More notes from a 60 tank fishroom

[GaryE]

The main project short term is lettuce types. I'm not big on sprouts. Lettuce will be going up at least 25%, probably more with tariffs, as it tends not to come from Mexico. Locally grown greenhouse lettuce is already a bit of a luxury. I've grown Swiss chard for years, so I am trying 3 lettuce varieties from seed to see which do well. I have to avoid tall plants - they'll be summertime specials.

I grow the catfish zucchini outdoors because it freezes so well. I'll have lots of tomatoes and peppers from the garden, if we have a decent summer.

This'll give me an excuse to spend more time in the fishroom.

 

[GaryE]

So a check in, because it's too cold to go outside and do anything practical.

The 60 tank room is now a 40 tank room. I thought it would be prudent to downsize as I'm not getting younger (weird that), and I've sold off a lot of fish through the local club. I've decided that given the difficulties in getting killies here, I'm going to move species out and prioritize keeping ones I catch myself. That way, I'll have better habitat info.

I sold off my rainbowfish, a few Cichlids, and some coolwater killies, and have added more cory group fish and tetras. I also lost some killie species that just couldn't be maintained at these room temperatures.

I've surrendered on the heating issue. The room is tightly insulated and warm. I wanted a 20 degree fishroom, but it appears I have a 23-24 degree set up. The upper rack gets to 25. I'm locked into my 4th winter here, and there won't be any open windows for months. And so, I adapt.

I think I understand how to breed the common tetras I wanted now. I have my second tankful of black neons, and Pristellas everywhere. I need to do cardinals again. I'm batting .200 with them, and want a larger shoal. But I also want to breed a couple of the less common Hyphessobrycon types, margitae and melanostichos. I have long term breeding set ups for one pencil and 2 hatchet species. Success isn't likely, but maybe...

My Parananochromis ornatus and gabonicus have spawned, but not successfully. I'm watching both like a hawk, hoping for second time lucky. It is a touch warm for them. My brevirostris may soon produce an F-3 brood. I see a lot of courtship. That would be an accomplishment.

I have a new pair of lightweight chest waders, two large and sturdy new fine mesh dipnets hanging on the wall, and a couple of airplane tickets put aside for the next adventure. I hope that'll bring me 2 dwarf cichlid species and an interesting, not often kept crop of killies. I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, but I am preparing just in case. 3 months will scoot by. It's already almost Christmas.


So beyond improved sightlines with fewer tanks, and some tweaks here or there, the fishroom rolls on largely unchanged.

 

[Back in the fold]

I have a new pair of lightweight chest waders, two large and sturdy new fine mesh dipnets hanging on the wall, and a couple of airplane tickets put aside for the next adventure.

How about a pith helmet Captain Spaulding ?

 

[GaryE]

How about a pith helmet Captain Spaulding ?

I shoot no elephants in my pyjamas! And I'm up front about being a chicken!

Groucho Marxism'll get a guy in trouble.

 

[Back in the fold]

I shoot no elephants in my pyjamas! And I'm up front about being a chicken!

Groucho Marxism'll get a guy in trouble.

I am extremely pleased that you got that .

 

[GaryE]

So if anyone ever wants to follow me in my folly - large fishrooms were much more common in the past of the hobby, when the balance of forces in the economy was different. But still, there are some lessons...

No matter where you live, be it cold or hot, you will need steady temperatures. That means good insulation. The older British fishkeepers often had back shed rooms, but if one were to go that route with modern energy costs, the shed would have to be tight and easy to heat. In North America, basements were the norm.

Ventilation matters a lot. Fishrooms are humid by their very nature. This, I did badly.

Sightlines. It has to be comfortable for you to enjoy your set ups. I see a lot of online photos of fishrooms with tanks very close to the ground as the designer tries for three levels. Unless you have a few meters of open floor you can sit back in and enjoy the lower tier from, those tanks will be neglected. My space is a bit narrow, and it has taken me time to work that out.

Air filtration. A central pump and manifold set up will save you a lot of money.

Gravity is your friend. Site your tanks so you can outflow to a low drain. I have an old plastic garbage can that catches sediments and sand, as I don't want to block my drain. I an do 20 tanks in 40 minutes with that outflow and a potable water hose to fill with. That matters a lot. This isn't a job, after all. In winter though, my hot water tank isn't large enough to do 20 changes, and I divide the room in 4.

 

[Back in the fold]

The first time I ever saw a hobbyists actual fishroom was in about 1967 . This guy Scott converted a small single car attached garage into a fishroom and it was amazing to me that one guy could have so many aquariums . He was older than me and my friend Greg , about twenty , and had just got married . We thought he was so cool .

 

[GaryE]

This guy Scott converted a small single car attached garage into a fishroom and it was amazing to me that one guy could have so many aquariums . He was older than me and my friend Greg , about twenty , and had just got married . We thought he was so cool .

Thought? I'll have you know all people with fishrooms define cool. It's often a closely guarded secret, but it's out there.

 

[gwand]

Right now with the polar vortex bearing down on my house, my fish room is indeed very cool. I hope my heaters hold up.

 

[GaryE]

I was worried up until today, going with room heat rather than heaters. But once again, the temps stayed good. The room dropped one degree, while outside it got into the minus twenties C.

I guess the polar vortex decided to go south. It left here with roaring winds last night.