# My Shrimp Rack Journal UPDATED 7/7/07



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

If I were you, and I'm not, I'd buy two huge air pumps and power 8 sponge filters using a gang valve. A lot more economical than 8 AC filters. Also, and I'm not sure this is the reason, my shrimp population has EXPLODED in this new shrimp tank with a sponge filter compared to before when I had a powered filter w/ impeller...even with mesh/sponge over the intake.

Also, make sure the flush/fill system protects little shrimplets from being sucked in.

Looks like a great setup so far!


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## boink (Nov 27, 2006)

hehe just out of curiosity, did you drill those holes from the bathroom to the closet urself? =p


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

boink said:


> hehe just out of curiosity, did you drill those holes from the bathroom to the closet urself? =p


Hahah, yes. Please don't forget that the "cosmetic" finishing won't be done until all of the project is complete. 

-Ryan


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## toddnbecka (Sep 4, 2006)

If the shelves are made of particleboard, it would be a good idea to wrap them in contact paper to prevent water damage. Particleboard absorbs water quickly and swells, never returning to its original shape afterward.


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## Solstice (Jan 9, 2006)

Nice project Wood! Can't wait to see how it winds up.

I'm with you on replacing the particle board with either some metal shelves or some 3/4-1" plywood. Plywood would defintely be cheaper but you may even want to shore that up a bit. 

I'd steer clear of wrapping the particle board. If you don't get it perfectly or if the material you wrap it with gets damaged or isn't otherwise completely watertight, you'll still probably get it wet and it will swell. The last thing you need is a that top shelf collapsing and taking out everything underneath it. Trust me, water damage is no fun.


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

I have already made the decision to go metal only. I will call around the metal shops sometime this week and get some prices. It should'nt cost that much. I will have to factor in the additional weight of the metal though... 

I just don't want to have to worry all the time that the wood may give in at some point due to water damage.

-Ryan


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## Color Me Blue (Nov 10, 2005)

Cool!!! Another shrimp farm! You go boy! WoooHoo!!!:biggrin: 

Definitely keep us posted! roud:


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

epicfish said:


> If I were you, and I'm not, I'd buy two huge air pumps and power 8 sponge filters using a gang valve. A lot more economical than 8 AC filters. Also, and I'm not sure this is the reason, my shrimp population has EXPLODED in this new shrimp tank with a sponge filter compared to before when I had a powered filter w/ impeller...even with mesh/sponge over the intake.
> 
> Also, make sure the flush/fill system protects little shrimplets from being sucked in.
> 
> Looks like a great setup so far!


There are many reasons why I want to go with the AquaClears. The main reason is filtration. With an AC50 on a 10 gallon there is a ton of circulation, plus a lot of bio-filtration. I want that water to be completely clear of all ammonia, etc. Using a sponge on the intake of the AC50 should definitely stop any and all shrimp babies from entering the filter. When it comes to filtration, the money is not the issue here. 

As for the fill/flush system, the flush intake on each tank will also be covered with a sponge. The fill line will not be inside of the tank, but rather above it. There are going to be tons of check valves all over the place to prevent any type of contamination. 

Please keep up the suggestions/recommendations. 

Thanks guys, 

Ryan


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## boink (Nov 27, 2006)

jus curious...but does having an all in one type of fill/flush drain at the same rate?


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

boink said:


> jus curious...but does having an all in one type of fill/flush drain at the same rate?


I will have valves for each tank that I will close when the appropriate amount has been flushed/filled as I am watching the tanks. All of the tanks will be shutting down at different times. The same with the fill process. 

All of the fill/flush valves for each individual tank will be centrally located and labeled respectively. The flush valves probably wont be needed to use that much as the amount of water being removed can be more and less in each tank. The fill though is different, so I will have to watch each tank and shut off accordingly. It will probably take me about 5 minutes tops to flush and refill all the tanks at once. It sounds more complicated than it really is.

-Ryan


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Solstice said:


> Nice project Wood! Can't wait to see how it winds up.
> 
> I'm with you on replacing the particle board with either some metal shelves or some 3/4-1" plywood. Plywood would defintely be cheaper but you may even want to shore that up a bit.
> 
> I'd steer clear of wrapping the particle board. If you don't get it perfectly or if the material you wrap it with gets damaged or isn't otherwise completely watertight, you'll still probably get it wet and it will swell. The last thing you need is a that top shelf collapsing and taking out everything underneath it. Trust me, water damage is no fun.


You need to seal the MDF that the shelfs are made with. If you do not do so, water will damage them. Wrapping is not the solution.

Regarding the metal shelfs, make sure it does not compromise the structure of the base. 

Plywood is going to bend, MDF as well, when you put the tanks, substrate and water in them. You have to find a way that works for you and what you are doing to eliminate the bending. The Bowing will not look nice at all.

Also, have you calculated the weight you are going to have in this rack and that your closet supports it?


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

since no one has asked yet that I saw....what kind of shrimp are you going to be raising in these tanks?


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

milalic said:


> You need to seal the MDF that the shelfs are made with. If you do not do so, water will damage them. Wrapping is not the solution.
> 
> Regarding the metal shelfs, make sure it does not compromise the structure of the base.
> 
> ...


I already decided to use metal only as the shelfs. I will go to a metal shop and have 4 custom metal shelfs made the exact proportions as the particle board. I am only going to use particle board on the bottom shelf, which is only a storage site. I of course will be using very sturdy metal which will not bend. If I have to I will get 0.5" thick metal panels. I do not know which metal will be best, I will research that tonight. If you have any suggestions Pedro, let me know. Maybe instead of getting metal panels the exact dimensions as the particle board, I will instead get several metal slats to lay down on each shelf, basically leaving gaps. If the metal is sturdy enough I can get away with this. This will also lessen the weight on each shelf. 

Haha, yes Pedro, I have definitely calculated the weight  . I would not have purchased this rack if it could not hold enough. My closet floor is concrete so that is not an issue. Each shelf can hold at least 500lbs which is more than enough for (2) 10 gallon tanks on each shelf.


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

oblongshrimp said:


> since no one has asked yet that I saw....what kind of shrimp are you going to be raising in these tanks?


Great question.

Here they are:

Snowball Shrimp
Red Cherry Shrimp
Green Shrimp
Chinese Zebra Shrimp
Whitebanded Shrimp
Tiger Shrimp
Bee Shrimp
Bumblebee Shrimp
Crystal Red Shrimp S-Grade to start

Each one will have their own tank except for the Red Cherry Shrimp which I am going to keep in another 10 gallon tank that isnt going to be on this rack. I will have 10 Shrimp tanks up and running. 2 of them will not be on the rack, but are already setup and on tables.

-Ryan


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## DiabloCanine (Aug 26, 2005)

I recommend you install X-braces, it may handle the total weight but that type of shelving will rack if not properly braced. Use the sponge filters, take it from someone that has killed hundreds of shrimp, one overnight power failure will wipe you out. Connecting an air pump to a UPS will prevent that. HOBs do not have anywhere near the bio capability of good sponge filters. You should not need heaters, you might have problems keeping the top tanks cool enough for some of the shrimp you are stocking. Make sure you can get a net into the tank, getting access into the tank for your hand and using a net is two different animals. 3/4" plywood painted with outdoor paint is a better solution than custom steel IMO. I recommend you put styrofoam insulation under the tanks also, it will keep the water off the wood and prevent the tanks from cracking.......DC


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## Smalltank3 (Jan 1, 2007)

Wow, this is going to be cool. See first when I saw this, I thought you were setting up all these tanks for your Cherry Shrimp right now in the planted 10g. When I saw that list of shrimp, I couldn't wait for the tanks to be up and running Are you going to breed them for profit or just keep them for just having them lol???

Nice project and good luck, I will keep a lookout on this thread!

Smalltank


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

DiabloCanine said:


> I recommend you install X-braces, it may handle the total weight but that type of shelving will rack if not properly braced. Use the sponge filters, take it from someone that has killed hundreds of shrimp, one overnight power failure will wipe you out. Connecting an air pump to a UPS will prevent that. HOBs do not have anywhere near the bio capability of good sponge filters. You should not need heaters, you might have problems keeping the top tanks cool enough for some of the shrimp you are stocking. Make sure you can get a net into the tank, getting access into the tank for your hand and using a net is two different animals. 3/4" plywood painted with outdoor paint is a better solution than custom steel IMO. I recommend you put styrofoam insulation under the tanks also, it will keep the water off the wood and prevent the tanks from cracking.......DC


Wow, awesome advice. Looks like I may go with the Sponge Filters after all. Can you please explain the X-braces? What is a UPS? I was thinking that I may not need heaters.... Styrofoam will definitely be used under the tanks. So you think plywood? Should I use Thompson's Waterseal instead of outdoor paint?

-Ryan


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## Solstice (Jan 9, 2006)

A UPS is an Uninterruptable Power Supply that's typically used for computers. You can get one at your local computer retailer. The long and short of it is that it's a battery that's charged while the power is on and if your power goes out, the battery kicks in keeping your air pumps running. 

I don't see, however, why a single overnight power outage keeping the filter from working would necessarily result in shrimp deaths. Then again I've never used sponge filters before and don't know much about them.

I do definitely think that the styrofoam padding and the x-braces are excellent ideas.


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## DiabloCanine (Aug 26, 2005)

wood said:


> Wow, awesome advice. Looks like I may go with the Sponge Filters after all. Can you please explain the X-braces? What is a UPS? I was thinking that I may not need heaters.... Styrofoam will definitely be used under the tanks. So you think plywood? Should I use Thompson's Waterseal instead of outdoor paint?
> 
> -Ryan


UPS = a battery backup, it will run an air pump for many hours. A X-brace is a strapping system used to prevent racking. Look at the front of your rack, think about a strap that goes from the top right to the bottom left and from the top left to the bottom right, making a X. You want to do that to the back though, maybe the sides. I painted one rack and not the other. Actually, my wife painted it. I was too impatient to wait for her to paint the shelves on the other rack. I do not think you would need to go with the water seal. I am constantly spilling water on my rack shelves, do not think it is a problem. 3/4" plywood is very strong but may need supported, check my fish room link to see about cross braces. Look at JEHMCO.com for setup supplies, i.e., sponge filters, tubing, valves, etc.....DC


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

wood said:


> I already decided to use metal only as the shelfs. I will go to a metal shop and have 4 custom metal shelfs made the exact proportions as the particle board. I am only going to use particle board on the bottom shelf, which is only a storage site. I of course will be using very sturdy metal which will not bend. If I have to I will get 0.5" thick metal panels. I do not know which metal will be best, I will research that tonight. If you have any suggestions Pedro, let me know. Maybe instead of getting metal panels the exact dimensions as the particle board, I will instead get several metal slats to lay down on each shelf, basically leaving gaps. If the metal is sturdy enough I can get away with this. This will also lessen the weight on each shelf.
> 
> Haha, yes Pedro, I have definitely calculated the weight  . I would not have purchased this rack if it could not hold enough. My closet floor is concrete so that is not an issue. Each shelf can hold at least 500lbs which is more than enough for (2) 10 gallon tanks on each shelf.



It was cheaper to got to COSTCO/SAM's and buy the chrome shelve they have. It looks better and runs for less than $80.00. Or maybe you just do not have one nearby. Or is it that you like the look of the Gorilla Rack? :icon_smil


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

I am not sure how you cool or heat you tanks, but depending on it you will need heaters. There are shrimp in your list that like temps above 75F and others that do better in temps of 75F or lower. So you need to figure this out...

Also, for equipment use sponge filters.
For supplies: kensfish.com


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Looks great Ryan! Great to see another person taking off in this direction... Right now I'm stuck in 'limbo' in this project, need to get it passed by the parrents still....

So I'll learn from your mistakes! (hopefully you won't have many)

It might be cheaper for you to go all metal and just have the stand custom made. It would probably be much more stable as well... When going to get quotes for shelves I would also ask what a whole rack/shelving unit would cost!

As for filters. You're going to regret HOBs with the limited access you have a nightmare cleaning them. I'm willing to bet sponge filters will work fine. You won't have much of a bioload to worry about, believe me. And with this many tanks, you're not going to want to clean them...

So looks good so far, think about what I said:icon_wink 

-Andrew


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Listen to DC's words of advise, the X braces are almost a neccesity. they will keep the rack from collapsing. the UPC- here's the choice- buy a 120$ or so UPC and keep the safety of the power backup in your mind, or risk possibly killing 400$ in shrimp from a stupid bird frying itself on the powerlines! it happens dude.


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

I really appreciate the advice guys. Can anyone give me a url to the type of X-brace you think would be best? You can see the pic of the rack's box in my first post.

Yes. I will be using Sponge Filters  and yes I will also have a UPC  These are the type of tips I love to get.

Thanks again!

-Ryan


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

milalic said:


> I am not sure how you cool or heat you tanks, but depending on it you will need heaters. There are shrimp in your list that like temps above 75F and others that do better in temps of 75F or lower. So you need to figure this out...
> 
> Also, for equipment use sponge filters.
> For supplies: kensfish.com


Milalic, do you recommend the Elite Double from kensfish? It looks like the same filter that you have on your tanks.

-Ryan


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

wood said:


> Milalic, do you recommend the Elite Double from kensfish? It looks like the same filter that you have on your tanks.
> 
> -Ryan



Yes I do...


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## confuted (Jan 31, 2007)

wood said:


> Yes. I will be using Sponge Filters  and yes I will also have a UPC


UPS stands for 'uninterupted power supply', which is a pretty fair acronym. Those made by APC (American Power Conversion) are widely recognized as the best in the business, and from my own experience with computer equipment, I have to agree. They occasionally cost a few dollars more than a competitor with the same power rating, but the quality and replacement warranty are worth it. They'll cover electronics that get fried; I don't know about shrimp. Their website is http://www.apc.com, and you can buy the equipment in most decent computer stores.


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## DiabloCanine (Aug 26, 2005)

wood said:


> I really appreciate the advice guys. Can anyone give me a url to the type of X-brace you think would be best? You can see the pic of the rack's box in my first post.
> 
> Yes. I will be using Sponge Filters  and yes I will also have a UPC  These are the type of tips I love to get.
> 
> ...



Use the Hydro H-0s, get the riser to keep them up and out of the substrate. http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FILTRATION/Hydro-Sponge_Filters/hydro-sponge_filters.html

Make a X-brace from angle iron you can get at Lowes or Home Depot. Look at the shelving in their store to see how to do it. Here are some pics so you can get an idea of what to do:
http://www.workplacesystemsinc.com/p6100.htm
http://www.speedrack-midwest.com/selective.html
http://www.lyonworkspace.com/catalog_pdf/170.pdf
http://www.dcgraves.com/drum rack drum rack.htm


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## mcoletti (Mar 2, 2007)

epicfish said:


> If I were you, and I'm not, I'd buy two huge air pumps and power 8 sponge filters using a gang valve. A lot more economical than 8 AC filters. Also, and I'm not sure this is the reason, my shrimp population has EXPLODED in this new shrimp tank with a sponge filter compared to before when I had a powered filter w/ impeller...even with mesh/sponge over the intake.
> 
> Also, make sure the flush/fill system protects little shrimplets from being sucked in.
> 
> Looks like a great setup so far!


Just curious, but is there a way to figure out the size air pump you would need to handle 4 10g tanks? Is there a measurement for air pumps like gallons per minute for canister filters?


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

mcoletti said:


> Just curious, but is there a way to figure out the size air pump you would need to handle 4 10g tanks? Is there a measurement for air pumps like gallons per minute for canister filters?


I plan on getting (2) of the Dolphin pumps that have the 4 outlets. You can control the output on the unit. The reason for having two is so that in case one goes down, I can T branch the other 4 temporarily. 

-Ryan


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## Blackthumbwoes (Feb 27, 2007)

Nice looking set ups . I like the idea of a one rack unit for most of the tanks. I'd also recomend the sponge filters. I use power heads on mine most of the time but they are with fish and i need the flow.

I've been waiting for a time to use my racks that i have left over from holding reptile cages. I have 18 feet of them and i love them, the down side is they are 150 miles away from me at the moment so i'm opting for cinder block stands .

I'm looking forward to seeing how well they breed, i'm reasonably new to shrimp breeding (i've kept lots of species just never thought about breeding them).

Jason


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## yoko (Mar 16, 2007)

GO SPONGE!!! Everyone here is giving you great advice :hihi: 

Sorry, this is the only pic I have right now with an X-brace.

It is a bookshelf I assembled from Ikea, for a tank I am still planning.

If you can see it, the crossbrace is in the background.










You need the reinforcement. Trust.


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## zergling (May 16, 2007)

hey wood, how did the WorkForce rack work for you? I'm setting up a guppy breeding rack pretty soon, and have been considering this rack + x-brace + plywood on top of the particle board....


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

zergling said:


> hey wood, how did the WorkForce rack work for you? I'm setting up a guppy breeding rack pretty soon, and have been considering this rack + x-brace + plywood on top of the particle board....


I've been looking into making my rack, hopefully by the end of the summer.

If you have any woodworking skills and tools it's most likely cheaper to build a rack yourself out of plywood and 2by4s and 4by4s.

I am also curious to see how Ryan's rack came out!

-Andrew


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## zergling (May 16, 2007)

Fish Newb said:


> *If you have any woodworking skills*


Sadly I don't. I've tried it back in high school and college, but I'm just no good at it. I also don't have the tools or the workspace to do it. A stand holding the weight of a dozen 10g tanks would probably not be a smart DIY idea for me :redface:


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated this journal.

The rack is 100% complete  I have (5) 10g tanks running with sponge filters and (1) 29g tank with a sponge filter and a rena xp1. The extra sponge in the 29g is there in case the power goes out. The battery backup will kick in keeping all sponges running, so the 29g will also be filtered until the power comes back.

I have a flip-switch water fill as well as a flip-switch pump drain. It is sooooo easy for me to change the water it is almost illegal 

Right now I have shrimp in 3 of the 10g tanks. The 29g is empty as well as two of the other 10g's. Snowball Shrimp in one, RCS in one, and Tiger in the third. I will be using each tank for one species for now. I have some nice fans running in the room so the air is constantly circulating, and the tanks stay very cool. 

I WILL POST PICS VERY SOON  I know after reading this you guys really want to see pics. It won't be long at all I promise. The system has been up for about 1.5 weeks.

-Ryan


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## zergling (May 16, 2007)

That's good to hear!

So what did you do with the shelves? Metal-only? Particle board only? Plywood on top of the particle board? Metal + Particle + Plywood?


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

*Update 7/7/07*

*My Shrimp Rack as of 7/7/07*
by Ryan Wood


*Overview*

The rack houses ( 6 ) 10 Gallon tanks as well one 29 Gallon Tank. The sixth tank is yet to be set up. Each tank has a sponge filter, the 29 Gallon has a sponge filter as well as a Rena XP1. I am using ADA Amazonia soil in four of the 10 Gallon tanks as well as in the 29 Gallon Tank. One of the 10 Gallon tanks is using inert gravel. The 6th 10 Gallon tank will be installed soon and will also have ADA Amazonia Soil. I prefer the ADA Amazonia because it lowers the water hardness as well as the PH. It also has some buffering capabilities as well. The shrimp seem to really like the ADA.

Since I live in a small condo unit I decided to put the rack inside my walk-in closet. This is actually perfect for me for several reasons including noise control, climate control, etc. It is a small closet so using a dehumidifier will be easier and more controlled. The quarters may be cramped when I am working on the tanks, but I created solutions to get around it. I left roughly 24" of height for the second shelf, 17" of height for shelves 3 and 4, and shelf 5 (the top) has about 3ft to the ceiling.

I purchased the rack at Home Depot. It was roughly $75. Unfortunately it uses particle board as the shelf bottoms. The particle board also is not reliable enough for me to be comfortable with (2) 10g tanks per shelf. The structural integrity of the particle board will also drop dramatically once water soaks into it. I purchased a 4'x8' 3/4" thick piece of Oak Hardwood Ply at home depot and had them cut it in four chapters. Worked out beautifully given the perfect dimensions i needed (2'x4'). The Oak Ply is extremely strong. It is doing great. I have kept my eye on the plywood almost every day since setup and have yet to see any bowing whatsoever. I made sure to try to put most of the weight around the edges of the board and try to take as much stress off the center. Weight distribution is critical when setting this up.


Storage Rack from Home Depot










Rack Assembly










Assembly Complete










Setup Complete












*Water Changes*

I decided to set up an auto fill/flush system. The system I have is very unsophisticated. It only requires flipping a switch for the draining and opening/closing a valve to refill with freshwater. All I have to do is hold a tube to either drain or refill a tank. The main reason for setting up this fill/flush system is so that I don't have to manually change the water in 8 tanks every week. I also wanted to be able to filter the water as well. I thought briefly about using R/O filtration but I opted against it for several reasons: (a) I want the minerals to stay in the water (b) the Aquasoil will bring the ph and hardness down already (c) I dont feel it is really necessary. I purchased a simple GE Home Water Filter from Home Depot and use 3/8" Poly Tubing to run the freshwater line. I set the filter up in the adjacent bathroom and ran the poly through the wall into the shrimp room. Since the water is already pressurized from the tap I simply have a valve on the end of the tubing to open and close when filling the tanks. It is extremely simple and saves A LOT of time.

To drain the tanks I purchased a SEN N700GA Submersible/Inline Water Pump. I attached 1/2" Vinyl Tubing and ran the tubing into the shower drain. This pump is very powerful and can drain 5 gallons of water in about two minutes. It is so fast that I have to be careful that I am not draining too much out of the tank. No need to prime this pump, the sheer power of it just inhales the water through dry tubing. When using this type of pump you cannot have too much head length of tubing going to the pump, meaning you cannot have 15 feet of tubing going from the tanks into the pump. The pumps capacity/speed is decreased the futher distance is has to pump the water from the source.

So I drain the water by turning on the pump and holding the end of the tube in the tank, then I refill by opening a valve and refilling. A great perk about the draining system is that while I am pumping the water out of the tanks I can at the same time clean the snail/shrimp feces off of the sponge as well on the tank floor. I have to be very careful not to suck any shrimp into the tube while I am cleaning this way. The best way I found to clean the sponge is to tap it with the tube and let the waste float off of it, then suck up the waste as it is free floating. Putting the suction directly on the sponge can damage it and suck any unseen shrimp at the same time. Cleaning the floor is easy as well. You just look at the area you are going to clean before you vacuum it, then vacuum holding the end of the tube about an inch from the floor. You dont want to suck up any gravel, you just want to get the waste which is very lightweight and easily vacuumed.


Fill and Drain Tubes










Water Filter in adjacent Bathroom










Water Tap Underneath Bathroom Sink










Water Pump with 1/2" Vinyl Tubing attached.










Water Drain













*Lighting*

I am using a disassembled desk lamp from home depot for each tank, except for the tanks on the top shelf which will have hoods instead. This I found was the PERFECT solution to my problem, which was lack of space above each tank. The lamps come attached with a metal arm that is adjustable, sort of like a backhoe. I removed the electrical wiring from the arm, threw out the arm, kept the base of the lamp, and attached the light to the above plywood using industrial velcro meant for outdoor use. Removing the electrical wiring from the arm takes some time. To remove the arm it takes 5-10 minutes per lamp since there are a lot of screws and you will have to detach the wiring from the base in order to run the wire out of the arm. The lamps cost about $15 a piece and come with a 14W CF Lamp. The lighting is perfect and the moss does very well in each tank. Also, the heat from the lamps is very minimal. The lamps are very lightweight and the velcro holds them perfectly without a problem. I was actually surprised at myself that I found such an excellent solution to the lighting/lack of space issue. I must have run back and forth to Home Depot trying different lighting solutions. This, in my opinion, is the best solution if you are using a similar setup. It allows you to get away with less space, and best of all....... _you can remove the lamps since they are attached with velcro =)_


Lamp










Lamp Base after Arm removed. Sitting behind the tank.










Velcro Affixed to Lamp and Plywood













*Filtration*

I currently have 5 Elite Single Sponge Filters for each tank except one 10 Gallon Tank. I will soon replace the AC50 HOB Filter on that single tank with another sponge filter. I am very happy that I decided to use sponge filters because of the minimal space required, ease of cleaning, very low cost, and for the safety of the shrimp. The 5 sponge filters currently running are connected to one Dolphin 5 Star Air Pump. The Dolphin Five Star Pump has four outlets and is inaudible. I like the sponge filters, however I may end up getting another pump since I am unhappy with the waterflow in the tanks. The Dolphin Pump is connected to a battery backup. If the electricity goes out, the battery backup will keep the sponges working. I have not calculated the power consumption of the dolphin pump versus the life of the battery in order to know how long it will keep the pump running. Due to the fact that I am in a hurricane zone I may get a bigger battery backup. The Rena XP1 is running on the 29 Gallon to give it more filtration and there is also a sponge filter in there as well in case the power goes out.


Elite Single Sponge Filter










Rena XP1










Dolphin 5 Star Air Pump










Battery Backup













*Climate Control*

Humidity, room temperature, and tank temperature are extremely important parameters. It is also more of an issue for me due to the lack of space in the shrimp room. The walk-in closet is a very compact space without an air vent which makes climate control a big priority. If I did nothing to assist in climate control then the tank water would evaporate rapidly, the room would be a sauna, and the tank temperature would be inhabitable for the shrimp. I already tried to not do anything and I quickly realized that something had to be done.

Right now I have a simple solution to the heat/humidity issue. I purchased four fans, as seen in the picture, to help circulate air, reduce heat from the lamps, and reduce tank temperature. These fans are very powerful and do a great job despite their compact size. The tank temperatures are kept around 74F during the day (lights on), and 72F at night. When I am not at home I keep the door open and let the air into the bedroom. I also keep my bedroom door open at the same time. This helps a lot to bring in cold dry air and lowers the humidity significantly. Since the lighting is off when I am home at night (I am rarely at home during the day) I am able to close the shrimp room door to prevent the noise from keeping me awake and still not have humidity issues in the room overnight. Soon I will vent the air inside of the shrimp room into the bathroom using a fan and air duct instead of keeping the bedroom door open. For now I just keep the fans running constantly throughout the day and night.


Fans Circulating the Air










*I will update my Shrimp Rack Page as more time progresses. I hope you enjoyed it.

-Ryan*



More Pictures of the Rack....


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

nice. How are your de-chlorinating your filled water?


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Did you water sealed that plywood?


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

mistergreen said:


> nice. How are your de-chlorinating your filled water?


After I refill the tank I put some prime in there. You can see the little bottle of prime sitting on the second shelf.




milalic said:


> Did you water sealed that plywood?


No water seal at all. With the fans running constantly, and the fact that I rarely spill any water out of the tanks onto the plywood, I do not feel sealant is necessary. Any little bit of water is quickly soaked up using toilet paper and dries rapidly with the fans circulating the air. Trust me, it is very "windy" in the room, the fans are powerful.


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## Moe (Jan 22, 2004)

Looks good, any shrimp yet?


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

Moe said:


> Looks good, any shrimp yet?


Yes. Sorry I forgot to put that in the journal. I have Snowball Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp, Tiger Shrimp, and Green Shrimp each in its own tank.

-Ryan


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## vibes_jedi99 (Jun 20, 2007)

WOW!!! nice set up WOOD.


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## sunmiztres (Mar 20, 2006)

Looks good. Glad you got it done


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## Dusty (May 6, 2006)

Looks great Wood! I've been tossing around the idea of doing one myself.


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

arg, looks like i have a new project!

well, i at least will be using the rack setup!


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## zergling (May 16, 2007)

thanks wood for all the updates and info!

just have one last question though.....i'm planning to put four 10g's per shelf, sideways. Plywood on top of particle board should be able to handle ~450 lbs of weight, correct?


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

thats what i use in my office rack setup (not by choice), but i would dump the partical board and go with 3/4" plywood if you can. water and partical board dont mix, and eventually you will have to replace it, and that means ripping up all tanks to do so.


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## wood (Nov 15, 2006)

zergling said:


> thanks wood for all the updates and info!
> 
> just have one last question though.....i'm planning to put four 10g's per shelf, sideways. Plywood on top of particle board should be able to handle ~450 lbs of weight, correct?


Obviously it all depends on the rack you are going to use. The one that I am using says it can hold that much weight but I just didn't feel it was worth the risk. Plus the viewing space when you put them sideways is very small. Shrimp are very small and only being able to view down the length of the tank really wouldn't be enjoyable in my opinion. There is a big difference between a rack collapsing and having tools fall everywhere, and having a rack collapsing with water everywhere.

To me it just wasn't worth the risk, nor worth the fun, adding more tanks by putting them sideways. Just find room for another rack and buy one more 

Like someone else said, get rid of the particle board if you plan on using this rack for aquatic use. The second I saw the particle board when I opened the box I realized that it had no purpose holding anything with water, or being around water for that matter. 

-Ryan


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