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Fry/growout rack

3K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  seedorfj 
#1 ·
Messing around on sketchup the other day, and started designing a growout/fry rack. Not completely sure what size bins I'll use, so I just used the closest sterilite I had lying around for reference. The blue line is the "new"/filtered water, and the brown is the waste. The plan is to tap the PVC tubes above each bin and have the valves from jehmco with airline running to each bin. Each bin will be drilled with a uniseal in the back, and will have a 90° elbow act as an overflow, leading the "waste" water down to the sump. The plan is to mainly use this for growing out crayfish; though I'm sure I'll probably use it for fry at some point as well.

What do you guys think of this setup (sans container/tank size as that hasn't been decided yet)? Do you think it'd be a good idea to add drippers to each line in addition to the valves, or are they more than enough?
 

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#2 ·
This is one of those things where it's easy to copy and paste to scale on Sketchup, but then you tap your first hole or cut your first pipe and you realize "OMG i have 85 more of these to do!" So I'd fool with this on a small scale first - with maybe 4 tanks - and get a sense of what it is going to take to actually knock it all out.
 
#5 ·
lots of plumbing is all I see
Haha you should see the first version I came up with (below). Way too much plumbing compared to the new version posted above.

Small scale is definitely a good idea! I'll do that first for sure.

A lot of people like to filter with sponge filters for growouts, why not just buy a heavy duty air pump and route airline to sponge filters in the tanks? It eliminates the risk of fry migrating down to the sump, and keeps diseases in one tank if it does break out.
While I prefer the way you described, I decided on a system for a couple reasons:

1. The main reason is heating. With the system, theoretically I can use one heater in the sump and it will keep the bins warm enough. I'll obviously have to play around with this to make sure though.

2. This will be for raising up offspring, if for some reason a disease were to breakout in one of the bins, I have the adults in their own tanks (breeders are all kept in their own species specific tanks with HMF), so the loss is not as big a worry. Plus it'll likely only contain one species at a time, so if one of the offspring has something, the others likely already had it.
 

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#4 ·
A lot of people like to filter with sponge filters for growouts, why not just buy a heavy duty air pump and route airline to sponge filters in the tanks? It eliminates the risk of fry migrating down to the sump, and keeps diseases in one tank if it does break out.
 
#6 ·
I did a setup like that many years ago. Never again for me. One overflow got stopped up. Needless to say I had to buy a wet vac.
 
#10 ·
Just from mulm build up? I'll have to make sure I regularly check them!

Crayfish are likely to climb up the airline and escape .
Have seen this in bait tanks where I sometimes keep them ahead of fishing trip.
Though this could be solved with lids :wink2:

Ease of maintenance is also a consideration. Water changes and top offs on one system vs. 20 small tanks
Exactly.

I can see distribution problems to the top tanks, the first couple will likely get all the supply water. If you flip the top upside down the water will build in the tube and rise equally giving even distribution providing it is perfectly level.

Dan
What do you mean by flipping the top upside down? I would think the back pressure from the valves above each tank/bin would help create a more even distribution, no?
 
#13 ·
It wasn't mulm build up at all. It was back when I was breeding heavily. I was doing something or other and got interrupted by the wife I think. Next day there is a flood.

If I were to do it today I'd cap off the pipe and drill holes around the pipe or use a conical strainer so the flow couldn't get totally blocked. And I'd run another smaller pipe as an emergency overflow.
 
#17 ·
I don't know why people are so concerned about draining the whole sump on the floor, just make sure that the pump only has access to enough water to fill all the lines plus a gallon (move the intake to just under the water line) then at most you will spill a gallon. If you put the whole setup on one of those trays that are for washing machines it can hold a couple of gallons of spillage. http://m.homedepot.com/p/28-in-x-30...-1-in-Furnished-Drain-Adapter-34067/100080446 you could also use a dog crate tray.

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