Building a Fish Room by Jason Shaw

Building a Fish Room

by Jay Shaw
From The Fishy Times, Campbell River Aquarium Society, Canada
Aquarticles

So you're addicted to fish so much that you've decided to build them a room. Are you OK? I think you've gone off the deep end!! Well actually...I understand how you feel, and no... you will never have a big enough fish room.

One of the first things you need to do is figure out what fish you want to keep. This will influence the size and number of tanks you'll need. You also need to figure out how you will fit the tanks in your room and how you're going to service them. What about filters and heat? What about moisture in the room? These are all questions you may need help with. Everyone has their own idea of a system - some work, some sort of work and others fail miserably. All I can do is offer some assistance. I am now building my third fish room and have seen many more. Over time I have mentally collected ideas from what I've seen and worked them into my new room. I would still do things different next time!

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My new fish room (still under construction)

Tanks
You can never have enough tanks, that's for sure. Some tanks are just not suitable for the fish being kept. For example, angel pairs don't do well in 15 gallon tanks. 15's just don't have the height, 20's are better. 10 gallon tanks work great for livebearers. They can house crops of fry and sexes and strains.

I find that cost wise, 33 gallon tanks are a great deal. You can buy new ones for under $50 each (new) or find used ones for around $30. They hold a good amount of fish and are easy to work with.10's go for about $11 new and 5's go for about the same. Anything bigger than a 33 starts getting a little pricey. Some brands of tanks can also be better than others. Try a few of each brand and then fill your room with the ones you like the best! So if you stay in the 5 - 33 range, you can fill your room with a small investment.

Prices are in $ Canadian. Canadian $10 = US $6.50

Stands
There are lots of plans out there for different styles. I like using a 3 tier set-up. Some fish shy away from being at ground level (e.g. Discus), but most do fine. I like to keep the top row of tanks at a reachable height. Also leave enough space above rows so you can work in the tanks (netting, water changes). I put my biggest tanks on the bottom and work my way up to smaller tanks on top.

Filtration
This can be very tricky or very simple, it all depends on what you want. I'm sure you're quite up to date on all the filters and filtration techniques out there. Your decision will be based on how many tanks you are going to run and how much extra money you have to burn!!

If you want to save money or keep production costs down, invest in a blower/sponge system. These systems are cheap to create. A blower will cost you about $500 - $800 depending on how many tanks you want to run. All the airlines and hose will be around $150, and you can make 100 sponge filters for about $250. With the sponge system, you have more media space than most other filters offer. The only down side is that you have to manually remove any solid waste. The good side is that you can have higher stocking densities.

Another good system is re-circ. This can be complicated to set-up and is very particular to the person who is designing it. I am currently designing a system and look forward to working out the bugs.

Heat
I suggest heating the room and not individual tanks. The heaters alone can cost a fortune! Heating the room sounds expensive, but if you make good use of the heat it's actually quite efficient!!

Room Equipment
Be sure to invest some time and money into your room. Insulate it well, and paint it with a good sealing paint (oil based). You'll want to install an exhaust fan with a humidistat, so that it turns on at the desired setting. You should also install your heater on a thermostat as well. This will automate your room environment. While you're at it, throw all your lights on timers. This will keep your room in good shape for a few years.

I won't try to avoid the subject - moisture is very hard on your room. Please don't use rooms inside living quarters. It's very hard on occupants, especially those with allergies!! If you want to get rid of excess moisture, invest in a dehumidifier - they do work. If you keep good lids on your tanks, water loss will be minimal.

Well, that's some basic info to get you started. If you have any specific questions concerning Fish Rooms, direct them to the email address below:

Send mail to: info@anythingfishy.ca with questions or comments.