new fishroom advice

[tjnelson44]

I finally get to do one of the things that I have wanted to do for a long time, put in a fish room! I was hoping I could get some advice from everyone so I can do it right. I don't want to think "I should have did it that way instead" after only a few months. I figured I would get as much advice as possible and plan carefully.

It is going to be a bit on the small side, the location will be in an extra bedroom that is 11x9.5 feet plus a closet. I think I will only put tanks on 3 of the walls so I will have room for a sink, RO unit, and water storage. I plan to replace the carpet with laminate flooring. The plumbing will be really easy since the house has a crawl space underneath and the waterlines and sewerline run underneath the room. I plan on having a central airpump and line from the water storage to allow for easy filling. Also, I want to drill and add bulk heads to each tank so I can open a valve and drain the desired amount.

Now for the parts that I am having trouble with. My biggest dilema is how to heat it. I want to stay away from electricity since it can be a bit limited at times were I live. The house has a gas heater and a vent system. I was hoping that there would be a way to use it to heat the room to the desired temp while still being able to control the temp in the rest of the house. The heater is in a hallway closet, only about 4 feet away from the room. Any suggestions? Also, if I use glass tops, do you think humidity will be a problem (I don't want the whole room to rot)? If so, what are the best ways to control it? I want to go 3 tanks high (I plan on bracing the floor), should I go with wood or steel for the stands?

I have so many questions but this is probaly plenty for now.
Thanks,
Trevor

 

[Mike Wise]

My biggest dilema is how to heat it. I want to stay away from electricity since it can be a bit limited at times were I live. The house has a gas heater and a vent system. I was hoping that there would be a way to use it to heat the room to the desired temp while still being able to control the temp in the rest of the house.

I use natural gas fired hot water heating for my house. I simply added a separate zone with its own thermostat for my fish room. If this isn't practical, then buy a separate small gas furnace for the room. My in-laws did this for a family room addition. It was easier & cheaper than ducting through walls or slab floor.

 

[tjnelson44]

Mike,
Thank you for the reply. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to respond. We had a lightning storm fry the router at the hatchery so we were all without internet for some time. I had suggestion from my boss as to the heating. The idea was to just move the thermostat from the hallway into the fishroom and partially close the vents to the rest of the house. I won't be able to controll the temp in the rest of the house as precise but I figure the fish need it more than I do. I don't mind a small tempurature swing in the house. The small furnace is still an option. There are some that are really reasonably price and looked easy to install due to the vent free design. I am a bit concerned about a ventless heater though and I have heard that they can be dangerous at higher elevations (I am at 6900 feet) but I do not know how true this is. I think I have the stands figured out. I plan to go with steel since it is stronger, more uniform, and easier to work with than wood. The downside is that I think it just doesn't look near as nice as wood. Also, is it difficult to drill glass with the correct bits? I have a drill press.

 

[Mike Wise]

Also, is it difficult to drill glass with the correct bits? I have a drill press.

It's easy if you have a diamond edged hole saw, a bit of clay, a lot of running water, and the experience (I don't). If you want to do this, I'd suggest that you buy a piece of glass the same thickness as your tanks' bottom glass & practice on it first.

 

[tjudy]

You might want to consider an air exchanger that heats the incoming air. That will kill two birds with one stone... temperature in the room and the humidity. I saw a fishroom once that actually used a heating air exchanger as a blower to run filters! The air was heated to 80 degrees and blown through airstones into the tanks, which kept the tanks at 78 degrees. Glass canopies will help, but it will not solve the humidty problem entirely.

Specific water parameters can be key for breeding most dwarf cichlids. I suggest that all the breeding tanks not be on a central circulation system if you are considering that. You may want to vary the pH and hardness in each tank. Grow-out tanks need not be as pH/hardness specific, so a central system may be advantageous. I used to have a rack of 50 tens that were on a central system that I used to grow out babies. The twenties I used to breed in were not on a central.

 

[Z Man]

Heating

All I did was tap into a close air duct and insert a clothes dryer vent into the duct and cut a hole in room wall for it to fit. YES, the humidity does get up around 90%. I leave the door ajar some times and things go bach to more comfortable.

 

[tjnelson44]

Thanks for the tips. I must confess, I am not exactly sure what an air exchanger is. Are the Air exchangers electric powered or are there gas powered models available? I thought about the central circulation system but there were to many downsides. I am thinking about installing bulk heads on the tanks so I can open a valve and let them drain down to the level of the bulk head. Another possibility is just to put the bulk heads towards the top of the tank and use them for an over flow and just add fresh water. Although I am not not sure how I like the idea of performing large dilutions instead of actually removing then replacing the water. I am not set on any one way, all I know is that I want to change the water without ever lifting a bucket. For a water delivery system, I was thinking about running pvc from the water storage then spitting it into 3 other pipes. Each one would run above a level of tanks with a valve over each tank. Or I could just stick with what I have done it the past since it is such a small room. Instead of all the lines just hook up a long section of tubing to the pump in my water storage and use it as a hose. What set ups would be best?