Filtering a Store

[Vitaliy]

For those of you who own stores or warehouses, what kind of filtration do you use and why? I keep seeing different setups from store to store and out of interest just trying to rationalize what would be the best way to approach it.

One of my first jobs was working in a fish store that had around 40 ten gallon tanks, and a couple of larger tanks. Most of the ten gallon tanks had their own air/box filters (Considering that the tiny box filter was filled 50/50 with carbon and cotton like material, and changed on regular basis, there was almost no bacteria build up and I think the approach that was used was to do so many water changes as possible versus actually applying filtration to clean the water.) while a small section had a big sump setup. This being a big chain store no one actually knew how to take care of fish, nor did I (this is where I learned the basics) but the amount of fish that we were selling and the amount of fish that arrived with disease was tremendous! For this reason the tanks on that large sump suffered the most, if someone caught something, the whole set of tanks would go out. I see large sump setups the most.

How do you approach this issue? What kind of water changes do you do?

 

[Oddball]

I have a large blower that runs sponge filters on 100 or so tanks. I also have multiple tanks on single sump setups. There are also tanks on their own W/D or canister filters (with sponge filters for 'just in case'). I'm not a business so, I don't worry too much about shared diseases on community filtration systems. I have different size Q tanks to quarantine the newcomers before I put them in their permanent homes.
The majority of my sponge filters are in the 40gal size. I also have a couple of dozen 75gal size sponges and 20 400gal size sponge filters (.25CFM rated).
The tanks on stand-alone filtration are set up that way due to; being different water chem from its neighbors, housing fry, housing ammonia-spikers species, housing herps, etc.

 

[joeytoe]

Typically between the various LFSs that I frequent, I think it depends on the preference of of whoever runs the place. One LFS has a wet/dry for each bank of 4-8 tanks. Others have sponge filters in each tank, an One LFS has Pentair Aquatics inline filters on each row of tanks.

 

[fishmaven]

Sharing filtration within a store is like sharing your toothbrush with your friends, it's an unnecessary risk with no reason to BE at risk.

Using undergravel filters (UGFs) driven by a blower is the cheapest method of giving you clean-looking temporary homes for the fish you have for sale. Because they're kept separate, you stand less of a chance of mixing problems. Using a net dip solution and taking a net to only one tank before placing it back into the dip bucket completes the isolation.

Also, the tanks need to be properly sized. If you're ordering in box lots a minimum of a 20L or 29g is required. It's best to use a "first in-first out" method when selling the fish too. Don't inter-mingle the fish on hand until they've been there for some time, you're about to receive another shipment and you need "empty" tank space for your new arrivals. If your store has chosen 29s as the standard it's nice to have a bank of smaller tanks for the "leftovers" from previous purchases that don't play well with others. The smaller tanks are also useful for the times you select 1/4 bag or smaller lots in your shipments.

I feel the isolation method is best for both FW and SW but understand the rationale for a central or multi-sump system for the SW area. When using a multi-tank sump it's important to be able to isolate a tank within the system utilizing seeded sponge filters of some sort.

Water changes?... daily on new arrivals and any under treatment. Also, divide the store into areas. Do one area each day along with any "shaky" or cloudy tanks. When each area has been done, start over.

I also recommend showing customers how to utilize gravel cleaners, spreading clean white buckets with a siphon clean in each throughout the store. I either require employees to "show, or instruct" customers how to use the device properly or offer spiffs for the sale of the devices. This is another chance to rid the store of cloudy tanks.

I've also used a "drain and fill" system on a store with a hole beneath an UGF plate where you could open a valve and drain a bank of tanks, close the valve, add water conditioner, then refill the tanks by opening another valve. This allowed one person to water change practically the whole store in a matter of about 20-30 minutes. The system needed to be meticulously tuned but worked rather well. It did require tweaking occasionally.

 

[dr_sudz]

I know the LFS i worked at they had pods and in each pod had to gi-normis sumps which would run about 10 tanks each, 20 per pod. And the setups were wet dry with bio balls. I think some of the ones where the setups held more delicate fish they ran the uv but most didnt. When you had fish that needed particular water requirements and tempratures we isolated the tanks with sponge filters and heaters. all sick fish had reduced flows and medicated, and sometimes even switched right off the system.

 

[fishieperson321]

In the LFS, they use Penguin, Emperor, Aqua CLear, Whisper, and Elite Power FIlters on various tanks. They never keep them maintained as I have been eyeing them for years on a everyother day basis and they never change the cartridges or clean the impellers or tubes. Even if the Bio Wheels aren't turning, they seem to not care. There is a bunch of teenagers who know no better that work there, though. They never seem to clean their tanks either. Why is that? The gravel is always brown and yucky!!

The other LFS uses the MARS system (Marineland Aquarium Retailer System). They seem to keep it cleaner, but they have less healthy fish than the other store with the dirty tanks.

 

[fishmaven]

If you have, say 100+ tanks, they each have an outside power filter AND you got a REALLY good deal on them. You've selected Emperor 400s at $25 each. You bought a gross (144). The salesman from either your distributer or from Marineland throws in an extra 4pk for each of the filters because you're going to use them in your store set-up. That's a heck of a deal. BUT... now you've got to replace the cartridges when they're dirty, each time. You've already invested $2500 (you're only using 100, you plan to sell the others as a promo). Now, you've got cartridge replacement costs and the electrical expense. Add to that, they're time consumers when you clean them properly. Compare that to a similar deal on a gross of undergravel filters. You got them for $8.00 each and you bought a blower for $500. You bought $200 in 2" PVC pipes and fittings and spent another $200 in brass valves to control the air outlets. Add another $30 for airline. So, you spent around $1750 in a one time investment. You might consider buying a replacement blower in 3-5 years, keeping this one as a spare after doing whatever cleaning is needed. Any idea how many cartridges you would have purchased in 3-5 years?

IMO, the single thing anyone in the pet industry could do that would create a better environment in their store would be to clean it up. Even a store that appears to be clean may not be.

To better understand what I mean I'll give you another example: You visit a restaurant that your friends have raved about. Their prices, selection and food quality are supposed to be top notch. While you're there you visit the rest rooms. They're filthy. While there you see a waiter or a kitchen worker. After you return to the table, your brain starts to process these visual images, your appetite is declining and you're wondering about the cleanliness of their kitchen. I'd be wondering too.

If your LFS keeps their feeders in the back where you can't see them...if the product shelves AND the products on those shelves are dirty...if the manager always looks a little unkempt... the employees a little trashy...AND the smell you noticed on your first visit seems to be getting worse alarm bells should go off.

It's the little things.

 

[fishieperson321]

They never change the filters or do maintenance on the filters but like once a year so really, that would be like $200 for the cartridges in 5 years. The emperors and Penguins keep the tanks cleaner with a better appearance so more fish get sold. Now what do you think?

Is there any reason that they never vacuum the gravel? Is it because enough water gets changed out every day so they feel no need in it? The store's website is below.

www.petcarewarehouse.net

 

[ozz465]

Anyone have any info/links to how to set up a large w/d for like 10 tanks?? as i saw this in a pet store and i am interested in doing this in my garage.

 

[RadleyMiller]

Anyone have any info/links to how to set up a large w/d for like 10 tanks?? as i saw this in a pet store and i am interested in doing this in my garage.

plumb all of the overflows into the same tank and run a big pump that goes to a return on all 10 tanks. without any more info, i can't really help you, but I do know a little bit about sharing sumps