On Mon, 4 Aug 2003 05:50:09 -0400, "Jim Brown"
wrote:

midposted
The Madd Hatter wrote in message
.. .
Mid Posted

On Sun, 3 Aug 2003 13:41:14 -0400, "Jim Brown"
wrote:


I'm not sure... there are 3 or 4 outlets in there... The one closest
to where the fish will go is also shared by the Central Vac.. the
other major electronic item in there is the Garage Door opener. I'll
ask my Dad, since he is an Industrial Electrician..

You are going to be running air and heat as well as lights. I am sure you
will understand the need for extra circuits. Two or three things clicking
in at the same time can trip a breaker.

That's why I'm worried bout the central vac and the garage door..

Is the floor level? I imagine it has a concrete floor, sloped so winter
melt will run out. There may be a need for a levelled sub-floor with
insulation.

The Floor slopes towards the driveway.. How would I go about making
this sub-floor w/ insulation? would it be easier to level the rack
using wood or some other material?

That would make the fish room floor an elevated one. This would allow room
for decent insulation. On the other hand, simple shims could level the
tanks. I prefer nickels (cheap and strong) or solid plastic to get around
the wood's ability to compress and deteriorate.

Elevating the floor is gonna be tough.. There is a permanent rack
built over the section the tanks will be in... I barely have enough
clearance to comfortably maintain the tanks on the top rack right
now.. I thin its beyond my skill level anyway. I can use plastic or
metal for the shims though...



Water supply and drain? You probably have a tap in the garage, but where
will the waste water go?

The tap in the garage is right next to the tanks... it is cold only
though.. I don't thin there'll be a probem because I have a door
leading into my laundry close by and I can hook up a hose from there.
Waste water can be siphoned through the side door onto the grass or
right onto the driveway, i guess.

All I can say about this is think about the heat loss when filling the
tanks, and think about the skating rink you will have with the drained
water.


When filling the tanks, I can compensate for heat loss by using warmer
water... Hadn't though about the skating rink! (I can't skate).. I
suppose a python would solve that.. I could drain them right into the
laundry tub..


What about heat? You might be best with a very well insulated room with
a
space heater. I tried an aquarium one winter in an unheated garage, to
winterize some native fish. Even with a good heater, it barely kept the
water from freezing.

I was planning to use a space heater in there.. I figured it will be a
very small room, and if itas sufficiently insulated, a regular space
heater should keep it heated quite welll. Would I still need to heat
the tanks too?

I use a space heater in a well insulated room built in the basement just for
the aquariums. Some tanks get heaters to accommodate warmth loving fish,
like discus, zebra plecos, and spawning Betta's. There are wall mounted gas
heaters if you are on gas-not cheap but better in the long run. I wanted
one but didn't have the space for the venting.


All things considered, it might be easier to build a fishroom behind the
garage, so at least there will be some sun to help warm it up.

Behind the garage?? What do you mean?

A free standing insulated room like a garden shed. I know a number of multi
tank keepers in the UK do this but their weather is much less severe.


You mean, a shed in my backyard?? I think it might be even tougher to
keep warm... I don't think my folks would let me do it anyway...

Definitely a project that could be done once all the bugs are worked out.


ALot of bugs at this stage!



Wow, this project is pretty broad in scope... I really gotta think it
through.. I though I was gonna slap on a couple of walls, stick a
heater in, and Voila!

Jim

PS: I got some questions Discus, but I'll create a new post..
Thanx!