up the 210G Tank. This thing is a BEAST. Glass is so thick you could walk on it. Tank did have a chip on it but it's not at all structural, it's higher up, and no fracturing. I've seen these chips thousands of times in our glass work and it's completely structurally safe. It was a perfect chip, essentially (exactly the same effect you get by drilling a tank). It has two overflows with holes underneath of the tanks. This will be a perfect grow out tank. Unfortunately, it has to sit on the floor for now. In the middle of the living room...lol.

 

[MDB_fish_newbie]

Dang that's huge! Going to be so heavy when filled. When I got my 75 I thought It was super heavy round 500lbs but dose not realy compair. Good luck with your fish room set up, I'm super jealous.

 

[Termato]

I had to make a few trips to Home Depot yesterday because I didn't get enough wood. I ended up getting the wood for all of the stand but the 220G. This is without the four 72" 2x4s I also had:

I planned out the stand quite well and they are very sturdy. It's a rack made for three, although the bottom shelf will be empty for now. Maybe in the near future I can get another 20G. We'll see. You can see in this image, I used six vertical 2x4s at 24" tall as vertical supports in each layer. I'm taking this approach with almost all the other stands as it's very study and doesn't use a lot of wood. I put 2x4 flat on top of that to sit the tanks on. This creates a very sturdy shelf for these small 20G tanks. It works quite well. I wish I had taken a bit more time with this stand as it could look and sit better but it's sturdy and it works. It sits in the corner so it's not for show. These next two stand I have to polish a little better.

So then I got it all hooked up and now I have the tanks set up and with the fish in them. There is a good 6" of room behind the stand so I can reach back there. It's not too hard to reach around. I'm surprised it fit so perfectly:

Today, I'm going to tackle on the 125G and 75G/33G stands.

 

[dhavalsp]

Looking nice..its like that corner was destined for that!

Any reason for breeding angels in particular? given the resources you are working with and the variety of information/source available on the forum, I would go for something more unique...just my 2 cents...(hmm....electrc blue acaras??, I don't know anything about keeping or breeding them, but I can a see some demand)