RE: [Killietalk] Fish room design

["Earl Blewett" <Micro at earlblewett_net>]

Dear FishFolk,

>>
But.... i have also been eyeing some of those Metal industrial racks that
they sell at Samms Club and figure i could go 4 tiers high because their
shelves are not as thick as my 2X4 rack... saving some space and going to 8
inches between racks i could get the 4th tier in but the top of that tank
would be very high..   but then again i am tall!!
>>>

I would recommend these racks, but carefully plan the working distance above
the tank. 
I have a 4 foot wide rack from Sam's Club ($75) literally squeezed into an
old 4 foot shower in my laundryroom. They are nice but it is hard to arrange
4 good workable shelves. I have a lot of sweater boxes so I can have shallow
shelves but be able to pull the boxes out  for maintainance, cleaning etc.
The largest or tallest shelf is the bottom which has brine shrimp hatchers
and the tall sterilyte file boxes. The top shelf or the top of the unit, has
my electrical equipment, spare bottles, lights, fruitflies and  other
infrequently used items, as I have to use a step stool to get things down. 

I only feed or siphon water while the tanks are on the rack. For anything
else I disconnect the sponge filter and just carry the whole tank (sweater
box, critter keeper) to a table.  Last night I caught and bagged 20 fish and
cleaned out the tanks this way. I drain part of the tall sterilyte
containers before moving, though. 

Best wishes,

Earl
--------------------------------------------
Earl Blewett Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Dept. of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Oklahoma State University
Center for Health Sciences
College of Osteopathic Medicine
1111 W 17 St. Tulsa, OK 74107

Email:   micro at earlblewett_net
Office: (918) 561-8405
FAX:    (918) 561-8414

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