Our fish Houses

macvsog23

Pleco Profiles Team - RIP FRIEND
May 1, 2009
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Bristol
Our fish Houses

As most people aspire to a fish house of some sort I thought it may be nice to have a thread were people explain how the fish house they have is “run”.

Description of fish House

Mine is the garage built on the side of my house size is approximately 8 foot wide X 12 foot in length.

Power Supply & Water supply

I have wired in a consumer board from the main supply. I have also run a mains feed of cold water to the fish house.

Insulation

Roof has 3 layers of “King Span” and the external walls have 1 layer of “King Span” over glass fibre insulation.



Tanks





I have two 4-foot tanks & two 3-foot tanks both divided and two 3-foot tanks along with a 30” tank.
Heating for the tanks is the stranded tank thermostat placed in the tank, I also use Eheim thermo filters, and I set the thermo filter heaters to around 24 centigrade and the tank heaters to the temperature that suites the fish, my reasons for this will become clear later.
Filtration is either Eheim 2324 or 2328 thermo filters and an Eheim power head or Aquaball for each tank or section. I also use Eheim Liberty HOTB filters at times.
On the 4 foot tanks the water returns via a spray bar and an internal weir/ sump. The smaller tanks I use just a spray bar.
The power heads use a spray bay, the Aquaballs have diffuser heads. All the power heads and Aquaballs have foam filter to trap debris and waste matter.
Substrate is either sand or mixed sand with small gravel depending of the fish.
Caves are a mix of wood and clay again depending of the fish.
Décor is bogwood and slate with a plant attached to one or two pieces of bogwood and a pot with a plant in each tank, this is to absorb some of the Phosphates and organic waste.
I have cover glasses on every tank but no hoods. Lighting is suspended Tubes with a twin main light.

Water

I use Reverse Osmosis water mixed with HMA
During the winter I use a booster pump but during the summer I run un-pressurized.



Daily 5 % to 10% water changes of heated R/O HMA mix with a TDS of around 180 to 200 and a Kh of about 4 to 6.
Water changes are quite simple I have fitted a Tee piece on the return of each Eheim Thermo filter with a male tap on the end. I connect a pipe to this tap and the water is pumped from the tank to the drain.
An Eheim Pump in the R/O but is used to refill the tanks.
I mark each tank with a fill point and a drain point of 10% so it is easy to do 5% or 15% water changes quite accurately. This system also allows me to use water from a mature tank to top up or fill a new tank.





Spawning and conditioning.



As I have two heating sources on each breeding tank I can turn of the tanks heaters and the temperature will not drop below the pre set temperature on the Thermo Filter.
I first stop water changes for a week and add a few lumps of soft bogwood. Then feed meaty conditioning foods along with Courgette having starved the fish for a week; next I drop the temperature as described and then do two water changes a day of neat /cold R/O water for two days. This will bring the TDS down to a very low point along with the PH both are conditions you would find in river water after a long and heavy rain storm.
Then I bring the TDS up to around 200 by doing a water change of fairly weak R/O HMA water mix.
Spawning normally takes place during this period.











Feeding

Food is more of a personal choice for most fish keepers based on old hobbits and choice in the area but I do believe in a very mixed variety of foods and avoiding fatty foods or cheap dry foods.

At present
I am breeding

Hypancistrus sp. Xingu variant L4XX

Hypancistrus sp. Xingu variant L173

Loricaria simillima

Hypancistrus sp. L136C

I have small groups of the following young fish growing on to obtain breeding groups

Hypancistrus sp. L260

Hypancistrus sp. L184

Hypancistrus sp. L134

Hypancistrus sp. Xingu variant L4XX
 
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Andrew

Member
May 3, 2009
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Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK.
My website shows my fish hut set up; My Fish Hut

I have now removed the 6ft tank and it's framing because of an ant problem, and will be getting rid oof the 6ft tank.

My tanks are the opposite of Bob's, with very minimal decor, which probably don't look as nice Bob's tanks, but they work for me.
 

bigbird

Pleco Profiles Moderator - RIP FRIEND
Sep 9, 2010
6,306
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Sydney, AUSTRALIA
wow well done and great report. My dream. Even though I have 2 x 5 ft and 1 x 4ft and 2 x 2foot, am working on my tank room in about 3years. Nice photos and great report. thanks mate chees jk :thumbup:
 

AndyEllard

Member
Jan 27, 2010
275
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16
Leamington Spa. UK
Both great set-ups. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Andrew I notice you have no heater guards.
With the fish you have do you not think it would be worth getting some?
Just That I have seen a few threads about heater burns on fish.
 

Andrew

Member
May 3, 2009
313
0
16
Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK.
I thought my tanks had minimal decor?????
Bob, it's just a case of horses for courses.

Carpcrv
Only ever had a heater burn with a bristlenose plec a good while back, and never had any heater burns with hypancistrus and their fry.
But if heater burns did start to crop up, i would get heater guards.
 
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James16

Member
Sep 5, 2010
81
0
6
Devon
Does this count? My Fish (bed)Room?

Lucky to have a room big enough to house my growing addiction!

From Right to left, Empty tank 65L (cycling). 125L community including 1 adult and 4 young lemon Bns, and 50L apisto tank,,, now much more hevily decorated
 

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JackGillett

Member
Jan 10, 2010
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Oxford
I am trying to expand my tank collection, just need to figure out the electrics. My mother is convinced the floor wont take it, but i have a 100l tank and i want an addtional 60litre. Surely it will?
 

James16

Member
Sep 5, 2010
81
0
6
Devon
A 60L tank would weigh about 80KG full, not much more than me.


Even If they're both right next to each other, its not going to be any heavier than three decent sized people standing next to each other, and i would hope the floor would take that :lol:

Obviously it varries from house to house but I would be worried as to what kind of house you live in if it makes your floor collapse :lol:
 

AndyEllard

Member
Jan 27, 2010
275
0
16
Leamington Spa. UK
Our fish Houses

As most people aspire to a fish house of some sort I thought it may be nice to have a thread were people explain how the fish house they have is “runâ€.

Water

I use Reverse Osmosis water mixed with HMA
During the winter I use a booster pump but during the summer I run un-pressurized.



Hi Bob, I should be getting my RO system today after 2 weeks waiting for delivery.:wb:

I notice on the right hand side of your system on the blue and green pipes you have a bypass setup around what look like either one way valves or flow restrictors which are they and what is the purpose.

On a side note I have just got a 80ltr clear tub with lid and will mark up 40,50,60 &70ltr markings which will be plumbed in on a float valve for the RO storage and will be on a tap to go down to my water butt to then be topped up with Hma to get the right mix required.
 

bigbird

Pleco Profiles Moderator - RIP FRIEND
Sep 9, 2010
6,306
1
36
Sydney, AUSTRALIA
well my new rack.

A few tips of mine

1. Mark each cable that goes into a power point so you know to which tank it belongs
2. I have a 4ft tank on the floor, filled with 1/2 rain water and 1/2 tap water with airstone and powerhead for movement. I do change 40% once a week.
3. I have now piped all the tanks with taps to fill up from the 4 fter using a sump pump, very easy.
4. I still remove old water by syphon so I can remove any gunk.
5. I used LED lights, much cheaper than normal lights
6. I have only one sort of L in each tank, I do not like to mix.

Well that is my start so far. cheers jk :thumbup:
 

macvsog23

Pleco Profiles Team - RIP FRIEND
May 1, 2009
2,671
0
36
70
Bristol
Our fish Houses

As most people aspire to a fish house of some sort I thought it may be nice to have a thread were people explain how the fish house they have is “runâ€.

Water

I use Reverse Osmosis water mixed with HMA
During the winter I use a booster pump but during the summer I run un-pressurized.



Hi Bob, I should be getting my RO system today after 2 weeks waiting for delivery.:wb:

I notice on the right hand side of your system on the blue and green pipes you have a bypass setup around what look like either one way valves or flow restrictors which are they and what is the purpose.

On a side note I have just got a 80ltr clear tub with lid and will mark up 40,50,60 &70ltr markings which will be plumbed in on a float valve for the RO storage and will be on a tap to go down to my water butt to then be topped up with Hma to get the right mix required.
By pass taps are to "Flush" the R/O membrane I run the HMA and the R/O in to the same pipe i use a small needle adjuster to restrict the HMA so i get the TDS and Kh I want. I have the float valve operate a Solenoid that shuts the water supply off and also stops the Pump