[Killietalk] Fishroom Racks

["Donna M. Recktenwalt" <dmrecktenwalt at sbcglobal_net>]

Hello, All -
    I can't help but add my two bits to this continuing discussion.
    My "fishroom" consists of two heavy duty modular steel racks (purchased more than 8 years ago from a hardware store. An entire rack system was rated for something like 1500 lbs., with individual shelves rated for 300+.) which occupy most of one wall in my home office. 
    Since our home is a ranch, built on a concrete slab, we didn't need to consider additional support beneath the racks. Because the bottoms of the uprights were simiple angle iron, without a "foot," we placed strips of wood beneath the corners to protect the floor. The shelves are 1/2 inch plywood, which sit on inverted "L' shaped side bars that lock into the corner posts. Because the corner sections came in two pieces, placement of the first shelf was pre-determined - right in the middle, where it would lock the top and bottom corner pieces together.
    The rest of the shelves could be placed at will by 2" increments, determined by the locking design of the side bars.
    With (considerable) help from my husband, we designed and wired a lighting system of 24" fluorescent bulbs set on the underside of three of the four shelves. The lights are all wired together and then connected to an automatic timer. That takes care of the lighting requirements.
    The shelves are 18" deep, which allows for 3 10-gal. tanks on end, 4 5-gal. tanks on end, or a single 20 long placed horizontally.
I use the top shelf for box storage of aquarium materials, and rearrange the tank setup as required by my varying population of fish.
    Filtering is a combination of foam and box filters driven by air pumps, plus several power filters on the larger tanks. All tanks have glass covers. I've tried some other materials, but find that glass works best for me.
    The entire setup is flexible. Shelves can be raised or lowered (there's some noise and shake when the side bars are pounded into place), but only the shelf being moved has to be emptied. Tanks can be moved, either for storage or cleaning; or even replaced if you want to start some fry off in shoeboxes. If you want to expand, add another rack; if you already have two, move them apart, then "create" modular wooden side bar units to connect them. I've had as many as 30 tanks and a few shoeboxes spread across two full units connected together by home-made shelves.
       On the whole, I'm very satisfied with this system. Were I to do it again, however, I'd make a couple of small changes.
        1. I'd put lights on all four shelves; it's simpler to pull a light bulb when you don't need it than to add extra lighting.
        2. I'd allow more space behind the system so I could better access the pumps, air lines and plugs. Working from the front is doable, but sometimes a bit difficult.
    What do I keep in those tanks? Killifish; some rare livebearers; a few small cichlids; and several types of catfish. Plus the occasional "stray" that interests me. 
     My arrangement may not suit eveyone, but it has worked well for me. I hope this input helps others determine how to make the best of their facilities to meet their individual needs.
Best - donna
GCKA, Dayton, OH 
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