Plans For A Fish Breeding House

[Gun]

Hi guys

Ok, I started off wanting to build a fake background...now I have plans for a small fish breeding farm

The plan is to use an existing outhouse as grounds to set up. Fit with roughly 20 tanks (various sizes), stock with fish, then go from there...


Outhouse/Shed

Measures 24.2ft (Front) - 10.3ft (Right Side) - 16.9ft (Back) The left side drops in 22" from front, then cuts off to meet the back.

The floor is solid/level concrete. Here are some things that need doing with the actual building:

1) Insulate and board the roof and sides.

2) Fit with racks/shelves/small desk (work area).

3) Install a pipe/hose/pump system (air/water supply).

4) Install lighting (outhouse/tanks).

5) Install correct electrical access.

6) Fit with 1-2 radiators/heaters/fans

7) Install small fridge/sink area.

Guys, I'm looking for some advice with the planning/layout of this building. Is there things I need to know..or things I've missed out.....?


INSULATING/BOARDING:

Plywood/wool/polystyrene is what I'm thinking.


RACKS/SHELVES:

Seems simple enough. Probably go for 2 tanks high (maybe 3 in places...using shallow tanks). The 'access' area between tanks will hopefully be at least 12". The tanks maybe side by side, or have a 6" gap inbetween. All made from wood.


PIPE/HOSE/PUMP/FILTER SYSTEM:

This I'm really unsure about. What do I need...?

Ideally, I would like something that is going to make maintenance a lot easier. Anything that can be installed/bought (that will cater for all tanks) or preferably made by myself...I'm interested in looking into. Hmmm, some sort of pipe system that runs along/inbetween all tanks. This pipe/pipes will be fed from a main pump/pumps. The pipes would supply air for airation equipment and maybe filters...? also some sort of suction, re-filling pipe system (water changes). The 'water change'/air system would ideally be started with taps or something along side each tank.

Filtration of the tanks I'm also unsure about. Individually filtered or large filters that cover several tanks....?


LIGHTING:

Probably individually light the tanks (starting off), then think of ways to light multiple tanks at once. When building the racks..lighting will be taking into account. Maybe leave space underneath/above for strip light/equipment housing.

Picture the back wall (3 4ft tanks along side each other...2 high). There will be at least 12" gap between top/bottom tanks. In this gap and above the top tanks I'm thinking of a way to install a strip light system that can be lowered to meet the tanks and raised for access.


ELECTRICITY ACCESS:

Not sure about. All I know is it will be some sort of cable running from house..what type of cable and how to set this up...I haven't a clue


I aim to have this place pretty much up and running by christmas and any advice would be much appreciated.


PS - This will be started as a hobby and if the breeding/selling is successful...there is definiely scope for other buildings/outhouses.

 

[Gun]

Guys, do you know where I can find layouts/plans/ideas for building this fish house?

The racks, etc I have no probs with....it's the pipework and setting up these systems that I need to learn more about.....

 

[BigC]

If your into breeding then consider inc. box ponds which would be better for the surface area.
Regards
BigC

 

[Gun]

Thanks for that BigC.

If I run out of space, I think these types of containers would be very useful.

Still can't find any info on multiple tank systems.... (filtration/airation/water change/etc)

 

[Arachnidzone]

Yea, id also go for the blue plastic koi-container things, right on the floor, cheap (ish) and easy.

QUESTIONS:

• Can you post some good, level photos pf the interior?
• What are the floor dimentions?
• are there windows and are you willing to seal for insulation reasons?
• ventillation?
• Do you already have the tanks?
• Were you thinking of timber or metal racks?

My suggestions

• I would try and make the whole thing as low wattage as possible so you can run off an extention, otherwise you may have to pay for a seperate spur right from the electric box
• An elec meter is sometimes a good idea to monitor elec used
• I would be tempted to go for 1 big air pump for filtration, maybe loads of foam filters?
• For large multiple setups i made a portable pump for cleanups, a large icecream tub or similar filled with alphagrog and wool with a pump fitted in the middle blowing out the top, good to drop into a dirty tank to speed up water clearing, or if its a strong lil pond pump it will stir up the rubbish and effectively, partially clean the tank.
• Lighting will add wattage, energy saving will be lower wattage but dont really give off any heat, I, personally would put strip bulbs up the middle of rows of tanks, or on the wall behind painting the walls glossy white or covering with tinfoil to spread the lighting behind the tanks.
• A good way of ventillating the room (partly) is to place the airpump in a cupboard or sealed area connected to the outside via good vents etc, so the pump brings in cool, fresh air which is good for the tanks and also indirectly ventillated the room,. Obviously some addisional ventillation is required but any other ventillation lets heat out.
• Paper mashe (bad spelling) is good for sealing any unwanted gaps in roof, brickwork etc.
• Think high humidity room too, a lot of people dont think about this. A cheap, thick gloss paint or wipable bathroom pain is good to help protect the walls.
• A good idea is to (if possible) make the floor a wetfloor so it doesnt matter if anything spills, leaks etc, a large bore drain with grid on the floor and that mesh-like rubber matting down ontop on the floor so its not slippy.
• May be best not to trust thermostats on heaters etc, either run through a cheap central heating thermostat, or better still a reptile thermostat (wattage is limited)
• think of ways not to loose all the heat whenever you open the door, a double door system is best is you have room so you can come in, shut one door, open the next.
• Have any vents low down so not as much heat escapes
• go to your regular fish shop and ask how much fro a full roll of silicone airpiping if you chose an airpump setup. Works out much much cheaper!
• if your handy, make your own filters from tubs, suckers, tubing, sponge, wool, alphagrog etc.

Hope 1 or 2 of the above is healpull and agreeable.

What fish you thinking of?

 

[Gun]

Hi Arachnidzone.

Nice solid advice, thanks mate

QUESTIONS:

1) I'm getting a phone soon with a 5mp camera...(pics, lots of lol..will be posted as soon as).
2) "Measures 24.2ft (Front) - 10.3ft (Right Side) - 16.9ft (Back) The left side drops in 22" from front, then cuts off to meet the back" (This is all I have at moment...errm floor dimensions )
3) 1 window. Will be usable, yet well insulated.
4) Unsure. Fans and maybe vents cut out along the bottom front facing side of outhouse...?
5) I currently have 1 x 4ft 3 x 3ft 3 x 2ft & 3 Fry tanks. Plans to add tanks until the shed is full. (aim to set up one every 1-3 weeks)
6) Timber. The framework will be solidly built, then protected from moisture. Housing for lighting will be taken into account at this time.


Yep..everything will be run on as little electricity as possible, hopefully from an extension. Overtime all areas of electrical usage will be looked at. Some sort of meter sounds good, also.

The pumps/plumbing is giving be a headache, lol!. One or two large pumps to feed the pipes and hoses feeding each tank....this would do me. It's size/cost and where I can find these pumps/ pipe systems that I'm struggling with.../

Strip lighting sounds good. Mount them between/above the racks (maybe some sort of pully system to lift lids/lights clear of tanks..)

The insulation will probably be rockwool behind plyboard. The floor (I like your idea of a wet floor )maybe paint it red (garage paint or something)

Hmmm a double door system isn't possible at the moment. I like this idea if/for future plans.

For air supply to each tank. I'm thinking of having a large pump that blows air through plastic pipes running along/inbetween the walls of the fish house. Then attach small silicone hoseline from individual tanks to this main plastic air pipe....regulated with taps. Is there a pump powerful enough for this idea to work..? How would these individual airlines connect to the main pipe...and how powerful would the air be running through it...especially as you get farther away from pump....?

Then there's water changes. Ideally a /suction/refilling system using some sort of pipe/hosing...operated by valves,taps situated all along walls of fish house.....


As for fish. I'll probably start off with the easier fish..guppies/cichlids/corys/etc...then have a go at more difficult species over time. My bet is I buy guppies first, lol!

 

[Tolak]

Fish rooms or fish houses are not a very common thing, and are very individual to what you want to accomplish, your individual living setup, even your own build, size, height, etc. I have seen many fish rooms, and fish houses through the club I'm a member of, this is one of the reasons I gave to check out local clubs. Within a half hour drive I can see about 6 different fish rooms/houses, all which are similar or different from mine in various ways. This is where you will get ideas that will or won't work for you. You can see what I have running in my profile, all but the 65, 72, and one of the 150’s fit in a room that roughs out to 8’x16’. It is a tight fit, in an insulated room with ventilation, keeping operating costs low is a big thing with me. Air is not very efficient to heat compared to water, the more water in the room, once it is up to temperature, the more stable the temperature and the cheaper it is to keep it at temperature. I would consider a small gas space heater if you have natural gas & can run a line to the fish house, this is much cheaper than heating with electric here.

You are not going to find a pre-fab fish room or fish house, the closest you may come is someone taking down a fish room, and having many of the things you need to set up pre-made. Setting something like this up is a real DIY project, requiring carpentry, electrical, and plumbing knowledge, or someone who does.


There are larger air pumps on the market, I’m running an Alita AL-80 in my fish room ATM, it has air to spare; http/www.angelsplus.com/PumpsAlita.htm To set something like this up you run pvc pipe around the room, dropping it down if needed for lower tanks, and install pipe valves as needed. If you cut & dry fit a section, then remove a piece of pvc and install valves it makes it a lot easier. Don’t skimp on the air pump, in an overstocked breeding situation low O2 will take out a tank of fish in no time should the pump go out.

Centralized, regional, or individual filtration is up to you. With a centralized system you will need a large sump, and this means that all your tanks will be pretty much the same temperature, as well as other water parameters. This also means if there is a sick fish in one tank it will affect all the tanks. Regional filtration works on the same idea, with a few to several systems on an individual sump. Individual filtration keeps all the tanks separate. Centralized or regional will require either a self starting siphon; http/www.thekrib.com/Filters/siphon-nestor.gif or drilling with overflows & stand pipes, often seen on marine tanks. I prefer individual air powered filtration, it uses one air pump, lets me adjust temperature for whatever reason, and lets me set up a quar tank easily if need be, among other reasons. This is a personal choice, I have seen many set up with central or regional systems that work just as well.

With racks I’ve found that leaving 50% of the tank depth above the tank is plenty for me, at 6’ & 200#. This means a 9” space above an 18” deep tank. Too much room is wasted space, too little is tough to work with. Building racks is not much different than building a deck, for larger tanks I would consider beefing it up a little.

If you don’t have a clue about how to run power to the fish house consult a qualified electrician. Codes vary from area to area, I could tell you how to run it here in Chicago, with one of the most strict electrical codes in the country, but I have no idea if that would apply to you.

Realize that a fish room or fish house is an ongoing project, you will find things that don’t work for you and need to be changes, as well as things that do work and can be applied to other areas. I don’t think a fish room or fish house is ever completely finished. I would say keep planning, ask questions, start building, ask more questions, get tanks running & fish breeding, while continuing to ask questions. The only constant with a project like this is questions, I still ask questions, I know folks with several dozen tanks running that ask me questions. When I ask a guy who has 300 tanks running a slew of questions & he asks a few questions back I know I will never run out of questions to ask.

 

[Gun]

Thanks for that Tolak...I learned a lot there Cheers fo the links, I'll check them out.

I have my heart set on having a go with this...although there's one thing that could be a problem...

Can a fish house be run (even as a hobby/no selling to begin with) whilst holding down a 7am-5pm job...?

This question above is the reason I've been researching 'easy maintenance' systems. I'm hoping that maybe the biggest manual job I will have to do is water tests/ or filling a few outdoor barrels (there will also be barrels for rain water).


About the electricity....

My uncle is an electrician and will probably see to this area. I'm pretty lucky in a sense as I have a builder dad, plasterer & electrican as uncles...only thing that isn't covered is the plumbing/air con. I have a gasfitter brother in law...hmmm maybe he knows something, lol! And of corse me...who will be planning/drawing/financing and helping fit out the fish house

 

[Tolak]

I work full time, with some overtime. I probably spend 4-8 hours on the weekend with maintenance, and anywhere from a half hour to a couple of hours every evening, depending on what I'm doing in the room, work, and other life obligations. Sales slow down during the summer, so I don't pull spawns for a couple of months in spring. This means less time needs to be spent in the fish room.

Winter gets busy, too many times I've been stuck with a 12 hour work day, and it snows. I have to do snow removal at my house, my aunt's house, and my mom's house, along with working the fish room, sales pick up once it cools off outside. I can live with 5 hours of sleep, tanks full of fry can't live without water changes & bbs.

I pull it off with minimal problems, the family room is outside the fishroom, the spare fridge is in the room next to the fish room, life is good.

It's good having relatives in the trades, I learned what I know from family members, and have called plenty of times with, once again, questions. This is another club advantage, I had another breeder help me with setting up a 3'x10' rack to go over a couple of 150 gallon tubs. This rack had to hold nearly 300 gallons of tanks & water, safely. Best to ask a professional with something like this. My brother in law is an electrician, I've asked many questions about electrical work.

 

[Gun]

Hi Tolak

Nice insight into fishkeeping there.

Your hrs on weekend/during the week is roughly what I expected to do (although will aim to lower this). There will be a lot of thought going into maintenance/general keeping of the place. Anything that can be done automatic or with minimal effort will be looked at.

Yeah mate...it's great, I also have painter/decorator aunties and metalworker workmates It's very handy having tradesman/women in the family...you get things done with a nice discount

Im so looking forward to designing/building/fitting/ and looking after this fish house. The shed will be cleared this weekend (hopefully have my pic phone by then), then work will begin the following week. My dad reckons around a weeks (max) work to prepare the place and install the racks. I aim to have the first tank on rack in say 4 weeks from now

Edit: Tolak, did you say you had pics somewhere of your fish house..?
Also..does anybody know anything about needing a licence to breed/sell tropical fish...?

 

[Gun]

More pics...







First 2 images are rough, second 3 are more accurate, next 2 are 'birdseye' view and the last is the land/outhouse area.

Again, sorry for quality..still using the orbicam

 

[Tolak]

A year ago;

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/20.../Fishroom-Tour/

Two years ago;

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/13...-Fishroom-Tour/

I've redone the hatchery section since the last pics, as well as added some 40 gallon tanks above the tubs;

http/img185.imageshack.us/img185/5491/dsc018471he8.jpg

http/img185.imageshack.us/img185/6190/dsc018491sp1.jpg

This is a shot of the whole room holding the camera over my head at the far end. You can see the exhaust fan in the upper right hand area;

http/img185.imageshack.us/img185/8183/dsc018521ds6.jpg

As far as a license none is required here that is particular to fish, though I've been asked if I have a tax ID number by a couple of places. This involves more of business to business dealings, I'm not a business yet, just a hobbyist, and plan on playing it that way as long as possible. I really don't need the quarterly tax paperwork hassle.

 

[5teady_2012]

This is a shot of the whole room holding the camera over my head at the far end. You can see the exhaust fan in the upper right hand area;

Sorry for editing this, i just hate clicking links - makes my pc go nutz, id rather view them as a pic on here

 

[Gun]

Hi Tolak.

Once again...nice setup

Hmmm, how do you define a paying hobby from a business...? I mean when does it become business?

 

[Tolak]

This is really something you need to talk with an accountant about, tax laws vary widely. I'm probably in the gray area, between a hobbyist selling off excess stock, and someone breeding with the intentions of turning a profit.