Re: [Killietalk] RE: Fish room design

["Kevin Simms" <redlam1 at interconnect_net>]

I'd like to see photos.

Kevin Simms
Corpus Christi, TX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Koran, David HQ02" <David_Koran at hq02.usace.army.mil>
To: <killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 8:29 AM
Subject: [Killietalk] RE: Fish room design


> After seeing everyone else's responses I started to worry I missed Dave's
> question on rack spacing--rack spacing versus rows (in rack) distance but
> apparently footprint was what he was after.
>
> As for overall rack design let me offer two designs which I have used over
> and over again for nearly 30 years.  Back when 2 x 4's were cheap and the
> quality was pretty good (i.e., not so many knots and virtually no twisting
or
> bowing) I found I could make a very sturdy, functional rack with an 8 foot
by
> 20" footprint.  The rack holds 25 10 gallon tanks and setting the top
level
> at about 3 inches below eye-level and the bottom level 2 heights of a 2x4
off
> the floor (i.e., 7") one has plenty of room to work or access the bottom
and
> middle row of tanks.  The bottom and middle row support are two full
length 8
> foot 2x4 's set wide side facing out.  Each has 6 cross members (17 "
long).
> Two in the middle are set 1 3/4 inches from center and two on the end are
> recessed 3 1/2 inches, these four supports are also wide side oriented
> vertically.  Basically the posts or vertical supports are located in the
> middle and on the two ends (6 total) (a 2x4's dimensions are really 1.75
> inches x 3.5 inches) and the posts are secured on the inside of the
> horizontal frame.  The remaining two crossmembers are located in the
middle
> of each span and are oriented wide side horizontal (each shelf
accommodates 8
> tanks, 4 on each span between uprights).  While not the perfect world,
what
> you have is each ten gallon tank will rest on three sides of the bottom on
a
> 2x4 rail/support.  As for the top row, since you can terminate the upright
> post before the top of the rack you can place 9 tanks in the space (figure
> 10.5 inches per tank in width and you take up 94.5 inches of the 96 inch
> span.  I usually notch the upright posts on the 4 end uprights to receive
the
> top row frame where this "shelf" has the end cross members connected at
the
> very end of each 8 foot 2x4.  For the top shelf I space 8 cross members at
> about 10 and 5/8 th interval centering so these tanks are supported on all
> four sides of the tank bottom.  Use 3 inch screws for supporting cross
> members to anchor (I was taught in shop class in my early teens that one
> screw holds like 5 nails), I use three per union.  As for the upright
posts I
> anchor each pair to a 20" 2x4 at the bottom of each pair (3 sets) and then
> the first or bottom row rests on each of these supports (your bottom shelf
> actually is supported by these three cross members).  For added strength
(you
> will notice that there is your gap spacing between rows on the posts, at
this
> point I cut a piece of 2x4 to fit between the rows and also anchor these
to
> the upright posts.  You get an extremely sturdy and rather clean looking
> rack.  Remember, if completely filled you have 10 gallons x 8.3 pounds x
25
> tanks or 2 tons of water weight.  You can substitute 2x3 cross members on
the
> non-weight bearing cross members.  You would need 14 2x4's and 3 2x3's or
17
> 2x4's for the structure and about 100 3" screws and about 50 2 1/2 inch
> screws for the project.
>
> I have found that you can also gear this design up and build a rack for 20
> gallon tanks with 2x4 construction.  End on spacing of the 20's does make
it
> a little dicey to get at the back of 20's but you can reach the back the
> tanks with a net.  Again, the structure now supports 4 tons of water
weight.
> 2x4 construction allows a 4 tank span without bowing of the shelf on 10's
or
> even 20's.  You cannot cheat with 2x3's, a 4 tank span of even 10's will
bow.
> As for spacing between rows if you want to get the bottom row further off
the
> floor (I remove the bottom 3 cross members and place a "spacer" attached
to
> each upright to take most of the weight of the bottom shelf) in the
instances
> where bending is a problem caused mostly by either age or "Dunlap's
disease"
> (that is where your belly done laps over your belt, ramped in most killie
> keepers).  The 8 foot footprint means you shelving can utilize shop lights
> for lighting or if anyone is interested I can relate how to split these
up,
> one tube per 4 to 6' spans.
>
> To cut down on inter-row spacing reduced by the 3 1/2 inches of the 2x4 I
> have split them lengthwise and used the 1.75 horizontal front cross piece
in
> 4 vertical row racks but then use a 3 inch wide (or wider) 1/2 inch
plywood
> spacer support at a mid point of the shelf (the rack is only 5 tanks wide
on
> the span) which might also work for a 2x3 cross member.
>
> More recently, especially for smaller tanks like 2's or 3's or maybe 5
gallon
> tanks I construct a shelf frame out of split 2x4's and "truss" the shelf
at
> one or more places depending on the span of the shelf by notching out
maybe a
> half inch on each spanning piece to receive the truss cross member and
glue
> and then screw the pieces together.  The shelf frame is then covered on
top
> with a piece of 1/4 inch plywood.  When I connect these to my upright
posts
> whose structures are 2x4's and each of the shelves rests on a cross member
> between the two uprights (your two upright structures end up looking a
little
> like ladders on the ends) and the shelves are set inside the uprights (you
> need a maximum of span on the uprights to limit horizontal swaying!).  The
> resulting shelves are light but surprisingly strong.  You can also recess
> lighting in the pockets between the truss cross members under the 1/4 inch
> top for the next row underneath that shelf.
>
> Unfortunately, not all of us are skilled carpenters or have shop tools
> available but consider these suggestions if you do.  I will try to take
some
> photos if anyone is interested.
>
> Dave Koran
> Beaver Construction Division
> US Army Corps of Engineers
>
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