New stands

[LizStreithorst]

I'm thinking this out beforehand as best I can.  I have stands holding 900 gallons of water filled with fish that are falling down.  I have that many gallons of water storage containers in storage that only need bulk heads because they've already been drilled.  I'll need to buy a ton of heaters, but I have no spare heaters so it won't be money wasted.  I also have a stand containing 220 gallons of tanks that is not in danger of falling down, but I want it rebuilt, as well.   I called Mr. Sharp and asked how he was thinking of doing it.  I know that he plans to build the stands at his house.  He said that he was planning on doing it over 2 days to make moving the fish easier.  He didn't know that I had containers that I could move the fish to if I got up at 4 am and got to work so everything would be ready when he and his guys got here.  I told him that we could get it done in a day... and he agreed.  We could get it done on my day off and I wouldn't have to take off work unless I got exhausted (mostly from the stress of it).

I found a deal on the right size bulkheads and heaters on Jehmco.  The bulkheads are on sale and the heaters are cheap as dirt.  Check out the WBPGH series here.  http://jehmco.com/html/heaters.html  I called Jehmoc about them and spoke to John.  I told him the story and asked if he's had any negative feedback on the heaters.  One guy recently told him that the heaters couldn't reach 90 degrees and they haven't had time to test them since then.  That's OK with me.  After all, how often do you need 90 degrees?

Sorry I've gone off on a rant.  This is a stressful situation and I have a lot to plan for.  I needed to blather

[Mugwump]

I'm thinking this out beforehand as best I can.  I have stands holding 900 gallons of water filled with fish that are falling down.  I have that many gallons of water storage containers in storage that only need bulk heads because they've already been drilled.  I'll need to buy a ton of heaters, but I have no spare heaters so it won't be money wasted.  I also have a stand containing 220 gallons of tanks that is not in danger of falling down, but I want it rebuilt, as well.   I called Mr. Sharp and asked how he was thinking of doing it.  I know that he plans to build the stands at his house.  He said that he was planning on doing it over 2 days to make moving the fish easier.  He didn't know that I had containers that I could move the fish to if I got up at 4 am and got to work so everything would be ready when he and his guys got here.  I told him that we could get it done in a day... and he agreed.  We could get it done on my day off and I wouldn't have to take off work unless I got exhausted (mostly from the stress of it).

I found a deal on the right size bulkheads and heaters on Jehmco.  The bulkheads are on sale and the heaters are cheap as dirt.  Check out the WBPGH series here.  http://jehmco.com/html/heaters.html  I called Jehmoc about them and spoke to John.  I told him the story and asked if he's had any negative feedback on the heaters.  One guy recently told him that the heaters couldn't reach 90 degrees and they haven't had time to test them since then.  That's OK with me.  After all, how often do you need 90 degrees?

Sorry I've gone off on a rant.  This is a stressful situation and I have a lot to plan for.  I needed to blather

... blather away, Liz......I find the work in progress with explanations very educating.....

[LizStreithorst]

When we do it I'll take pics. 

[Mugwump]

When we do it I'll take pics.

...SUPER !...a tutorial 

[LizStreithorst]

This is what I'm starting with.  You can see that disaster is imminent.

[LizStreithorst]

This is the other stand.

[LizStreithorst]

This is the stand that is not threatening to fall down tomorrow.  Please forgive the filthy tanks.  I'll be doing wipe downs today.

[GraphicGr8s]

Liz your stands rely on fastener strength only. It's always recommended to have wood to wood to floor. I dado all my legs so the horizontal pieces are resting on wood. Take a look at my fish house thread and you'll see what I mean. Those racks, even if they start to rot will still be pretty darn strong.

[LizStreithorst]

Bud said that he was going to build them the way you said, 8.  He built one section that way and then discovered he had mis figured...that my 24" wide tanks would not fit if he did the whole thing that way.  I pointed it out to him but he said that it would work and I believed   Being supported by screws alone was not the worst thing.  The 2X6's sitting slam on the slab were the worst thing.  I have floods!  When I get through my daily WC without a flood I pat myself on the back.  The water has nowhere to go so it just sits around the wood and the wood rots. 

Boozer was on drugs and I didn't know.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one he did piss poor work for.  He's been clean now for 2 years and doing well, but I will never hire him again.  Mr. Sharp knows how to build it right.  And more importantly if it's not right he comes back and fixes it right away. 

[BillT]

I build my racks the same way, but instead of dados I usually just put another 2x4 behind the full length vertical and it supports the horizontals.
Another trick I learned from someone is to put little rectangles of shingle under all the legs. This will keep them above any pools of water that have not fully run off.

[LizStreithorst]

That is the plan exactly.  John at Jehmco told me about putting something impregnable to water under the legs.

[LizStreithorst]

This is what I got done yesterday.  It doesn't look like a full day's work, but it was.  In the first pic you can see the 100 on the top and the 20 on the bottom right that have been drained.  The empty space on the left is the 29 I moved that started to leak.  (at least I know what fish I'll put in the empty 20 for a couple of days)

[LizStreithorst]

2 40 breeders and a 20 drained.

[LizStreithorst]

The dang leaker.

[wsantia1]

The dang leaker.

I like your BBS container setup.