Hi All,
I have a spare building in which i am planning to setup as a fish house.
it is only small so will hopefully contain between 6-8 24" tanks.
i know how to build the frames and insulate the room and heat it etc
I could do with some help when it comes to filtration!!!!!
i have read it is best to put the system on a centralised filter system......does anyone have any info on these or know how to build one????? i dont have a clue how they work so any info will be much apppreciated
Ta
Fish House setup
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AndyAps.com
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Fish House setup
success is a journey full of unbelievable experiance NOT a destination with an unbelievable experiance.
Hi
I admit I have never had a fish house as such but have had 8 tanks up and running at one point a few years ago.
I personally would recommend you run each tank individually when it comes to filteration. This way you can tailor each tank to the fish kept within. You can obviously heat all the tanks by heating the fish house, but again, if you are planning on breeding etc, you are going to want to control the temp. also. Individual tank set-ups will also greatly reduce cross-infection.
Cheers
Tom
I admit I have never had a fish house as such but have had 8 tanks up and running at one point a few years ago.
I personally would recommend you run each tank individually when it comes to filteration. This way you can tailor each tank to the fish kept within. You can obviously heat all the tanks by heating the fish house, but again, if you are planning on breeding etc, you are going to want to control the temp. also. Individual tank set-ups will also greatly reduce cross-infection.
Cheers
Tom
Hi Andy,
I too am looking into the possibility of setting up a centralised system, unfortunately I am still at the thinking about it stage.
Here's a link to some people that do this sort of thing for a living, you can get all your bits from them and more importantly some advice on how to do it.
http://www.devotedly-discus.co.uk/discu ... system.htm
Hope this helps.
Adam
I too am looking into the possibility of setting up a centralised system, unfortunately I am still at the thinking about it stage.
Here's a link to some people that do this sort of thing for a living, you can get all your bits from them and more importantly some advice on how to do it.
http://www.devotedly-discus.co.uk/discu ... system.htm
Hope this helps.
Adam
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AndyAps.com
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thanks Adam,
the link is useful although i read it the magazine first time. how doe sit work tho. i am scared the filter (as it is not pressurised would overflow????? or do you have to be really exact with the pump you choose?
if the pump doesn't work fast enough would the tanks not just continue to syphon out water and overflow the system?
or if the pump is to high out put would it not overflow the tanks?
ta
the link is useful although i read it the magazine first time. how doe sit work tho. i am scared the filter (as it is not pressurised would overflow????? or do you have to be really exact with the pump you choose?
if the pump doesn't work fast enough would the tanks not just continue to syphon out water and overflow the system?
or if the pump is to high out put would it not overflow the tanks?
ta
success is a journey full of unbelievable experiance NOT a destination with an unbelievable experiance.
Hi ANdy
i have a centralised filter system for my 3 teir set-up and touch wood all is fine.
The pump sits in a 80 litre sump, that then feeds 3, 100l tanks at approximately 3000l/h.
The sump is gravity fed via a setup called a durso-flowpipe. This ensures that you get minimum noices, and no syphoning. The water only feeds to the sump when it is pumped round.
Each tank is supplied via a valve, so I can adjust the flowrate to each tank to keep them equal.i.e the water would rather just go to the low tank, as it is the easiest route. SO this valve is slightly closed, etc.
There is also a valce on the sump supply so that I can form a column of water, reducing noise further.
Here are a few pics.
I personally find the system very useful as I can mix and match fry as they grow, moving from one tank to another without any hastle.
It also makes water changes easy. I have a syphon connected to a timed valve. When this opens water runns down the drain, and a float valve tops the tanks back up again.
hopethis helps.
Here is a useful link for the Durso flow-ipes. You can buy them, but it is far cheaper to make them yourself.
http://www.rl180reef.com/180/pages/stan ... struct.htm
Rob
i have a centralised filter system for my 3 teir set-up and touch wood all is fine.
The pump sits in a 80 litre sump, that then feeds 3, 100l tanks at approximately 3000l/h.
The sump is gravity fed via a setup called a durso-flowpipe. This ensures that you get minimum noices, and no syphoning. The water only feeds to the sump when it is pumped round.
Each tank is supplied via a valve, so I can adjust the flowrate to each tank to keep them equal.i.e the water would rather just go to the low tank, as it is the easiest route. SO this valve is slightly closed, etc.
There is also a valce on the sump supply so that I can form a column of water, reducing noise further.
Here are a few pics.
I personally find the system very useful as I can mix and match fry as they grow, moving from one tank to another without any hastle.
It also makes water changes easy. I have a syphon connected to a timed valve. When this opens water runns down the drain, and a float valve tops the tanks back up again.
hopethis helps.
Here is a useful link for the Durso flow-ipes. You can buy them, but it is far cheaper to make them yourself.
http://www.rl180reef.com/180/pages/stan ... struct.htm
Rob
The perfect white lie..."Of course I didn't pay that much for the fish honey"
Hi Andyaps.com,
Although I dont currently have a centralised system , I have seen a lot in action at various LFs's , wholesalers , marine outfits and discus breeders including the one that Adam refers to.
In its most basic concept, the pump in the bottom "filter" sump pumps filtered water into the tanks above, using control taps above the tanks,the "extra" water overflows from these tanks back into the sump, via pipes connected to these tanks using approx 2" predrilled holes. Some have these holes on the back of the tank near the top. The majority ,though have these holes on the bottom, connected to a normal pipe ( the height of the water) with a piece of plastic gauze at the top of the pipe( which the water overflows through). This circular piece of plastic mesh prevents fish and food, plants etc being sucked ( overflowing) into the sump.
So you will have 2 sets of pipes,flow pipes from the filter sump ,into the tops of the tanks and return pipes back to the filter, taking water from the overflow pipes.
If you let me know more details of your tanks and racks , I'm sure I can come up with a more detailed plan.
Regards,
Des.
Although I dont currently have a centralised system , I have seen a lot in action at various LFs's , wholesalers , marine outfits and discus breeders including the one that Adam refers to.
In its most basic concept, the pump in the bottom "filter" sump pumps filtered water into the tanks above, using control taps above the tanks,the "extra" water overflows from these tanks back into the sump, via pipes connected to these tanks using approx 2" predrilled holes. Some have these holes on the back of the tank near the top. The majority ,though have these holes on the bottom, connected to a normal pipe ( the height of the water) with a piece of plastic gauze at the top of the pipe( which the water overflows through). This circular piece of plastic mesh prevents fish and food, plants etc being sucked ( overflowing) into the sump.
So you will have 2 sets of pipes,flow pipes from the filter sump ,into the tops of the tanks and return pipes back to the filter, taking water from the overflow pipes.
If you let me know more details of your tanks and racks , I'm sure I can come up with a more detailed plan.
Regards,
Des.
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AndyAps.com
- Obsessed!!
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- Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:57 am
- Location: Sheffield UK
hi all
i have changed my plan slightly,,,,,,basically i want to do the same as Rob's set up, i want 3x 3' tanks on a 3 tier system with a sump underneath
im still very weary about this....i cant understand how....... if i close the taps on the return a little and water overflows back into the sump on each cylce,,,, after a few cycles will the sump not over flow with the excess???
god.... i will get it soon i promise......thanks for your patience....
Rob. do the babies not get sucked up the 2" pipes,,,,,especially if they are on the bottom of the tanks like des suggests?
thanks
i have changed my plan slightly,,,,,,basically i want to do the same as Rob's set up, i want 3x 3' tanks on a 3 tier system with a sump underneath
im still very weary about this....i cant understand how....... if i close the taps on the return a little and water overflows back into the sump on each cylce,,,, after a few cycles will the sump not over flow with the excess???
god.... i will get it soon i promise......thanks for your patience....
Rob. do the babies not get sucked up the 2" pipes,,,,,especially if they are on the bottom of the tanks like des suggests?
thanks
success is a journey full of unbelievable experiance NOT a destination with an unbelievable experiance.
Hi Andy
So long as the overflow diameters are bigger than the ibflow, the pump cannot overflow. Basically, only the volue of water pumpe dinto the tanks will return to the sump. I do occasionally move the valves a little to increase and decrease flows, so if you close one, the others get more water etc etc.
Due to the fact that the feed to the sump is spread over a large area there is very little suction. I also made sure that I cut thelines in the pipe with a fine enough saw blade to make sure fry wouldn't fit down.
Hope this helps.
rob
So long as the overflow diameters are bigger than the ibflow, the pump cannot overflow. Basically, only the volue of water pumpe dinto the tanks will return to the sump. I do occasionally move the valves a little to increase and decrease flows, so if you close one, the others get more water etc etc.
Due to the fact that the feed to the sump is spread over a large area there is very little suction. I also made sure that I cut thelines in the pipe with a fine enough saw blade to make sure fry wouldn't fit down.
Hope this helps.
rob
The perfect white lie..."Of course I didn't pay that much for the fish honey"
Hi Andy,
Regarding the holes in the bottom, these are then fitted with pipe connectors , to which a pipe is fixed ,reaching the waters surface.The "extra" water then overflows down this pipe, into the sump.At the top of this pipe can be fixed a piece of "perforated" pipe to prevent food, plants and baby fish from going down the overflow.
Regards,
Des
Regarding the holes in the bottom, these are then fitted with pipe connectors , to which a pipe is fixed ,reaching the waters surface.The "extra" water then overflows down this pipe, into the sump.At the top of this pipe can be fixed a piece of "perforated" pipe to prevent food, plants and baby fish from going down the overflow.
Regards,
Des
