Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => DIY => Topic started by: Ron on January 29, 2012, 08:52:38 PM
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By request, reposted from my past thread from the belated MSC, lacking any descriptions I might have previously had, this is a pictorial of a rack I built to hold a series of 10 gallon tanks....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0796.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0797.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0801.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0805.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0809.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0810.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0811.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0812.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0814.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0815.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/RonACRF/IMG_0819.jpg)
And for anyone wondering, I don't try to get my dog to pose in the photos on purpose. She just does that herself. ;)
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And for anyone wondering, I don't try to get my dog to pose in the photos on purpose. She just does that herself. ;)
I just assumed she was supervising.
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Hey Ron, where did you purchase that blue foam, and how thick is it... Looks to be about 2in or so... Thanks Ski, ps, the rack looks good.. 8)
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Nice to see this is back/here. This helped me out while building my 50breeder rack.
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And for anyone wondering, I don't try to get my dog to pose in the photos on purpose. She just does that herself. ;)
I just assumed she was supervising.
Supervising and generally trying to get in the way to "help". :-\
Hey Ron, where did you purchase that blue foam, and how thick is it... Looks to be about 2in or so... Thanks Ski, ps, the rack looks good.. 8)
Here's the link: http://www.swisstropicals.com/Poret%20Filter%20Foam.html I didn't buy mine new though - bought some extra from another hobbyist for a slightly better price. It's a bit expensive IMO. I tried to find a different source for the same stuff, similar to buying my polyester fill through craft stores instead of "filter floss" for 4x the price from the LFS.
BTW, I'll have to recreate the Mattenfilter thread sometime too - that's the style filter I used.
Nice to see this is back/here. This helped me out while building my 50breeder rack.
Glad it helped!
Just to add since I didn't post any text with the pictorial, all suppplies were purchased from Home Depot. The larger brackets are kind of expensive, but make it really hard to screw up the 90 degree corners and add a lot of support.
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Thanks for posting.
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Thanks for posting this, will be a help to a new person to the hobby, needing a fast efficient rack for tanks. I do have a question thou; It would be helpful if you could explain the foam pad section of your tanks. I believe that you are using this as an additional filter for your fry tanks, water flows through the foam, and the pvc/airline portion acts as an overflow to keep the water flowing. Curious to know how this works and if my guess is correct.
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Thanks for posting.
I'd been thinking about reposting these - thanks for the request.
Thanks for posting this, will be a help to a new person to the hobby, needing a fast efficient rack for tanks. I do have a question thou; It would be helpful if you could explain the foam pad section of your tanks. I believe that you are using this as an additional filter for your fry tanks, water flows through the foam, and the pvc/airline portion acts as an overflow to keep the water flowing. Curious to know how this works and if my guess is correct.
It's actually the only filtration being used and you're assumption is really, really close. The PVC is functioning the opposite of an overflow - it's an "uplift" tube. I'll start a new thread later tonight on the topic. Maybe even get a few current pictures if I'm feeling ambitious!
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Thanks, that will be really helpful. For fry tanks would you do a rack of 10 gallon tanks or 5.5 gallons? I am working on plans for a fish room and am wondering which one is more effecient. I was thinking 5.5 gallons, just becuase I can get more on a rack, but is this practical?
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I'll start a new thread later tonight on the topic. Maybe even get a few current pictures if I'm feeling ambitious!
I got some pictures, but I'll be delaying a day or two due to lack of time to put together a complete post the way I'd like to.
Thanks, that will be really helpful. For fry tanks would you do a rack of 10 gallon tanks or 5.5 gallons? I am working on plans for a fish room and am wondering which one is more effecient. I was thinking 5.5 gallons, just because I can get more on a rack, but is this practical?
I went with 10 gallon tanks. As shown in the photos, I put them on the stand face to face instead of end to end. I could have moved the filter foam to the center if I wanted to divide them into 5s, but then it'd be hard to see the back side with the orientation I used. I can think of many reasons I don't like small tanks - water parameter stability, maintenance time, stocking densities, ect. If it wasn't for wanting to keep different batches/species of fry separate I'd rather have one really large tank per shelf.
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How many 10 gallon tanks the the rack you built hold?
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How many 10 gallon tanks the the rack you built hold?
It'll hold 3 per level, so 9 total. It was built to comfortably fit the space I had available. I could have packed in more, but accessing tanks in cramped spaces is not a comprise I'm willing to make. :)
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Thanks. Do you have other pics of your fishroom you could share? I am trying to get ideas on what type of racks are the best and the most functional.
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The pics are great and thanks for sharing. But I have to say this thread has been a let down for me. Every time I see the title I skip over the tank part to read 'Rack Pictorial' and then get excited only to be let down because its actually a 'Tank Rack Pictorial'.
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The pics are great and thanks for sharing. But I have to say this thread has been a let down for me. Every time I see the title I skip over the tank part to read 'Rack Pictorial' and then get excited only to be let down because its actually a 'Tank Rack Pictorial'.
Lol
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The pics are great and thanks for sharing. But I have to say this thread has been a let down for me. Every time I see the title I skip over the tank part to read 'Rack Pictorial' and then get excited only to be let down because its actually a 'Tank Rack Pictorial'.
Lol
Driving down by the airport raised your expectations of premium rackage didn't it Jeff. Well you can always go a rackabout some other weekend.
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Yes, I understand that Blair's wife has threatened him with death if a rackabout occurs, though.
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Yes, I understand that Blair's wife has threatened him with death if a rackabout occurs, though.
What she doesn't know won't hurt her.....or more importantly, cause Blair's death. 8)
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Yes, I understand that Blair's wife has threatened him with death if a rackabout occurs, though.
I think she would've just felt left out. :P. Believe that one& I'll tell you another one. ;)
Yes, I understand that Blair's wife has threatened him with death if a rackabout occurs, though.
What she doesn't know won't hurt her.....or more importantly, cause Blair's death. 8)
;) exactly
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Thanks. Do you have other pics of your fishroom you could share? I am trying to get ideas on what type of racks are the best and the most functional.
I don't have any current ones, but I can post something in a few days to a week - basically after I get it cleaned up from the last bagging session and have some free time. :)
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Ok, thanks. That would be great Ron.
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Hey Ron, I'm curious to know whether or not the foam filters you made performed at their maximum potential. I guess the easiest way to tell would be to ask if the filter foam got "dirty" evenly or just near the lower half? I'm sure the airflow would be key to determine how efficient the whole pad would function. If the airflow is too low, only the lower portion would function well, correct?
Let me know your thoughts as I am considering adopting some of your design.
Thanks in advance.
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Hey Ron, I'm curious to know whether or not the foam filters you made performed at their maximum potential. I guess the easiest way to tell would be to ask if the filter foam got "dirty" evenly or just near the lower half? I'm sure the airflow would be key to determine how efficient the whole pad would function. If the airflow is too low, only the lower portion would function well, correct?
Let me know your thoughts as I am considering adopting some of your design.
Thanks in advance.
I'm behind on some picture requests from this thread - nice weather has me cutting up dead ash trees in all my spare time! I'll try to get a shot of the foam as well to show how debris build up when I do finally catch-up here.
In the mean time, the filter pads do get dirty relatively evenly. The airflow does determine the flow rate, but the uplift tubes are really just moving water from one side of the filter to the other. The tubes do not extend within the foam. So it's a really slow flow rate across the entire expanse of the filter pad, which is perfect for biological filtration.
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I know it has been answered in the past but I'll be lazy and skip the search and just ask again. What kind and where are the metal brackets from?
Also you are killing me with the dog pics. I put my best friend Sam AKA Bubba down on the the 2nd and dearly miss him. Sigh..... ok enough hijacking just the bracket question......
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I know it has been answered in the past but I'll be lazy and skip the search and just ask again. What kind and where are the metal brackets from?
IIRC the brand is Simpson Strong-Tie. I got them at Home Depot near the lumber where all of the various metal brackets for wood support are located. I'd presume any hardware-type store with enough selection would have something similar. The ones used in this build were designed to mate 2x[anything - 4, 6, etc] supports to a 2x4 post. They also make them to mount to a 4x4 post, which I used in my 72"x18" stand builds.
Sorry to hear about Sam. It's unfortunate how short they are here to share company with.
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I used the same brackets, but I bought them at Lowes.
I know it has been answered in the past but I'll be lazy and skip the search and just ask again. What kind and where are the metal brackets from?
IIRC the brand is Simpson Strong-Tie. I got them at Home Depot near the lumber where all of the various metal brackets for wood support are located. I'd presume any hardware-type store with enough selection would have something similar. The ones used in this build were designed to mate 2x[anything - 4, 6, etc] supports to a 2x4 post. They also make them to mount to a 4x4 post, which I used in my 72"x18" stand builds.
Sorry to hear about Sam. It's unfortunate how short they are here to share company with.
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Yeah I have seen them used in several different threads and they look like they are awesome o I thought I'd ask what has been aske before.
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I've always wanted a set up like this, but im not sure how the filtration works??
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I was in the local JoAnn Fabric's store here in town a while back, and they carry very large pieces of foam there, they have white and green. Anything from 1in to I believe 5in thick. Im wondering if this foam would basically work the same for filtration. I sure looks the same as the blue foam pads here? ???
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I've always wanted a set up like this, but im not sure how the filtration works??
The air bubbling up the tube creates an uplift force and causes the water to also flow up and out. So water moves through the tube from one side of the filter foam to the other. Gravity forces the water to then flow back through the foam. The surface area of the foam provides tons of surface area and results in a very slow flow rate through the foam. Both of those aspects are great for biological filtration - lots of surface area for bacteria to colonize and slow filtration rate to allow effective reduction of ammonia and nitrite.
Because of the slow flow rate it's not good for mechanical filtration. I keep these tanks bare bottom and only have small fish - easy to siphon out the waste that builds up on the bottom and the poops aren't large enough to turn the filter into a mess. Since minimal waste builds up, not to mention the large surface area, the filter material doesn't clog or require frequent cleaning - I gently rinse them out once every 9-12 months.
I was in the local JoAnn Fabric's store here in town a while back, and they carry very large pieces of foam there, they have white and green. Anything from 1in to I believe 5in thick. Im wondering if this foam would basically work the same for filtration. I sure looks the same as the blue foam pads here? ???
The material I used is very stiff - cutting it slightly larger than the aquarium dimensions allows it to hold itself in place, compressed against the sides of the tank. Anything you use should be open celled - open cells allow water to flow through it. Lots of foams are either closed cell (should be obvious) or a sloppy mixture (harder to tell - try blowing through it to tell how open it is). A rigid material also maintains the cell structure better without collapsing. Lastly you'll want something that hasn't been treated in any manner - anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, etc. I buy my filter floss at JoAnns and am always careful to get the 100% pure, non-allergenic, non-treated batting.
So it might work - you'll probably have to take a closer look and I'd suggest trying it with some fish that won't leave you heartbroken should the experiment not work.