Well guys and girls I have been busy here lately and have not had the chance to post. What has been keeping me so busy was building my new fry stand. It has twenty containers that hold roughly two gallons of water each. Here is the front view.


This is the side view. This picture shows how I have the main water supply line running to the top and snaking down each rack.


I decided to put in a ball valve to relieve excess pressure in the main line. You can also see where I added pressure connectors in case I ever need to remove the reservoir.


Luckily I already had a pond pump that works perfectly.


Each rack has its own 1" drainage pipe that connects on the side and goes back into the sump.


I found some good plastic water valves at jehmco.


After pressure testing the system and making sure there were no leaks and making sure that all the containers overflows worked I moved it up into the fish room. Now all I have left to do is drill small holes in the lids for the water lines and put them on. I now have nine strains of swordtails and hope that twenty fry tanks will be enough. We will see I guess.

Oops missed one more picture of the overflow and bulkhead in the containers. Since I do not plan on keeping plants in this system I figured a monthly cleaning of the screen on the overflow will keep it from getting clogged; atleast I hope so.

Cool! so what kinda screen did you use for the overflows?

I used fiberglass window screen. Unfortunately I had to buy a whole roll of it and only used like six square inches. Guess on the bright side I have extra screen if the dogs ever decide to tear up the storm door this summer.

That is a good design! As for the screen I would have used low ppi filter foam for the overflow tube.

Hmmm, good idea Alex the only thing I would worry about is the filter pores getting clogged. The good thing is if I decide to change it the screen I have on now is just siliconed on and can easily be removed. I was debating on what to do for the overflow for a while. Even now I still worry that it might get clogged and flood the fish room. I think I might install another drain in the back of the containers and connect them to the drain just in case.

Don't let any duckweed or other floating plants get into that system. They'll plug up that type of overflow for certain. You will find that such a small opening plugs up very easily from other things as well, Voice of Experience speaking. That's why I made a system with an open T for emergency overflow, using the side opening for the strainer to enlarge the area through which the water can flow. I've even built the same overflow into drilled tanks, using sponge filters over the strainer.

I was actually wanting to use the same method as you did chrome but unfortunately the containers are to small. The only other option I can think of for an emergency overflow is to drill holes in the back with flexible tubing connected into the drain line.

Dear FishFolk,

I used to use that same window screen on my overflows but changed after losing >12 I. wernieri fry.

I buy the foam plugs from Jehmco, a bag will last me a lifetime. They fit into my overflow, which is schedule 40 pvc, 1/2". I silicone a rectangle, 2 x 3", of filter material flat on top. This is typical, cut your own filter material. The glass lid actually compresses the foam slightly. There is a lot of area for water to enter, and fry don't go down the drain.

Warning! I use a slow, flow-through system, So I don't have to deal with high water flow in the overflows.

I use a drip system that adds 5% of the tank volume per half hour period. The system goes on six times a day.

I should say, I did. The fish room is boxed up and I have my tanks all stacked up in the spare room.

Earl

Ok I have a question, being new to breeding I just put all my fry regardless of their breed in the same tank. Whats the purpose of having so many separate tanks?