Killies In The Cupboard

[BigC]

A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place!

Recently I have been lured back to my first love of fishkeeping..... Killifish.
I have been around this niche side of the hobby for nigh on 38 year. I'm a member of the BKA and other International bodies around the globe.
Once the proud owner of a 100 tank killifish dedicated fish-house which I was forced to relinquish once my family grew and we needed to move house. For a few years the urge to start all over again had left me and I pursued other ventures for a short while. I'm now ready to rekindle my love affair for these little beauties albeit on a smaller scale.

I'm now in the process of building a small set-up in the garage and hope to breed many species and distribute them once more. So come along for the ride as I catalogue my re-emergence in words and pictures.

The plan is for everything to be neat and tidy so I have chosen to go with a Kitchen style set-up.
In the main it will consist of a 600mm Larder Unit a 500mm Hi-Line Base Unit and a 500mm wall cupboard.
B&Q (A DIY Warehouse) were having a kitchen sale so what better time to start.

I first bought a Larder unit all for under £80 (excluding door handles)

The Larder, which now needs to have the shelf bearers strengthened

I have bolted wooden lathe through the larder carcass to give the shelves more strength

16mm holes have been drilled in the back and shelves to run electrical wire and airlines

These are present in each segment

Around the back of the larder unit there is a nice recess area where I can run a pressurised Air Ring Main.
I can facilitate multiple tanks just by using a small air pump.

One of the "off bleeds" from the Ring Main to the tanks for small sponge filters

Making a start on the tanks

The back is placed in situ..Pre-sprayed Black

The ends are then offered up to the back panel

Finally the front is tacked into place

This cabinet will hold two of these tanks (18x15x9) amongst others. They will now be left for a good 24 hours before running silicone beads all around the seams to make the tanks watertight.

Work in Progress
Regards
BigC

 

[Buddyboy67]

Good to see it up and ready for action sir..cant wait to see your stock fish soon..usual tidy workmanship from yourself..very professional looking mate...
Good luck with your return to your origional fishy love!!!!

 

[BigC]

Cheers Bud, your like a bloomin Bloodhound.
Lot of work to be done yet though. Tanks to be built, Cupboard needs to be insulated (polystyrene ceiling tiles), wiring, sliding cover glasses etc. etc.
I also want to incorporate a small planted tank on the worktop next to the larder complete with pressurised CO2.
Bought a load of stuff from the LFS (Thank you Jodie and all that )
The wall cupboard above this will be for brine shrimp hatcheries and worm cultures.
Need to crack on
ATB
C

 

[Tolak]

Looks like a real nice clean start! It is odd how you are drawn to some species, even though you may detour away for some time. You know I'll be keeping an eye on this one!

 

[Buddyboy67]

{Bought a load of stuff from the LFS (Thank you Jodie and all that tongue2.gif)}

PMSL...woof woof...

 

[BigC]

{Bought a load of stuff from the LFS (Thank you Jodie and all that tongue2.gif)}
PMSL...woof woof...

You can never be too friendly with your LFS

 

[BigC]

The show must go on!.. No rest for the wicked!

These are a couple of fry tanks (18x15x4) they need to be sub-divided either in two or three. Trying to devise a method of utilising removable dividers.
That will keep fry apart..hmmmmmm

ATB
BigC

 

[Tolak]

A couple of strips of glass, some silicone, leaving a slot the width of the glass thickness? Just a thought.

 

[BigC]

Good idea T.
I had thought of a similar one utilising plastic "U" Channel. Thinking, thinking all the time.
Thanks again
BigC

 

[seffieuk]

Ah ha, found you - a neat job as always, will look forward to something a bit differnt!! Omg, I hope you don't turn me - I have an empty tank!!

Seffie x

 

[owlbassboy]

neat lookin setup there c. wouldnt mind a run down when its up and going to see it all in action

 

[BigC]

More than welcome Stephen but it will be a couple of months before I'm fully up and running.
In the meantime here is how things are going

I had to make a wooden plinth as the crap plastic feet that came with the units just wouldn't be able to take the weight
4x2 timbers were joined to the bottom of the carcass using coach screws.

Comming along nicely

Just the worktop and the wall cupboard to finish then I can crack on with the insulation

The lighting I will be using are 10w link lights from B&Q. Six of these small strips lights will be deployed within the cabinet in a chain.

Ready made insulation.

ATB
C

 

[hensonc4098]

Looking very proffesional Colin
Following this one with keen interest

 

[Amerce]

The show must go on!.. No rest for the wicked!

These are a couple of fry tanks (18x15x4) they need to be sub-divided either in two or three. Trying to devise a method of utilising removable dividers.
That will keep fry apart..hmmmmmm

ATB
BigC

I've done this in a couple of my tanks, using sliding tracks that are glued in and clear perspex that can run down the tracks and can be removed as and when you want to expand or use the tank for other projects.

Also have a tank which came divided and rather than unblock it I use it for very young fry in one side and the slightly larger ones on the other side, a sponge filter on one side with a tube being fed from it dripping water into the other side of the tank (small holes drilled into the divider - with a bit of sponge jammed in them to stop fry getting into either section) to move water gently around but keep both sides filtered).

Can send a pic if you want Colin.

Will those shelves take the weight once you have water Colin also what about condensation (presuming you will have lids on the tanks to stop the little darlings jumpting ?).

 

[BigC]

Been there done all that Amerce. I think I'll just leave it for now and use some critter tanks in the top shelf in the main larder unit for small fry.
They are easily lifted in and out and cleaned.
I've kept killifish for eons now first started in 1972. and Jumping Killis was one of the first lessons I learnt early on. Not much fun acquiring a trio of a nice species only to have the Male leap to its death.

Will those shelves take the weight once you have water Colin

I'll let the next couple of pics do the talking

This strut arrangement is present in every shelf (both sides) all the way down the insides if the larder carcass

____________________​

One of the problems with being in the garage is getting back far enough with the camera to fit everything in.
So here are a few shots of the setup so far.

As you can see its starting to take shape.
The next job in the pipe line is to finish strengthening and insulating the bottom section of the Larder unit.
Sorting out the cover glasses for the tanks. (I shall silicone the glass ledges in this evening)
I have purchased all the heater/stats I'm going to need.
The major job in the build is to have extra sockets installed in the garage to the right of the units. This will save me having to run a barrage of extension leads all around the floor.
ATB
C