Notes from a 60 tank fishroom.

[Magnum Man]

The vining plants may work on the 2nd level… I use some nylon string, and screw in brass hooks to tie them up , and route them up and between tanks… as I add the new 24/7 led lights, to my tanks, and replace my 18 inch plant led’s that are / were on them, I’m going to mount those on the ceiling of my work area behind the tanks, and encourage the vines to grow into that open space… getting 8 - 10 foot vines growing out of the tanks, will pull an awe full lot of fish waste from an aquarium… I’m getting to the point, that I don’t “need” to do water changes… I still do, but if I get busy, and needed to skip one, it wouldn’t be catastrophic

 

[GaryE]

In my old house, my 120 was at a right angle to a ten foot wide, 2 foot high weird 1960s window. I had a vine I was given as Monstera, due to its huge leaves, but that may have been something else. It was several times the length of the window when I had to cut it back for my move. It didn't survive the trip.

I've got a puzzle leaf Pothos (ish) thing up to about 8 feet now, also from the 120. I still do all my water changes on schedule though. Plants also need minerals, and my water id very soft this time of year (down to 55-65 tds). If I were to miss a few water changes, I wouldn't worry about ammonia or ammonium, but I would expect an outbreak of Oodinium spp parasites.

It's funny. I make all these plans to integrate gardens with water changes, etc, but when I look at the window, it's ice, snow and a howling wind this morning. It's hard to imagine how nice summer will be. There ain't no cruise ships in the Bay at this time of year... working on the bulk carriers, tankers and container ships that are anchored out there must be miserably cold.

 

[gwand]

In my old house, my 120 was at a right angle to a ten foot wide, 2 foot high weird 1960s window. I had a vine I was given as Monstera, due to its huge leaves, but that may have been something else. It was several times the length of the window when I had to cut it back for my move. It didn't survive the trip.

I've got a puzzle leaf Pothos (ish) thing up to about 8 feet now, also from the 120. I still do all my water changes on schedule though. Plants also need minerals, and my water id very soft this time of year (down to 55-65 tds). If I were to miss a few water changes, I wouldn't worry about ammonia or ammonium, but I would expect an outbreak of Oodinium spp parasites.

It's funny. I make all these plans to integrate gardens with water changes, etc, but when I look at the window, it's ice, snow and a howling wind this morning. It's hard to imagine how nice summer will be. There ain't no cruise ships in the Bay at this time of year... working on the bulk carriers, tankers and container ships that are anchored out there must be miserably cold.

Who takes care of your tanks when you go away to places like Gabon?

 

[GaryE]

If a fishroom is well set up, it can easily go two to three weeks unattended. If a natural disaster occurs, that's a problem. But disasters are still rare these days.
Plus I have only gone to places like Gabon once so far. Most trips, including travel time, would be around 12 days. when I got back last summer, the fry had grown as much as they would have with me taking care of them. It made me feel useless...

 

[GaryE]

 

[GaryE]

There we go. It's real.
In the 3rd picture, you can see the brine shrimp hatchery set up.

 

[GaryE]

I've been putting some effort into my Microctenopoma. The congicum would not pose. But here is M. sp aff nanum, a wild caught one I have juvies from, and M. ansorgii, a fish I bred years ago. I don't think these African gourmai/anabantoid types will ever catch on because they have no defences against skin parasites - Ich or velvet. Time in stores would demolish them.

 

[GaryE]

And, the usual killies. Aphyosemion striatum, and Platopochilus sp 23-18

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If I did not know you are retired, and therefore likely pretty old, I could tell this was the case from your picture s of your fish room. I am about to turn 76 and have been selling off my fish.

Year ago as I was ramping up I had two tank stand where the bottom tank was a mere inches above the floor. Old age made it impossible to work that low on the floor. Sitting cross legged killed my hips. My solution was to raise the lower level tanks so that the bottom glass was at leas 12 inches or more above the floor. I also leave at least 18 inched between bottom and top tank.

So your stands give away your age

 

[GaryE]

I'm 65, with one knee that just doesn't believe in hard work anymore. So the whole rack set up was designed so I wouldn't end up stranded on the floor imitating a seal. I'm also 6"3/190cm, so eye level is high up. The aisles in there are okay for me as I'm not carrying a lot of extra weight. As odd as this sounds to younger people, if I weren't in reasonable physical shape and if I didn't try to be active, I couldn't keep these fish. You don't have to be an athlete to run a fishroom, but if you don't hold on to a tiny bit of your past athleticism, you are in trouble.

If I had it to do all over again, the top rack would be higher, bringing up the lower tanks up to 30 or 36 inches for better viewing. I would have put a 2x6 or 2x8 step all around the lower edges of the racks, for easy access to the higher tanks. I had a rack like that once for two 75 gallon tanks, and it was useful.

I should have about 10 years before I have to scale back. I can still drain and move the tanks alone, although the last time I did that with the 6 foot 120 was clearly the last time I was ever going to do that. What was once easy is now a technical puzzle.

I figure half or more of the people viewing this think I'm probably crazy. They may be right. It's like any leisure activity to get into if you have the space and the time. I'm still able to do side jobs to pay for it, and I'm lucky to have skills I can still sell. So I take advantage of that. If you watch TV, you'd think getting older was a skin problem, but at times it's a slowly increasing set of physical handicaps, and we can't deny that. We can work back against it, if we're lucky. But my rack design is 100% planned for my age, and I am acting my age more than I'd like to. Look closely, and you'll see some of the 2x4 used in the racks have short pieces screwed into them. They're handles for when the knee is in a bad mood...

Did you know that if you need small tanks for fry, and you have to put them on a lower rack, if you use pure white sand you can see how the fish are doing from above? Geezer hacks!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've often looked at those Microctenopoma in one of my books, pondered how amazing they looked, and wondered why they aren't available. Now I know. Thanks for filling in a puzzle peace.

 

[Oldspartan]

I hear your pain. I am 72 and going to be very careful with the convenience design of our build. The dozen or so tanks will pall in comparison to what many have here, but without careful planning it would be beyond the scope. My left leg will go dead with just a moments notice and my back is weak.

The life we chose did not allow for babying the maladies thou and I decided years ago they would not prevent what I choose to do.

State of mind rules for only so long then physicality catches it. I am currently on that cusp and now plan my projects more carefully and am more likely to ask for help than I ever was.

I approach things with an is what it is attitude instead it is what it was. I also listen carefully to these old bones and stop before they decide to stop me….. usually.

Always remember, old age is the better alternative.

 

[GaryE]

Old age brings its handicaps, but I see how many people of all ages push ahead in spite of their issues, and push on. You have to be realistic - certain things can't come back, health problems from age can't always be cured, and injuries you protected with muscle tone come back when the muscles lose elasticity. But if your mind isn't affected, you can take the long view and try to plan out your living space, working space and just going to have fun space. I can't see getting bored with fishkeeping any time soon, so I have built this room. I can see being unable to maintain things as they are, but so far, my body has cooperated with my activities. I think I have planned the fishroom for those unavoidable eventualities, and if forums still exist in 10 years, I could have a 50, or 40, or 30 tank fishroom. Who knows.

I had a friend whose once large fishroom was down to 5 tanks when he shut it down, in his mid nineties. I doubt I'll get that far, but hey, who knows.

You're only as old as you feel is a lie. But if you use your brain and use as many of your bones and muscles as you can, you can have a lot of fun for as long as possible.

 

[Magnum Man]

I may be a young buck, I turn 64 in a month or so… I’m still doing most everything thing by myself on the farm, albeit slower, and more thought involved…I put my last full sheet of steel on a porch roof project, by myself… the project took much longer than if I had help, or was younger… I still use a bucket to drain tank water to… but I have a toilet, or floor drains I could drain water to if I added a longer hose, that I’ll probably do, after the bucket starts to get too much as I get older… I already pump RO water into the tanks, so I don’t have to lift buckets that high…
Much thought is going into future maintenance on the 250 gallon, that I hope to set up this year

 

[GaryE]

I'd suggest that even if you're 20 and have a fishroom, plan. Think about the ergonomics of the set up. Think about quick water changes. The last thing you want is for the hobby to become work. Plus, it's nice to stay in the hobby if you have kids. It can become a little down time for yourself.
Most of the young fishroom people I've met have been parent/adult kid combos. I have some new friends here who are a parents/ daughter team, not in the same house but really into sharing resources. The daughter had set up with her Mom and Dad's fishroom in mind, and has a pretty efficient set up in place. They all seem to have a good time with their fish.
When I decided to stop keeping Bororas, I gave the daughter the entire breeding colony. Yesterday, I got a surprise visit and a gift of a big bucket of subwassertang.