New Breeder Tank Set Up?????

[Vividcichlids]

I am working on a new set up with 6 to 9, 29 gal tanks but my loving wife has banished my new project to the garage. I have decided to go with a chiller and large pump for the set up but have no knowledge as to how big and what brands are good. Please help. Any info would be much appreciated, and if you have a better set up please feel free to let me in as this will be my first multi-tank set up ran off of one pump.

Thanks,
Dan

[AndrewH]

Chillers are more common in the reef/marine side of the hobby. I have no idea how to setup one nor select the correct size.

One cool DIY design I saw a while back was a $70 mini frig with some holes drilled through for the tubing to simply have the frig chill the water. You loop the tubing within the frig and adjust the pump's flow until you get the temp correct. Might be something you can do with your setup.

If you're wanting to have all the tanks on one filtration system, then you'll need to design a sump and return lines to each tank. Each tank will need to be drilled (easiest), or you'll need to fab some PVC overflows for drainage. Most of the large fish store displays are setup this way, you might take a closer look at how they accomplish this task (filtering all the tanks with one sump) then next time you're there ;).

HTH

[Vividcichlids]

My understanding is to run a "loop" through the chiller from the sump and then pump the H20 to the tanks. I think I am going to use 3 stacks of 3 tanks and loop each stack from top to bottom using holes drilled in the back. The chiller is a totally new concept to me since I am fresh H20 person and honestly I really do not want to drop a grand on a chiller. But from all my research, I dont see a way around it that I would trust that many fish with. If anyone has had any success with a garage setup with out a chiller during the Texas summer, I am 100% open for suggestions.

Thanks in advance,
Dan

[Stickzula]

I would not waste the money on a chiller. The most efficient way to regulate the temp in the tank is to regulate it in the room. I have no idea what your space is like, but I'll throw this out there.

Take a corner of the garage and build a small room. If you have the space think big, because your tank addiction will grow... trust me;) I would shoot for a 10x10 space. Try to pick an exterior wall that has a window, but if there isn't one you can handle that too.

Anyway, frame the walls and insulate all around the room and don't forget the ceiling. If there happens to be a window, GREAT! If not, frame a rough opening in one of the exterior walls just big enough for a window A/C unit. You will have to cut a hole in the exterior wall, but this shouldn't be a big deal and you can trim it out on the outside to make it look good. You could even make an awning type cover (with the bottom open for ventilation) so it would blend in with the rest of the house. But that shouldn't be necessary unless your wife (or neighborhood association) is exceptionally picky. Once you have the unit mounted, spray great stuff foam all around the unit to insulate the opening.

If you have the opportunity, get an energy star a/c unit that has a digital thermostat. This will save you money and keep the room the right temp. I assume that you will want to keep the room around 80* and that should be easilly obtainable even with texas summer temps. The main thing is to insulate well and get a unit appropriately sized to the room.

If you do it yourself, it will be waaaaayyy less than a grand and it will be energy efficient and easy to heat in the winter.

Personally, I would use this opportunity to build a substantial fish room complete with a utility sink, a dedicated power circuit, a work space, and enough room to accommodate many more tanks/sumps in the future.