New Barracks

[najrick]

Hi all,

Just wanted to share some pics of the new barracks I built (with some help from my 10 year old).

The gutters are hydroponic gutters and each length (3m) holds 25 jars very comfortably-- so a total of 75 jars. I could probably squeeze a few more jars in but it makes the carding easier with some generous spacing b/w jars.

Each jar is approx 1.5 litres and they are from the "warehouse". Actually if you can get hold of it hydroponic guttering is excellent for any barracks and it comes in all sizes. You can get the base with end caps and not order the lids that usually come with it. The size we have (175mm wide / 65mm high) would fit beanie boxes and Maxwell House coffee jars. I had 3 by 3m lengths delivered from Brisbane for about $140 (inc P&H). I actually had a local hydro shop from Rockhampton lined up but their service was crap (like most shops in the region) so after waiting several days for my calls to be returned I went elsewhere for less cash and less hassle in the end.

The sump has approx 80 litres in it at any one time so with all the jars and the water in the guttering I reckon there is approx 200 to 210 litres. The sump has a 3500 lph pump and a 300W heater to maintain a temperature of between 24 and 26 degrees.

I am running a 700 lph internal power filter inside the sump as secondary filtration. The main one is wet/dry bio-balls, carbon and filter media which the run off goes through before getting into the sump. And finally the water is pumped through a UV filter before getting to the jars. I am using adjustable drip sprinklers which are set to cycle each jar approx. every 30 minutes. By my estimates that should cycle the whole barracks every hour. Probably over kill on the filtration but it seems to be doing the trick.

Basically it's the same system we were using before but we've gone from 46 jars up to 75. It's also better set out to make it easier for cleaning and feeding. It's set up in the garage along one wall and with one of the garage doors open there is plenty of natural light. And though it's bigger there seems to be more space in the garage. Which could be dangerous since that means more space for fish

All I have to monitor now is how much evaporation occurs. I have an aged tub of un-salted water at the ready.

So here are some of the pics.

With a little help from a friend.

Bare bones.

Almost full. A few jars to go but everything up and running.

The water flows over the lip of the jar. Gutter Guard with a fly screen lining stops the betta from escaping / jumping and also makes for a handy lid which the sprinkler and hose goes through.

Run off from the jars / gutters pours into a holding well which then flows / drips over bio-balls, carbon and filter wool. This then drips into the sump which also has an internal filter running and a heater. It then pumps through a UV filter back to the jars.

Cheers,

Pat.

[Phil]

Great work, it looks really good I think you may need a bigger sump for summer, evaporation is high even on my small system and huge sump, being in QLD, i guess yours would be worse.

[najrick]

You're probably right Phil. The sump is from the old barracks and I simply moved it into place when it was finished. It's been running for about 5 days and so far the evaporation hasn't been any worse than before which is about 3 to 5 litres every 2 days. But come summer ... well that's a different story. Pat.

[Chuckie]

I think it looks great! I have the ame trouble with my barracks. I am having to add 50L a week to jut keep it topped up.

[Jess]

Looks great guys! The shelving looks pretty simple and easy to add to the brick. I like the gutter guard idea over the jars With the evapouration, do you also take some extra water out aswell when you top it up? Since heavy metals do not evap, so you may find it may climb with alot of of topping up. I imagine it could be a problem for some.

[Chuckie]

i have to fill it so often and it evaporates so fast that there really isn't enough water in there to be able to take any out! In summer when I have a few new babies to grow up in there I think I'll top-up daily and do a weekly drain.

[Mishy]

pat, what are you using for the shelves themselves? Just read deb's thread and quite wary about any shelving...

[najrick]

Mishy I'm not sure what Deb said about shelving. Which post is that? The shelving itself is made of hard timber planking which is bolted into angle brackets which are themselves anchored into the wall. The wood doesn't get wet since there are no leaks (yet ) and it is only there to support the gutters. I've thought of treating the wood but I'm not too sure what with so I left it be for now. I can't see it becoming a problem really --- though having said that I'm sure I'll have one now Pat.

[najrick]

Mishy, I just found Deb's post. I have now sent hubby to go look at our shelves again. I dont think you can ever be to careful. Najina

[Chuckie]

I love how we can all benefit from each other's experiences. That really is what fish forums should be about. Deb, I am sorry it happened to you, but if it saves someone else's fish, at least it was not all totally in vain. (Still majorly sucks though )

[Callatya]

That looks great! it really does! After seeing yours and Lilli's, I think i need a garage wall! Why don't most people keep their sumps covered? I know most evaporation would be through the moving water up in the gutter section, but covering the sump should help a bit yeah? maybe with surface plants even?

[najrick]

The sump is covered but the majority of evaporation occurs outside and this is where the most water actually is -- well in mine at least until I get a bigger sump. I tried the plant thing but they don't get much light inside an enclosed sump. I even tried a heap of java moss which doesn't require as much light but they really didn't do much either. In the end I think with any barracks there is always going to be a certain amount of evaporation and you have to live with that. Even a normal tank has evaporation but with less water exposed directly to the air (what with lids and so on) there is a lot less evaporation. With the hydroponic gutters I think you could set up a barracks just about anywhere really and it could be of any size, multi tiered or a single row. The gutters can be cut to any size (or ordered cut to size like I did) and they lay flat so you could use those pre-fab metal shelving units to set one up in. Join two lots of shelving together and you have good size barracks. The old one used two sets of these metal shelving joined together and held 40 odd jars. I didn't use the guttering for that one but made my own which had a limited life due to my dodgy handy man skills. Thus the new and improved dodgy handy man project I've just done. This one should last longer Cheers, Pat.

[Mishy]

thanks Pat for the instructions... Nam does owe me some betta barracks... how many mils is the wood shelving? I'm glad you found deb's post, i was just saying it so that you dont suffer the same loss.. :)

[najrick]

The timber planks are 190mm wide and 20mm thick. I think the angle brackets and anchors are the most important since they are supporting the weight. I have used stainless steel angle brackets and dynabolt concrete bolts. The timber shelving is really only to disperse the weight evenly over the brackets and also to support the plastic hydroponic guttering. On their own the gutters are quite flexible and wouldn't be able to support much weight. Pat.

[N*A*M]

pat, the shelving looks ample to me. the barracks look sweet and i think it will soon be time for me to construct something. i'm getting sick of individual water changes.

[najrick]

Well everything is still going OK. The shelving, anchors, brackets and drainage haven't budged and everything is functioning with no leaks. I've changed the filtration a bit but that's it really. I turned a broccoli box into a giant filter with filter wool, bio balls and charcoal that fits on top of the tub and overflows into the holding tub/sump (which has also runs an internal filter) before being pumped back out through the UV. The new filter has effectively added about 60 litres to the barracks since I can now fit more water in the sump and it holds at least 30 litres on it's own. Evaparation accounts for about 10 litres every 4 days which I replace with aged un-salted water. Jars still need cleaning every now and then especially those nearer the garage doors where there is more natural light (since we leave the doors open whenever we are home). So if you want to see the fish on that end you need to clean at least the front of the jar An old toothbrush comes in handy for that. And the bottoms still require a syphon to get rid of the waste though this is so much easier and you can do the whole lot in about 20 minutes and then just top up with clean water. It's a good time to flush out the gutters too and the beauty of it is you don't have to be gentle with the water changes. Cheers, Pat.

[edie]

** dodgy handy man skills ** Yeah right...how about coming to my place and practice more of your dodgy skills LOL Looks fantastics and I wish I have the skills One thing I notice with the dripper (airline tubing) is that over the time it gets clogged. Being a lazy guy, usually it took me awhile to realize that So, sooner or later, you will hit that problem too (accumulated debris). I know Lisa has been enjoying her hobby of blowing the airline tubing, but I don't really think I'm gonna enjoy that LOL

[Chuckie]

it's a nasty job but someone has to do it!

[edie]

LOL.. Yeah, nothing wrong by tasting a little of the fish water Lis It's just that there ought to be solution for the problem :D I was trying to design my next barrack, without the airline tubing (** yeah...keep dreaming **) LOL

[Robbies Betta]

Can't believe I missed this those barracks are wicked, nothin compared to my little lot Edie I know what u mean by the build up. Lisa, it might b easier to just give the tubing a cple of wacks against something hard in the yard (my that ryhmes, yikes ... bikes from a very funny movie ) The only thing u gotta be wary of is sludge etc flying onto you. I've had it in the eye, mouth and all over my clothes a cple of times :D

[najrick]

** dodgy handy man skills **

Yeah right...how about coming to my place and practice more of your dodgy skills LOL

Looks fantastics and I wish I have the skills

One thing I notice with the dripper (airline tubing) is that over the time it gets clogged. Being a lazy guy, usually it took me awhile to realize that

So, sooner or later, you will hit that problem too (accumulated debris). I know Lisa has been enjoying her hobby of blowing the airline tubing, but I don't really think I'm gonna enjoy that LOL

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edie if I was in Sydney I'd be happy to lend you a hand. No two jobs of mine are the same though even when I start out with that intention

And yes I am aware of the dripper blockages. I've actually removed them all since and just running the water through irrigation line only with the taps adjusted to slow the water flow. Probably a little quicker now and running at say 4 litres an hour. Some may be a little quicker and others a little slower. The flow is at the bottome of the jar now rather than mid way and is slow enough to not disturb the bubblenests they build and it maintains the temp just nicely. Doesn't stop the blockage problem but reduces it somewhat and makes for a little easier cleaning. A quick suck on the end, a mouthful of sludge and all clear

Pat

[Chuckie]

LOL, blowing the sludge out rather than sucking is my preferred option - I learned the hard way!

[Figure_8]

*gags at the idea of sucking down sludge* :)

[Mishy]

Hmm.. nutty flavour mousie?

[splendidbetta]

lol this barracks systems is one of the coolest ive seen oh, um, after you get a mouthfull of sludge, i presume that you wash your mouth out? i have gotten a mouth full of old tankwater, and it wasnt funny :)