Fry System Upgrades

[MickS77]

Obviously inspired by Deans fry system, mine is also a 20 long. Water is pumped up using an MJ1200 with a co-op prefilter. I also have two sponge filters and a bag of co-op biomedia.

With winter coming and being in my basement I want to add lids to hold in heat and evaporation. 

I made the lids using a single sheet of Lexan cut to fit over each tray with a lift off lid. To cover end space on the ends I used 1/4 thick acrylic, which I ripped with my table saw and a fine toothed blade. I installed a 1/2 bulkhead, for a cleaner look, to run the water through the cover from the pump

 

I used rubber grommets to run the air and water through the cover into each tray. I used a piece of rigid airline tubing to go through each grommet. Blue tubing is water, clear is air. 

I'm pretty happy with the end result. I think using blue tubing for the water will help keep it cleaner. I'll switch it to co-op black tubing if I still get algae growing in it. I also like to think the evaporation on the lids helps the fry too, subduing the lighting, reducing stress.

Currently I'm raising 50-ish Black Neon Tetra fry in one of the trays. 

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[Daniel]

Any mortality on the Black Neon Tetra fry?

[MickS77]

2 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Any mortality on the Black Neon Tetra fry?

Not too bad that I've noticed, I'd say less than 10 so far. 

[pedrofisk]

Nice. Where did you get the trays you're using?

[MickS77]

1 minute ago, pedrofisk said:

Nice. Where did you get the trays you're using?

usplastic.com they are the "12-1/8" L x 8-1/4" W x 3" H White Polyethylene Tamco® Tote Pan"

I did have to trim 5/16in off of the short ends to make it 11-1/2in so they would hang on the inside of the 20 long frame. 

[Andy's Fish Den]

I am going to build myself one of these fry systems this fall when I'm remodeling my fish room. I have planned a spot for a 20 long just for it, I'll have to look into the tubs you're using if I can't find the ones Dean has said he uses.

[MickS77]

26 minutes ago, Andy's Fish Den said:

if I can't find the ones Dean has said he uses.

Yeah it was hard for me to find those at the time. Theses just aren't as narrow as the fridge storage containers he uses. I like these ones because they are already white and I didn't have to modify them much to fit my needs. In the future I may sub-divide them using a fine stainless steel screen.