# Shelving Unit Help



## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2009)

Hi guys,

Do you think this would be strong enough to hold 3 60 liter tanks????

EDIT: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... SHELVE.htm

Or could recommend something better.

Thanks


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## Garuf (8 Feb 2009)

No link 
I'm up for that, I need a rack to stick my 3 tanks on.


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## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2009)

Garuf said:
			
		

> No link
> I'm up for that, I need a rack to stick my 3 tanks on.


Forgot the most important thing haha link added!! thanks


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## samc (8 Feb 2009)

im not sure it says 150kg each tier so id say it would be ok


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## Superman (8 Feb 2009)

Reading the link, it suggests it can hold the weight. 150kg on each shelf.


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## Garuf (8 Feb 2009)

one sec, I book marked one of those... But for some reason firefox has deleted all my bookmarks.  :? 
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Shelving-System ... t/tstimbss


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## a1Matt (8 Feb 2009)

According to Wiki answers 1l of water weighs 1kg.
So your tanks equal 180kg. 
Each shelf can hold 150kg.
I wouldn't put all 3 on one shelf!


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## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2009)

a1Matt said:
			
		

> According to Wiki answers 1l of water weighs 1kg.
> So your tanks equal 180kg.
> Each shelf can hold 150kg.
> I wouldn't put all 3 on one shelf!


It would be one tank per shelve, there wouldn't be space for 3 tanks in 80cm 
Looks like it would be ok, I just wanted to check if someone has done something similar.

thanks guys


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## Garuf (8 Feb 2009)

Let me know how you get on Paulo, Ill be right behind you if it works well.


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## Ed Seeley (8 Feb 2009)

I've got a small tank on an IKEA shelving unit and that's fine.  I'm hoping to add an 80cm long tank split into 4 smaller units on it too and I'm sure it will be fine with some extra shelf brackets to support the shelf.


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## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2009)

Thanks Ed, I might reinforce the sides too, where the metal sides are add some wood on the inside to strengthen the whole unit. I am sure the shelves can take the weight  Google SketchUp time! lol


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## aaronnorth (8 Feb 2009)

i think you should have a fish house  

Adding the wood will definatley hold the weight, i have seen others do DIY stands out of 4 x 2


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## TDI-line (8 Feb 2009)

These may be worth a look, i racked out my garage with them.

http://www.bigdug.co.uk/default.asp


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## Fred Dulley (9 Feb 2009)

Do the sections have enough height in order for maintenance to be carried when the tank is there? I'm just imaging it too be a bit squished. Putting bits of wood in there too might be awkward. Just my thoughts...


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## LondonDragon (9 Feb 2009)

Fred Dulley said:
			
		

> Do the sections have enough height in order for maintenance to be carried when the tank is there? I'm just imaging it too be a bit squished. Putting bits of wood in there too might be awkward. Just my thoughts...



I worked it out, for tanks 60x30x30cm which leaves around 43cm per shelve, the idea is to build the light unit into the shelve above using T5 ballasts DIY style. I am planning of placing 2x24w per tank in case I want to do something else with the tanks in future like 3 planted tanks. I plan in keeping plants with the shrimp too, so might get a CO2 unit for this 3 tanks too, feeding them of a single CO2 bottle, maybe a 5kg bottle. Just to leave my options open.

I am getting 3 external filters for each tank, they will sit next to the tank, I am thinking an Eden-501 or something of the sort, with a minimum 400lph, I have seen some in the US called the TOM Rapids Mini Canister Filter C-80 which is something I like for this setup. Can get 3 at a decent price too.

The tanks I am just buying the glass tanks with nothing in it, clearseal tanks sell for around Â£25 each. 3x50w mini heaters for about a tenner each and that should be the lot.

Each tank will be different in terms of scape, Sulawesi shrimp tank will have borneo wood and rocks, in-between the rocks and wood some ADA aquasoil and all around the front and sides white sand, plants to be defined, together with some Sulawesi snails.

The second scape will be one for cherry shrimp, maybe ADA aquasoil in it, ferns, crypts and mosses.

The other tank not sure what species will keep in it.

Will still keep the Juwel Rekord 60, the tank that will be for breeding the Crystal Red and Black grade S+ that I will getting next week. That has at present ADA Aquasoil and some crytps, ferns, and mosses. The lower grade CRS will have to be moved to another tank or rehomed.

Thats all for now


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## LondonDragon (9 Feb 2009)

After doing some SketchUp with the right measures, here is how it would look, rack and tanks only:












Next will have to find the size of the filters and add those to the model.

Could always add a 4th tank to the top of the rack too if needed! or two nanos!!


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## Joecoral (10 Feb 2009)

Looks like a great idea LD, I've been considering doing a similar setup to this for breeding SA dwarf cichlids for a while now, but havent had the cash to actually get on with it.
Let us know how you get on, make sure you take plenty of pictures of the entire process
Joe


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## JamesM (10 Feb 2009)

Looking good Paulo


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## Egmel (12 Feb 2009)

hmmm, I really think that's going to make serious maintenance more tricky, there really isn't a lot of room.

Maybe I'm just panicking because I've never had a tank with restricted access, I would try a practice run by suspending a shelf above a tank at the correct height and trying to prune everything/catch some shrimp/fish.


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## LondonDragon (12 Feb 2009)

Egmel said:
			
		

> hmmm, I really think that's going to make serious maintenance more tricky, there really isn't a lot of room.
> Maybe I'm just panicking because I've never had a tank with restricted access, I would try a practice run by suspending a shelf above a tank at the correct height and trying to prune everything/catch some shrimp/fish.


Yeah I have thought about it too, but I have seen a lot of setups similar to this, I can always play around with the layout of the shelves and place a tank on the top shelve and divide the bottom part into two rather than 3 tanks.


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## Garuf (12 Feb 2009)

I have limited access to my 54l and I have to say it's the most annoying thing in the world. I have about 6" of room between rim and bottom of a shelf and there's nothing worse than not being able to get your hands to the back of the tank without being able to see what you're doing.


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## LondonDragon (24 Feb 2009)

This is the sort of unit that I want to create:






Picking up the shelving unit this weekend


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## samc (24 Feb 2009)

did you say what you wanted to do with the tanks? 

breeding shrimp


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## LondonDragon (24 Feb 2009)

samc said:
			
		

> did you say what you wanted to do with the tanks?
> breeding shrimp



Yep breeding shrimp, I do explain in a post previously the species


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## samc (24 Feb 2009)

yep just had a read throught im getting into shrimp now. just got my first ones which are CRS, they're cool as


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## Garuf (26 Feb 2009)

http://www.bigdug.co.uk/_Shelving


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## LondonDragon (26 Feb 2009)

Garuf said:
			
		

> http://www.bigdug.co.uk/_Shelving


Thanks, I actually saw that on the paper yesterday and they have a nicer shelve unit which I might get from them.
Its 90x45cm rather than 80x30cm, gives me a lot more options


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## Garuf (26 Feb 2009)

Works out at around Â£50 though, it's a case of pay your money take your choice I'm afraid.


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## LondonDragon (26 Feb 2009)

Garuf said:
			
		

> Works out at around Â£50 though, it's a case of pay your money take your choice I'm afraid.


Not a lot more really so will have to see, 90cm gives me a lot more freedom for filters


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