Future frag room set up help
 

Have decided to set up a room of tanks dedicated solely for frags and need a little help with the layout.There will be 2 possably 3 racks with 4 tanks on each rack.I was thinking of running either NO or VHO(24 inch bulbs).If I was to run 3 over each tank,would I need a ballasts for each tank or could I use fewer ballasts(just bigger).I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the idea of how things should be set up.
The frag tanks would be mostly zoos,rics and other softies.

I am thinking of doing somethign similar. I was looking at 48" NO, 1 actinic and 1 10K over each, just using regular T12 fixtures.

Are you making these tanks a custom size or anything Jim? You might be able to get away with even N.O. lights if the tanks are shallow enough. Or you could get about 3 or 4 WH8 ballasts and run 2VHO bulbs/tank.

I would like to have them made shallow if I could find a place locally to make them.Have them all drilled and maybe do some kind of closed loop for each rack of tanks with an in-line filter system?(not sure if that would work or not)

Why not just make some custom acylic tanks?

That's what I would do as well. Get some 24x18x9 tanks made up. 4 stacked on top of each other, each tank draining into the tank below it and finally into a common sump where you can put your filter socks, heaters, UV, whatever and all run on one pump (like a Mag 18 depending on height of the rack).

If I can find a place that would do all the tanks I need for a fair price,I would definitly go acrylic(easier to drill)

Jim, why not try making them yourself, could be a fun project?

Jim,

With all your glass cutting/tank making experience, you may just find it easier to get 1/4" glass and make the tanks yourself. You could look at Architectural Clearing House that sells recycled glass for a cheaper source of glass.

Or you could have Dez make 'em for you :)

And Harvey to drill em....