RE: General Fishroom Questions

["Mike" <mikeymeyer@sprintmail.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-apisto@admin.listbox.com
> [mailto:owner-apisto@admin.listbox.com]On Behalf Of Gary V. Friedlund
> Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 4:27 PM
> To: 'apisto@listbox.com'
> Subject: General Fishroom Questions
>
>
> Hello again everyone.
>
> I have a few questions for you as I'm really just starting into fish.  I
> currently have 9 - 30 gal long tanks, 1 - 20 gal high tank and a 10 gal
> tank, of which I have one of each size tank running.  I also have a space
> that is about 11 feet long and about 35 inches deep in the room that is
> going to become my fish room.  I'm going to build a double high rack to
> fill the space so that the tanks can be either viewed from the
> front or the
> side.  I hope to keep SA fish as well as some African Cichlids so
> I'll have
> more than one type of water to keep up on.  I'll have to invest in the
> lighting and CO2 that I was asking about in an earlier question.  I'll be
> able to run my electrical to wherever I need it so power shouldn't be a
> problem.  My questions are kinda numerous though and I hope some of you
> multi tank guys can weigh in on this for me.
>
> 1 - What do you wish you would have done early in your fishrooms
> that would
> have made your life easy in the long run?
>
A sink and a work area.  Believe me wall to wall tanks is not all it's
cracked up to be.
Storage area - shelves or cabinets is also helpful.  I did have enough space
for a little fridge.  Now I have a piece of wood for a work area on top of
the fridge.

> 2 - Do you recommend doing the water for all the tanks separate, putting
> some tanks together on a common filtration source or putting all
> the tanks on a common filtration source (I don't think this would work for
both SA
> and Africans)?  What are the benefits of doing one or the other?
>
I know people worry about the transmittal of disease and I have some
opinions on this.   Remember your preferences about fish are likely to
change or at least expand.  Will all of your fish require the same
conditions?  If not, then it's good to do smaller mini systems.  If you
quaritine new arrivals, you are much less like to introduce disease.  Good
water management will also go a long way.  I have yet to have anything go
wrong with my central system.  Water changes and maintenance are much easier
and thus I am much more likely to do them.  If you don't have the dedication
to quarintine new arrivals and are impulsive, then keep your tanks separate.

> 3 - What would be the best route to go for these tanks regarding
> aeration?
>  One large blower type or numerous smaller pumps?
>
I use a large piston type pump that I purchased from Jehmco.  I had a blower
before.  It was only an 1/8 hp blower, but it was more than I needed for 30
tanks.  I had to bleed off a lot of the air.  This new pump is much quieter
and pumps all of the tanks very well.

> 4 - Would a faucet and drain be a benefit in the fishroom?  I
> currently use
> a Python water changer run through the house and it works good
> for 3 tanks
> but 10 tanks would be a different story.

I sure wish I had one.  I was washing HOT Magnums and sponge filters in the
dark outside last nite.  It was cold, dark and not very fun.  A sink in the
fishroom would be awesome.

>
> 5 - How big of a CO2 tank would be needed to run maybe 5 of the 30 gal
> tanks and how often would it need to be replaced?
>
> 6 - The fish room will also have to double for the office and computer
> room.  Has anyone had any problems with the humidity from the tanks
> damaging electronics?
>
The humidity will corrode most exposed metals very quickly.  I would highly
recommend not putting any office type electronics in the same room.

> I'm trying to put the thought into this at the front end of the project
> instead of cobbling it together every time I run into a problem.  I'm
> fairly handy so I can do most fishroom DIY projects that I've
> been reading
> up on but I'd really like some advice from you more seasoned guys that
> might make my life easier.
>
Jason, this extra patience and forethought shows you have a lot going for
you.  Good luck.
> Thanks in advance,
> Jason
>
>
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