Fish room racking

Please help with best and cheapest way to

1) filter
And
2) heat

Multiple fishtanks in racking system or fish room

I think I have the answer for the air

It is new setup

I don't want to see pipes and wires and filters etc in the tank hence my question about a built-in filter /sump to hide heater and pump in previous posts

Thanks
Pic borrowed as sample/idea

 

How many tanks, and how big is the room

If its less than 15 tanks, heater in each.
15-30+ room heating becomes viable depending on the room.

Filtration wise, the cheapest if to run sponge filters and a single silent air compressor, the cleaner look is canisters in each tank, but it will be costly and use more electricity

 

Thanks yes wanted to stay away from equipment in tank but it looks like I will need to do it....

 

Use a sump - all equipment goes in the sump. However if you are planning on using CO2 the turbulence of the water forces the CO2 out of the water to be replaced with air so it isnt the best option in that regard.

 

Thanks but everyone warning about overflow with load shedding? Until generator kicks in?

 

If you design the overflow properly (google beananimal or herbie overflows) and make sure your sump is big enough to hold the extra water that drains from the other tanks, it really shouldn't be a problem

 

Or you can drill the back of the tank and have a filter over the hole to prevent fish from going through. When the power cuts the water level drops to below the hole level and then it stops. No risk of overflow ever just as long as you ensure that there isnt more water in the system than the sump can accommodate.

 

Drilled sumps are the safest option.

 

Thanks yes I saw now with research that sump must just be large enough to hold all over flow

Thanks again for all the input much appreciated think I have clearer idea of what I want to do

 

I wrote on your other post. Drill the hole at the back of the tank, 5cm in and 5 cm from the top. You screw on the tank connector fitting an fit the pipes. JUST ONE TIP, please use slightly thicker glass than recommended. the trouble with rigid pipes is that the 3ft and even 4 ft tanks, the glass is so thin iy can easliy crack ( ask me how I know this) from just the slightest bump or even if you screw the fitting on too tight. I had 2 pieces of glass glued together on the back panel of my 4ft tanks, which makes it totally safe and does not cost the same as much thicker glass. I have now also changed my system where I use rigid PVC for the overflow overflow tank connector ( I use 50mm piping) and then use flexible pipes to go down to the next tank and to the sump inlet. Flexible pipe is very light so puts no strain on the glass

 

Freudian slip ???? Drilled TANKS are....... please don't drill the sump

 

If you have small fish then yes thye do get sucked into the overflow. Plastic World sells a green plastic mesh with square holes, cut a round piece out and silicone it onto the tank connector to shop the fish going over.

 

I have a wire mesh basket filter on my breeding setup that has a sump filter and it works really well. I got the filters at 'Die Koperasie". They also sell stoppers with the same thread so when I clean the tank I remove the filter, turn off the flow to the breeding tank and stopper the hole so I dont get back flow from the other tanks on the system.

 

Thank you

So in actual fact I need to have the tanks made 5cm taller to accommodate the drill hole for overflow?

 

That's not necessary - tanks are built standard lengths to accommodate large glass that they cut from. Just use standard tanks and drill the hole - it hardly makes any difference to the water level inside the tank.

 

Oh ok thanks for all the help

You're info helped a lot.

Thanks again