Podu Girls Fish Room

[Boundava]

I have been yapping about this over the past year, and it will actually be starting next week, on the 26th. I haven't done any real planning other than thinking and tossing ideas around, but had to sit down this past week and re-measure the basement space and plan how the tanks are going to fit.

I found this free trial software I could use online so any free time/lunch time for the past week and half has been getting a plan together. We have a few tanks (absolute sarcasm here) so will have a number of shelves and stands for the tanks. Just to get an idea what I am talking about, here is our current empty tank breakdown from smallest to biggest (some are mine some are Sis's).

9-12- 10 gallon for shrimp, QT, live food and fry.
4- 15 gallon for wild betta and other small fish.
4- 20 L for assortment of fish.
4-30 gallons; possibly two for crayfish (I'm not 100% sold) and other two-three for other fish, larger wild betta.
3-30 breeder; one will be a brackish fiddler crab tank, sis has one and I forget what the other will be for me. Long day at work and my brain is fried...
2-40 breeders, one will be a river tank for me for tatia catfish/honeycomb cats. Not sure what Sis is doing with the other.
1-50 frag tank that I will be using as a blackwater tank full of kuhlis, chilis, and axelrodi.
3-50 long tanks, one I will make a river tank for hillstream loaches and other river fish of the area, Sis has one and I don't remember what I am doing with the other.
6-75 gallon tanks, four are mine and they will be: SA blackwater with tetras, panda and Ghost; Honey gourami tank with a banded gourami and other fish from the area along with a small botia loach, Diamond tetra with acarras, Mrs. Muir and aneus corys. Possibly another suitable tetra, but unsure right now; forget the fourth one. The other two are Sis's and she is going Native with the one I believe.
120 gallon, is Sis's and she is going for a complicated planted setup for rainbows with high demand plants and CO2.
125 gallon is going to be my Asian blackwater tank with the pearl gouramis as my highlight and forktail loaches (if I can find them) as the bottom dwelling fish. Tank will have a large school of Espie (24-28)and a smaller school (12-18) of Harley rasbora

The multiple tanks will be housed one one or more racks depending on their size. I was going to do a catch all rack but figured staying with similar sizes was safer for the tanks and mt sanity. The larger tanks (120-125) and the frag tank are getting their own stands. The 75 gallons will be stacked 2x2 on three racks/shelves and will be against the wall for stability.

I will also be building a 4'x4' enclosure/table with wheels for my turtle out of furniture grade wood and glass.

Here is my plan, it took a lot of arranging to get to fit in a workable arrangement. Thru the door is going to stay unfinished, but will be where a laundry tub will be installed for maintenance. Also will be future home to a RO/DI system for the fussy fish/shrimp that need it.

BSMT Layout with Tanks.jpg

The part to the left will be the rec area with TV and chairs and where the computers will go too. The rectangle to the left are the stairs and landing (door).

Attachment 57051

[bpete]

that looks great. it should be a nice set up. it is great that you set aside some space to relax in the fish room. it looks like the 120 and 125 will be a nice focal point for the rm. when visitors come down and walk in this will be the first thing they see. I cannot wait to see how it all turns out.

[Slaphppy7]

You're gonna have more tanks than some fish stores.

What about water changes?....every day?...lol..just THAT schedule boggles my mind

Layout looks good.

[Boundava]

Thank you both, I had to readjust it as the original was 35'x 35' but that wasn't true when I remeasured for details like the staircase, posts and door location to allow entrance to the unfinished portion where the water and future RO system will go.

that looks great. it should be a nice set up. it is great that you set aside some space to relax in the fish room. it looks like the 120 and 125 will be a nice focal point for the rm. when visitors come down and walk in this will be the first thing they see. I cannot wait to see how it all turns out.

The majority of the tanks will be display, there are only a few fish/shrimp we are looking to breed (wild betta, possibly native live-bearers, the T. somphongsi, maybe some sparkling gouramis and shrimp will hopefully do well) and the plecos we want to breed will be in tubs, not tanks-we will be adding those as we go along and they will be nestled under some of the racks/shelves where they have clearance.

You're gonna have more tanks than some fish stores.

What about water changes?....every day?...lol..just THAT schedule boggles my mind

Layout looks good.

Well the python should make it easy for many of the tanks except the biggest two. We can also use gravity since many of the tanks will be on racks. Investing in a potable water container-trash bin with wheels is a good idea, have a couple restaurant supply stores I can go thru. We can do WC over the weekend and some of the smaller tanks can go every other week with changes, I don't change the water on the shrimp weekly its monthly or when TDS get too high. Need to get a big dry erase board for feeding and WC schedule. Lots of planning still to do. Good thing it will take a few months to get it set up. Priority 1 are the fish we currently have so that means the 125 needs to be set up-stand built, the racks need to be built for the 75 tanks as well as the honeys go in one and the corys go in another. Got to make a production list for this...or I could go crazy.

[datfish]

I work at a store with 700+ aquariums. I throughly recommend you automate your water changes as much as possible. If you're going bare bottom drill the bottom and have your tanks connect to a common drain. Ball valves will set this up nicely.

If not, then get yourself a tankless hot water heater, a small sump pump used for homes, and a 100ft child safe cloth garden hose. You should be able to knock out water changes on a Sunday afternoon.

[angelcraze2]

That's a great idea^^^
Currently I use rubbermaid bins on wheels to age my water and distribute to the tanks. I use gravity to drain and because I like to siphon the substrate. When I had my 4 x 33gs, 90g, 120g, and smaller tanks going, I would change water on two 33gs one day, the 2 others another day, the 90g and then the 120g. That's 4 out of 7 days. With extra water I do the smaller tanks weekly at least. They only take me 15 minutes or less.

The biggest PITA for me is storing enough water. Especially now that my 120g is accumulating nitrates all of a sudden. I would need two brute trash cans at least!

I'll have to google tankless water heaters!

How exciting @Boundava, I love your plans and so happy it's finally coming alive :) So happy for you!

[angelcraze2]

I work at a store with 700+ aquariums. I throughly recommend you automate your water changes as much as possible. If you're going bare bottom drill the bottom and have your tanks connect to a common drain. Ball valves will set this up nicely.

If not, then get yourself a tankless hot water heater, a small sump pump used for homes, and a 100ft child safe cloth garden hose. You should be able to knock out water changes on a Sunday afternoon.

So the tankless water heater is to heat up the water? What do you suggest to hold the water? I keep thinking about pumping the water in and getting a stationary large holding tank, but I never did because I enjoy the arm work. But it would really make changing water less of a hassel and free up space.

[datfish]

So the tankless water heater is to heat up the water? What do you suggest to hold the water? I keep thinking about pumping the water in and getting a stationary large holding tank, but I never did because I enjoy the arm work. But it would really make changing water less of a hassel and free up space.

Yes, you add your dechlorinator (I recommend Safe) directly to the tank, set the temperature on the tankless heater to that of your aquarium, then drop your hose in and fill. Knock out a few hundred gallons in an hour or two depending.

[Slaphppy7]

Aren't tankless water heaters pricey?

[Boundava]

We won't be using an automated system for filtration or water changes. Between the two of us we should be able to knock it out OK.