Industrial racks a bad idea?

[MDahms]

I need to organize my tanks better as I get more and I would like to get a rack to hold them. I live in an apartment so buying sheets of plywood and lumber and using power tools is pretty much out of the question.
I know most people use DIY racks for multiple aquariums but I was hoping that I could use a heavy duty industrial rack, the kind they sell for use in the garage. Most racks come with press board shelf inserts so I would need to paint those to protect against water damage. The tanks I would be using would be 10 gallons for adults and 2.5 gallons for raising fry. The rack I had seen was 36" wide, 24" deep and 72" tall and was fully adjustable.

Has anyone used a commercial rack with success? Any problems you might forsee in me using a rack like this?

Mike

[Noctame]

Just be absolutely sure you are hitting studs. Survey your wall before you get past initial planning stages!

[GaryofMontreal]

The presswood, even painted, goes fast if wet. And it stinks if water gets in, which it always will. You would need plywood, an added expense.
Commercial stands always get ruled out here because of the height issue - the space between shelves is very limiting. I did see some beauties in Costco I would buy in a heartbeat, if I were rich.
You also have to check for wobble on a 72 tall rack. Front to back is no problem, but most of then wobble side to side.
Remember as well that 36' is one 10 gallon and one 5.5 - that's it. You can do so much more at a friend's with 2x4s or, for small tanks, 2.3s.

[MDahms]

Noctame I was planning on using a free standing rack. The walls in my building are not framed like a standard house, mostly plaster other than the exterior walls. I sure hope my floors are level or that I can find racks with leveling feet.

Gary I saw those Gorilla Racks at Costco and that is what got me thinking about using something similar. The less expensive racks seem to almost all use press board but I know there are some that use all metal construction. I had planned on putting the 10 gallon tanks with the front facing out while the 2.5 gallon fry tanks would be placed with the ends out to maximize space. One 10 gallon and two 2.5's per shelf seems like a good start. I think I will try to find something shorter than 72" tall though. I was hoping that I would not have to shell out the money for the all metal Gorilla racks but that may be the best idea. Apparently you can order laminated shelves as well and the racks are rated for 500 lbs capacity per shelf.

Here is the rack with laminated wood shelves. (http://www.gorillarack.com/raptor/grz636185ldi-storage-rack-p-60.html)


Mike

[CACAdmin]

There's a discussion of the Gorilla racks in this thread: Fish Room: Phase 1 (and it's all Blainep's fault!) (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3754&highlight=gorilla). Hope it helps with the decison making.

[Xiph]

I've seen Gorilla Racks at the hardware store and thought quite hard about getting some. The ones I've seen seem to be more sturdy than the one your link.

Here is a betta breeder that uses them:

old fish room:

http://www.bettatalk.com/the_hatchery.htm

new fish room:

http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_barracks.htm


Hope that helps.

[MDahms]

Thanks for those great links. I feel better about my decision to use these racks now, hopefully I can get started some time soon.

Mike

[PPulcher]

I use a 48" Gorilla rack, and a 36" industrial type shelf, both with pressboard. I painted them out with a primer/sealer (Kilz or something) that has held up well. I don't rely on the pressboard to actually bear the weight. I posted some photos of my setup in this thread: http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3368 (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3368&highlight=Ppulcher)

You can see some of the 2x4 lumber used to bear the weight on the shelves.

The 36" unit isn't nearly as good or sturdy.

If I were do it all again, I would probably build the racking, but this option gets you up and running quickly.

[MDahms]

Thanks Andrew I will take your advice and make sure to use some sealant on the press board if I can not get the laminated shelves. I will have to see once I get the shelves just how I will go about making them as sturdy as possible. It's hard to visualize just how the press board sits and how much of the load it carries. Did you happen to use foam core board or something similar under your tanks?

Mike

[GaryofMontreal]

One point I'd like to raise as a 20 years of killie keeping guy - in a 2.5, killies are a huge chore. In a 5, they are little work. In a 10, they are fun. You can put tens end out and still have a good view - already much better than a 2.5, and locally, a 10 is the same price as a 2.5.

I got a deal on 3 gallon tanks at one point, and they now hold gear. Too unstable and too unforgiving.

As for collecting - I've geared down on killies. but my kick is Aphyosemions. I don't think I 'collected', but whenever I ended up in candy shops, I've been bad. It's lucky we like different killies ...

[PPulcher]

Thanks Andrew I will take your advice and make sure to use some sealant on the press board if I can not get the laminated shelves. I will have to see once I get the shelves just how I will go about making them as sturdy as possible. It's hard to visualize just how the press board sits and how much of the load it carries. Did you happen to use foam core board or something similar under your tanks?


I'll see if I can get some better photos to show what's going on. The idea is that the edges of the tank are supported by either the metal shelf rails, or 2x lumber and not the shelf itself. The shelf would sag for sure if it were taking much weight. I'm not sure about 3/4" plywood, but it would certainly be better.

I use styro under some of the tanks. In particular the top row and the middle one. The bottom row has the tanks just on the pressboard, but it's okay as they are sitting right on the metal shelf rails.

@Gary, I would agree that 10s are probably the best for killies. I'm rethinking the 5.5s as they are a little more work. They are handy for raising small numbers of fry, and make pretty good spawning tanks.

[MDahms]

Gary I have to agree with you on the issues present with my 2.5 gallon fry tanks. I had only intended to use these tanks for fry up until they are separated into breeding groups or pairs and housed in 10 gallon tanks. As it stands I have to do a partial water change after each feeding if I feed something like blood worms or white worms, the water quality is not easy to keep up. Have you raised fry in 10 gallon tanks and if so did you find them easy to feed in such large quarters comparative to their size?

Andrew and Gary thanks for your advice, One thing I don't need is a stressful hobby and with advice from experienced keepers like yourselves I hope to avoid many of the mistakes made by beginners.


Mike

[blainep]

You might want to take a look at Delta Guppies website, not for the fish, but the tank racks.

If you plan to use smaller tanks, you can do some very simple DIY and get good results.

Nothing wrong with commercial racking though, I would suggest trying to get racking made of real metal though, no matter how much weight it says it will hold, eventually plastic sags.

[GaryofMontreal]

If your interest in annuals is successful, you're going to have buckets of fry all at once. I used to keep Nothobranchius rubripinnis, and I never had fewer than 50 in wetting the peat. So larger tanks make sense. You can keep them shallow for ease in feeding, but I've never found fry had trouble getting to food.
South American annuals can be more forgiving, in that they aren't velvet magnets like Nothos, but they grow so fast you hardly need small tanks.

[MDahms]

Blainep I have seen those type of DIY racks on several sites and if I ever have a basement I think that will be the route I take. I am fairly handy but I don't think I could build an aquarium rack and have it be level. Right now I would much rather spend the money and avoid the headache.

I did manage to find this discussion (http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/shrimp-other-invertebrates/35506-invertz-factory-rack-3.html) and the racks that are used are the same ones that I use for my DIY light carts that hold my orchid collection. There is a store close to where I live that sells all sorts of this shelving by the piece so I could possibly put together a small rack for 10 gallon tanks and I would only have to buy some plywood and foam. I have two bottom levels on my plant racks right now that are close to empty but there would be almost no clearance unless the tanks were pulled forward because of the flourescent light fixtures. I will have to do some tinkering because this may still work as I plan on using low light plants, mainly Java fern and different mosses mounted on wood with bare bottom tanks.

Gary I am sold on the 10 gallon tanks then, 2.5's are a pain in the butt when it comes to water quality issues. I think I will still keep my 2.5 gallon tanks running as hospital tanks but that's about it. I have a feeling that if I am successful keeping these killies that I will be sharing eggs and fry with other local aquarium keepers.

Mike
My Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9707825@N07/)

[b.appel13]

Just do the cinderblock/plywood thing. You can get some "deco" blocks.