Fish House's - How To Be Cost Effective.

[Cooper2085]

Ok well im starting up a fish house ^^ Its will only be small to start with, its going to be a shed (duh >.>) and its on my back garden. Its 10ft long, 5ft wide and 6ft 11" high.

I want to keep it cost effective so that means insulating it. Im thinking i should line the whole shed with polystyrene which should keep down heating costs.

Then theres filtration and this is the part im stuck at. Im starting with 12 tanks 4 columns with 3 in each column. I could sump the entire lot, it would be the easiest way but then theres the risk of infection in every tank. I could sump them per column using a large external filter like a FX5 but that could get expensive. I could power filter them all seperatley with fluval internals but tbh i think that would be the most expensive way. The last option i can see is to use air powered filtration, my local FS Wharf Aquatics are all air powered but i dont really understand the best way to do it.

Can anyone give me the benefits of there years of expirience? Anyone here got a fish house that can help me?

 

[CFC]

Polystyrene isn't that effective as an insulator when compared to modern foil backed polyurathane foam insulations, really you want to be using something like 25mm kingspan or celotex, it costs a hell of a lot more but is worth it in the end with todays rapidly rising household fuel costs, i haven't had the heater on in my fish house since the end of April. Heat the room and not the individual tanks by using an oil filled electric radiator plugged into a thermostatic plug socket http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Plug-In-Thermostat-W...idZp1638Q2em124
When you heat tanks in a cold room you lose a lot of heat through the glass and get huge condensation problems.


Air powered filtration is the way to go in a fish house, you can run virtually as many tanks as you like off of one hi blow air pump. The best set ups have an air ring connected to the pump with taps to attach airlines to where ever needed but you can just run airline straight from a manifold to the tanks. Look for a pump that is rated at about 120lph. The filters themselves are easy to find and come in sizes to cater for tanks up to 100 gallons with ease http/www.ta-aquaculture.co.uk/Filtration-Air.htm
Put the pump on a shelf close to ceiling height and it will pump warm air down through the filters so that you get even heating throughout the rack.

 

[Rooster]

What size tanks ? and what are you going to be doing with them ?

If they are quite small - 2ft or less, I would polysyrene the shed walls, and floor.. leave no surface bare, but dont make it airtight ! You still need ventilation... this would allow you to heat the room, instead of every tank... but this method is VERY uncomfortable to work in, if you plan on being in there a lot, less insulation and heat each tank - maybe lag the tanks.
Air filters get my vote too... each tank is isolated, and problems are a LOT easier to sort - you could systemise the lot, but sick tank = sick room ! and any plumbing problems could wipe out the lot !

Its really a piece of string question... depends on what you are planning.

 

[Cooper2085]

Well its a pent shed so its highest point is 6ft 11" which slopes down to 6ft 3". The wall that is 6ft 11" will house 12 tanks initially each 2ft x 18" x 18" with 8" gaps between them (10" if i can fit it in). Im also thinking of having some 1ft cubes for bettas. The shed is only 5ft wide so i have to be carefull about space but im sure i could rack the 6ft 3" wall with some 2ft x 1ft x 1ft tanks aswell.

Im going be trying to breed some fish, and the left over tanks will be for fish that i have to buy in bulk to get the prices i want. I will be selling some on to help cover costs.

What sort of hi powered air pump are we talking about? Do you have any links? Thanks for the help ^^

 

[Cooper2085]

*Bump*

 

[Cooper2085]

No one else can help then?

 

[rabbut]

I don't think many member's here have fish rooms

The only experience of them that I have is in the commercial environment. My store uses UGF ran off a powerhead in each tank, with T11 tubes overhead. The lighting is very hard to find, but the pumps and lights produce enough heat to keep everything between 26 and 28c, including the air in the room. Most commercial systems use a centralised system, will all tanks beeing filtered be the same filter. This is the easiest way as far as maintanance is concerned, but caurses issues with containing disease. My local Maidenhead, and a place called Cascade near me run off centralised systems, but keep internal's in the sumps to allow them to isolate tanks, and use UV sterilisers to reduce disease spread.

HTH some
Rabbut

 

[Cooper2085]

Thanks for that ^^ Looks like a High Blow 40 or 50 will be enough to filter my tanks

 

[Arachnidzone]

I once bought out about quarter of the stock of an aquatic shop in my town so have ideas aswell as tested methods. I never had a fish house, my house was more of a pet shop! Emigrating now so not much left.

I suggest whatever insulation thats within your budget. You may know someone whos lagging their loft or a builder and can order 1 extra roll which would be great and not too expensive. After putting the lagging or poly sheets or whatever between the framework, put cheap wood sheets over it to make them into double walls with the insulation inbetween. And obviously dont forget to lag the roof too. A good way is to cut a few sheets to fit, attach insulation to the sheets while on floor, then screw em up. paper mache is a good way to fill really draughty corners but like Rooster said, dont make it too airtight.

If all the tanks will be mainly along one wall, a good method is to make doors or shutters, also with poly sheets glues to them which close infront of the tanks and seal (NOT TOO SEALED) them into their own room-in-room. An old quilt workd the same but damp and fire hazard reasons may steer you away from this depending on the setup.

As for lighting, i had a rack with 24"x8"x8" tanks and one of the most cost effective methods of lighting is to have the tanks in two columns side by side and put 1 long strip light upo the centre. All the tanks are lit from the side and the shed too. Put a strip of wood infront as a cover if its too bright for your eyes.

If you go for an air pump system sont forget to buy a few cheapies as backups. And if you ask in your local supplier they will usually sell you a roll of silicone airpipe much cheaper than it costs for many metres needed for a fishroom, plus you have plenty left over for future use, or selling it by the metre to fellow local enthusiasts. You can make cheap and effective air filers from allsorts of piping, sponge, hollow fibres from inside an old cushion etc. Just be sure its something clean, wont rot in water, non-toxic etc. Generally anything child-safe or for storing food works, tupperware etc. Or again, buy in bulk. Ebay, petstore etc. Ask the price of one, then get a deal on 10-20 or whatever.

Hope this helps!

 

[Arachnidzone]

Oh i forgot. something whichis often overlooked when thinking 'cost-effective' for larger collections is feeding. Buy the huge buckets of koi or goldfish flakes and supplement with other stuff. I used to put everything i was feeding regularly, garlic, sweetcorn, meat, mealworms etc, chop it all up, defrost a few packs of frozen bloodworm in cold water, then mix it all, blend it briefly in food blender if its for mixed size or small fish and pour this mix into loads of ice-cube trays. Then you simply chuck a cube in. too big for small tanks but all you have to do is increase the ammount of water in a mix.

If you do this right you can mix a batch once monthly. Good for smaller fish that peck at things, blend the mix and the icecube will last upto an hour. Understocked tanks dont work either as you end up with loads of waster in your filter.