A seperate structure would allow your family to retain privacy which I imagine would be ideal, but plumbing and running electricity might be a bit pricey. That's why we are in planning phase haha.
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Yea, good point. This IS still in planning... and will be for around 10 years or so. Long time until I can get that kind of money, and I can't get any now because I'm stripped from Xmas time. New fish tank for my daughter - she's been asking for an animal FOREVER, and she's definitely ready, so she's getting a 75 gallon for christmas - plenty of room to play around with.
If your planning it that far off it might be worth figuring out only the tank sizes and stocking. If you don't have a definitive location for this it gives you more possibilities down the line. Your taste in fish could change even so that might not be concrete either. Because you were so thorough I was thinking this might be the start of some building. I think the first step is to build up some funds, I'm guessing it would be easier to lay concrete a lot in a short span than a little over a long time. I'm not saying it's not worth investigating of course, because if your dream is monster you will probably only think about going up but you may find your interests geared toward biotopes or monster cats in 10 years time and the ideal build for those can be totally different.
I would stage this too even if materials would be cheaper if done all at once. You might change your mind on a lot of things once you’re dealing with just one of those 10K+ tanks. You could find that one is plenty, or already too much maintenance or costs too much to maintain. You’ll find design improvements that you wish you did the first time too.
I have a fish room, maybe 50% done.. Not nearly as big as yours, but I have 40 tanks in there.
The most important thing is to insulate the room well. I have my fish room in part of the basement. I glued 2" thick styroam panels to the walls, 1.5" thick on the floor (with treated wood to provide nailing surface for plywood. I also put insulation in the ceiling. The furnace and hot water tank are in the room. The room stays around 80 degrees year round. I had to close off the duct or else the room would get to 90+ in the winter. The rest of the basement gets maybe 50-60 degrees in the winter.
So with extreme insulation, the heating expense would not be a big deal (IF I didn't have my water heater in there, I could heat the room with a small electric heater).
The other thing is that you need to have some kind of water changing system.
I have all tanks drilled, so I can drain about 1/3 of the water with no effort (open a ball valve, it goes down a drain). Then I have the system where the hot and cold go into filter, an automatic mixer ( so the water is about 80 degrees), and then dechlorinator gets injected in. A drip system is not practical for large tanks like you have in my opinion... So the great thing about this system is that when I am in the room, I can open some valves to drain the water in a few tanks while I am feeding, then use a sprinkler timer to fill up the tanks.. This is a lot of work to set up , but it saves hours of time where you would have to stand by each tank with a python or whatever.
The other thing is to get an Ehiem gravel cleaner. Basically it lets you vaccum the poop and uneaten food. Now, it's not as good as syphoning the bottom, some fine particles escape, but you can get 80-90% of the bottom mulm taken care of quick.. So in my room, I try to vac 2-5 tanks per night, it goes very quick. Then periodically I will do a full syphon on the bottom.. All my tanks except 2 are bare bottom, so this makes it really easy to maintain.
Wire your room with outlets that are attached to a timer for lights. You can get timers that replace the standard light switch. I have a timer outlet and a regular outlet above each tank. I don't use the regular outlet, but it's there in case I have to use a heater or power head ..
For filtration, I use a central air system and sponge filters. You want two sponge filters in at least some of the tanks (ideally 2 in all, but I am not there yet).. Why? Because then when the sponge filters get dirty, you can just rinse them off in tap water and not worry about the "good" Bacteria because the extra sponge filter will pick up the slack if the filter you just cleaned needs to cycle again. Of course, you will have a sink in the room too. This way of cleaning sponge filters is so much easier than having to use dechlorinated or old tank water to clean the sponges to save the biofiltration..
Put lids on all tanks to keep humity down. Put a bathroom vent fan in the room which exhausts outside so you can use that to reduce humidity if needed. I bought a device that measures humidity at the home center for $10. So far no humidity problems, so I don't have to run a dehumidifier (lids, and heating the room instead of each tank helps).. But you need to monitor humidity. Also, wet/dry filters add humidity to the air, that's another reason I went with sponge filters. I have a wet dray up stairs on a 300 gallon and it loses a lot of water to evaporation, especially in the winter. Not saying a sump can't be done, but that's part of the price.
Also, I don't think it's realistic to expect a volunteer staff to help you maintain your tanks.
Think about it.. How many times would you want to go to someone's house and do a water change on their tanks.. Maybe once or twice to see their fish room, but then it would get old quick.
Plus do you want to worry about strangers dropping coins in the water, overfeeding, etc.. Even if they don't have a malicious intent, they could still do something stupid..
Design a good plumbing system that makes it easy to do water changes.
Also, build out your fish room slowly. It's very easy to get burnt out. I wish I had more self control when I was building my tank out. I would buy fish ahead of the room, and always have temporary tanks on the ground, which were in the way. Set up a rack or two, get everything on it set up, then add the fish.. And be prepared to take a breaks of a few months where you aren't doing fish room construction or it will turn into a job and not be fun.
Think about it.. How many times would you want to go to someone's house and do a water change on their tanks.. Maybe once or twice to see their fish room, but then it would get old quick.
Plus do you want to worry about strangers dropping coins in the water, overfeeding, etc.. Even if they don't have a malicious intent, they could still do something stupid..
Design a good plumbing system that makes it easy to do water changes.
Also, build out your fish room slowly. It's very easy to get burnt out. I wish I had more self control when I was building my tank out. I would buy fish ahead of the room, and always have temporary tanks on the ground, which were in the way. Set up a rack or two, get everything on it set up, then add the fish.. And be prepared to take a breaks of a few months where you aren't doing fish room construction or it will turn into a job and not be fun.
I didn't know you were into fishkeeping, Mr. Trump.
But seriously, the startup cost will be nothing compared to maintenance cost.
But seriously, the startup cost will be nothing compared to maintenance cost.
paul, that is excellent advice. I have actually changed the stock plans, mostly because the cost and upkeep of something this massive (even just the 21,000 gallon tank) would be insanely difficult and unnecessary, not to mention expensive and it would take a long time, longer than I would like. I've come up with a new wishlist and tank sizes (lots of pools too - those were my original intentions, but then I went with concrete or plywood tanks, and now I'm in half and half) that I'll post in a minute. The only thing left is to decide how the fish will be spaced out.
Alrighty, new plan (hopefully won't change anymore). The tubs/pools are:
-300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank
-3 15' Intex pools
-10' Intex pool
-4 of these 800 gallon tubs (http://www.diversifiedpondsupplies.com/round-flat-bottom-tank-800-gallon)
-12' Intex pool
The tanks are:
-325 gallon tall
-2 280 gallon "half dogbone" tanks
-700 gallon "full dogbone" tank
-2 90 gallon tanks
-2 180 gallon tanks
-40 gallon
-300 gallon
-75 gallon
-100 gallon octagon
-1000 gallon
-4000 gallon
In addition to those, there will be a 24x11x3 concrete pond with a viewing window (mainly for the kids) that holds a hair under 6,000 gallons. In addition to those, there will eventually be either an outdoor pond or an indoor swimming pool, not sure yet - I like the swimming pool idea to make care easier and so that it's easier to see them and you can even get in the water with them, but this will be the ultimate tank, and any fish that can't live in the tanks above will be moved into here (alligator gar, arapaima, etc). I've got time to think about this.
So what about fish? Well, I have a pretty big list, some of it is set in stone about where it is going to be housed and some of it is not. In one of the 90 gallons, there will be a senegal bichir, a lima shovelnose catfish, 6 mystery snails, and 3 discus. The other 90 gallon will house a flagtail, black ghost knifefish, and I will grow out a nile perch in there to eventually move up to the big body of water (whatever it may be). The 180 gallons will have a silver arowana in one and a clown knife in the other (both may be moved if they get too massive). Next, I have a list of large catfish, along with a few other large fish, that I would like to have separated into a few large tanks. These fish will hopefully be split up to live in the 6,000 gallon indoor pond, along with 2 of the 800 gallon tubs and the 12 foot intex pool - they can be moved into more if it's absolutely necessary, but for now let's assume there's no huge pool (like the swimming pool). The list is:
3 TSN
7 RTC
8 Marble catfish
3 Lima shovelnose catfish
2 Albino channel catfish
11 Iridescent shark catfish
1 Piraiba
6 Niger catfish
1 Tigrinus catfish
1 Goonch catfish
1 Jau catfish
1 Granulosus catfish
4 Megalodorus irwini catfish
5 TSN/RTC hybrids
1 TSN/Marble catfish hybrid
1 Giraffe catfish
1 Sailfin pimelodid
And to live alongside these guys, 1 red belly pacu, 2 black pacu, and 5 giant gouramis. Obviously some of these guys need to be moved to something much bigger (goonch, jau, piraiba, etc) but they've got a while to grow out in these tanks.
Next thing I've decided is to keep some goldfish and koi indoors, which would be spread out in one of the 280 gallon tanks and the 300 gallon stock tank, along with the smallest thing that the rest of them could be kept in. For this, there will be a shubunkin goldfish, a black moor goldfish, an oranda goldfish, and 17 butterfly koi. I would like for some of the koi to be in the 280 gallon and the 300 gallon, and then the rest in something else, and the goldfish can be wherever.
So the 800 gallon tubs. 2 of them will be for catfish. That means the other 2 are for stingrays. At first, they will be split up, one holding either 3 black diamond leopoldis and 1 motoro, or just 3 black diamond leopoldis (obviously the other one will have the other choice here). The other 280 gallon tank will be used to grow out 5 more black diamond leopoldis, as well as 2 more motoros, until they outgrow it and are ready to live with the bigger guys, meaning eventually the 800 gallon tubs will each have a total of 7 stingrays in them (ones that get too big can be moved to another tank).
I'll post the next things in a new post, just because I don't want this to be too long.
-300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank
-3 15' Intex pools
-10' Intex pool
-4 of these 800 gallon tubs (http://www.diversifiedpondsupplies.com/round-flat-bottom-tank-800-gallon)
-12' Intex pool
The tanks are:
-325 gallon tall
-2 280 gallon "half dogbone" tanks
-700 gallon "full dogbone" tank
-2 90 gallon tanks
-2 180 gallon tanks
-40 gallon
-300 gallon
-75 gallon
-100 gallon octagon
-1000 gallon
-4000 gallon
In addition to those, there will be a 24x11x3 concrete pond with a viewing window (mainly for the kids) that holds a hair under 6,000 gallons. In addition to those, there will eventually be either an outdoor pond or an indoor swimming pool, not sure yet - I like the swimming pool idea to make care easier and so that it's easier to see them and you can even get in the water with them, but this will be the ultimate tank, and any fish that can't live in the tanks above will be moved into here (alligator gar, arapaima, etc). I've got time to think about this.
So what about fish? Well, I have a pretty big list, some of it is set in stone about where it is going to be housed and some of it is not. In one of the 90 gallons, there will be a senegal bichir, a lima shovelnose catfish, 6 mystery snails, and 3 discus. The other 90 gallon will house a flagtail, black ghost knifefish, and I will grow out a nile perch in there to eventually move up to the big body of water (whatever it may be). The 180 gallons will have a silver arowana in one and a clown knife in the other (both may be moved if they get too massive). Next, I have a list of large catfish, along with a few other large fish, that I would like to have separated into a few large tanks. These fish will hopefully be split up to live in the 6,000 gallon indoor pond, along with 2 of the 800 gallon tubs and the 12 foot intex pool - they can be moved into more if it's absolutely necessary, but for now let's assume there's no huge pool (like the swimming pool). The list is:
3 TSN
7 RTC
8 Marble catfish
3 Lima shovelnose catfish
2 Albino channel catfish
11 Iridescent shark catfish
1 Piraiba
6 Niger catfish
1 Tigrinus catfish
1 Goonch catfish
1 Jau catfish
1 Granulosus catfish
4 Megalodorus irwini catfish
5 TSN/RTC hybrids
1 TSN/Marble catfish hybrid
1 Giraffe catfish
1 Sailfin pimelodid
And to live alongside these guys, 1 red belly pacu, 2 black pacu, and 5 giant gouramis. Obviously some of these guys need to be moved to something much bigger (goonch, jau, piraiba, etc) but they've got a while to grow out in these tanks.
Next thing I've decided is to keep some goldfish and koi indoors, which would be spread out in one of the 280 gallon tanks and the 300 gallon stock tank, along with the smallest thing that the rest of them could be kept in. For this, there will be a shubunkin goldfish, a black moor goldfish, an oranda goldfish, and 17 butterfly koi. I would like for some of the koi to be in the 280 gallon and the 300 gallon, and then the rest in something else, and the goldfish can be wherever.
So the 800 gallon tubs. 2 of them will be for catfish. That means the other 2 are for stingrays. At first, they will be split up, one holding either 3 black diamond leopoldis and 1 motoro, or just 3 black diamond leopoldis (obviously the other one will have the other choice here). The other 280 gallon tank will be used to grow out 5 more black diamond leopoldis, as well as 2 more motoros, until they outgrow it and are ready to live with the bigger guys, meaning eventually the 800 gallon tubs will each have a total of 7 stingrays in them (ones that get too big can be moved to another tank).
I'll post the next things in a new post, just because I don't want this to be too long.
So now, there is the 325 gallon tall aquarium, the 700 gallon dogbone tank, the 1000 gallon tank, 3 15' intex pools, a 40 gallon tank, a 4000 gallon tank, a 100 gallon octagon tank, a 10' intex pool, a 300 gallon tank, and a 75 gallon tank that have not been stocked yet (minus whatever else the catfish, goldfish, and koi take up). The fish I would like to have in my monster collection are:
3 tropical gar
5 alligator gar
5 longnose gar
4 florida gar
4 spotted gar
6 silver arowana
1 black arowana
1 jardini arowana
1 african arowana
1 black crappie
1 walleye
1 bowfin
1 african knifefish
1 aba knifefish
8 clown knives
3 butterfly peacock bass
1 temensis peacock bass
1 calico cichlid
1 lake malawi fire cichlid
1 festivum cichlid
-1 convict cichlid
1 buttikoferi cichlid
2 severum cichlids
1 silver cichlid
1 godmani cichlid
2 paratilapia polleni
5 pantano cichlids
2 parachromis loisellei cichlids
3 freddy cichlids
1 red isletas cichlid
1 jack dempsey cichlid
1 cutteri cichlid
1 chocolate cichlid
1 christyi cichlid
2 wolf cichlids
1 umbee cichlid (coolest. fish. EVER.)
4 endlicheri bichirs
1 delhezi bichir
1 senegal bichir
2 ornate bichirs
6 Chinese hi fin banded sharks
2 bala sharks
1 pink tailed shark
3 tinfoil barbs
3 flagtails
2 mad barbs
1 leaf fish
2 tire track eels
6 fire eels
14 blue hook silver dollars
12 black bar blue hook silver dollars
4 thinbar silver dollars
3 red hook silver dollars
1 african clawed frog
3 synodontis lace catfish
1 electric catfish
1 wolf fish
4 payara armatus
1 NTT datnoid
1 AT datnoid
2 Indo datnoids
2 arapaima
2 GATF
2 south american lungfish
1 african lungfish
16 clown loaches
3 blue botia loaches
1 tor morsol
4 blue mahseers
3 chinese algae eaters
1 sailfin pleco
As anyone can see, that's a lot of fish. Any help I can get as to how to separate these fish is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
(obviously, the arapaima, alligator gar, and many other exceptionally large fish will be moved into a larger body of water, whether it be mine or somebody else's, once they outgrow my biggest tank for them).
3 tropical gar
5 alligator gar
5 longnose gar
4 florida gar
4 spotted gar
6 silver arowana
1 black arowana
1 jardini arowana
1 african arowana
1 black crappie
1 walleye
1 bowfin
1 african knifefish
1 aba knifefish
8 clown knives
3 butterfly peacock bass
1 temensis peacock bass
1 calico cichlid
1 lake malawi fire cichlid
1 festivum cichlid
-1 convict cichlid
1 buttikoferi cichlid
2 severum cichlids
1 silver cichlid
1 godmani cichlid
2 paratilapia polleni
5 pantano cichlids
2 parachromis loisellei cichlids
3 freddy cichlids
1 red isletas cichlid
1 jack dempsey cichlid
1 cutteri cichlid
1 chocolate cichlid
1 christyi cichlid
2 wolf cichlids
1 umbee cichlid (coolest. fish. EVER.)
4 endlicheri bichirs
1 delhezi bichir
1 senegal bichir
2 ornate bichirs
6 Chinese hi fin banded sharks
2 bala sharks
1 pink tailed shark
3 tinfoil barbs
3 flagtails
2 mad barbs
1 leaf fish
2 tire track eels
6 fire eels
14 blue hook silver dollars
12 black bar blue hook silver dollars
4 thinbar silver dollars
3 red hook silver dollars
1 african clawed frog
3 synodontis lace catfish
1 electric catfish
1 wolf fish
4 payara armatus
1 NTT datnoid
1 AT datnoid
2 Indo datnoids
2 arapaima
2 GATF
2 south american lungfish
1 african lungfish
16 clown loaches
3 blue botia loaches
1 tor morsol
4 blue mahseers
3 chinese algae eaters
1 sailfin pleco
As anyone can see, that's a lot of fish. Any help I can get as to how to separate these fish is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
(obviously, the arapaima, alligator gar, and many other exceptionally large fish will be moved into a larger body of water, whether it be mine or somebody else's, once they outgrow my biggest tank for them).
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