The importance of a "Scientific Laboratory" in fish keeping.

[fishdance]

All of my fish rooms are set out for optimal utility. I'm not taking about a room with a dozen tanks scattered throughout, but rows of racked tanks.

Definitely plan to have a sink - wet area (with sand & fish trap on drain). Water taps at each end. Microscope desk, separate library, shadow board for nets, lots of shelves for spare parts. Fish packing station. In my case, I swap out and use a top load washer to rinse sponges every 4 weeks so I keep 25% extra sponges. The cleaned sponges are floated in a spare tank/tub.

I recommend you use an old refridgerator for storing medications above and fish food below. Rodent proof and insulated.

There would be a huge amount of youtube and online discussions about fish room setup.

 

[surfermike915]

Everyone on this forum with what I would call a "successful" fish room has had a plan for the most part before setting up. Its okay to rethink your setup. Thats something I do a lot of. But I HIGHLY recommend you get a successful blueprint before you reset or whatever you do with your fish room. Just be thorough and have storage for everything. I have a place for medicine in one fish room and food and same with the other fish room. I try not to set up a tank on a whim and throw it wherever I can find space. That's because in the long run I will get dissatisfied with where the tank is and want to switch it around again.

 

[fishdance]

Make or buy at least four low level platforms on wheels. I have ten home made platform trolleys that are 120mm square and only 80mm off the ground. Each can handle 120kg weight each according to the wheel specification. This makes it very easy to move even large tanks on stands or entire racks of tanks. Empty out all water, (substrate can be left), use a hydraulic or car jack to slightly lift one end of stand/rack, slide platforms under each leg, repeat for other end. One person can shift or rotate tanks on stands safely and easily. Some of my racks have 30 tanks each.

 

[eon aquatics]

I feel that I didnt name this thread correctly.
Mostly I was trying to interpret the importance of "organization", as well as other useful methods, rather than the scientific method.

 

[eon aquatics]

For example I often run into problems such as jumbled equipment with pieces of the equipment mixed together and such.
Filter pieces for instance.
Or perhaps suction cups for equipment.
While these things seem to be easy conundrums to get sorted out, they often seem to create a more complex problem.
Other things such as filter manuals becoming lost or equipment being dirty before I put it away.
Sometimes aquarium and terrarium equipment become jumbled.
Or nitrogen compound reducing filter sponges become old and their function wears out, without me knowing what ones are old and what ones are newer.

 

[FuriousFish]

For example I often run into problems such as jumbled equipment with pieces of the equipment mixed together and such.
Filter pieces for instance.
Or perhaps suction cups for equipment.
While these things seem to be easy conundrums to get sorted out, they often seem to create a more complex problem.
Other things such as filter manuals becoming lost or equipment being dirty before I put it away.
Sometimes aquarium and terrarium equipment become jumbled.
Or nitrogen compound reducing filter sponges become old and their function wears out, without me knowing what ones are old and what ones are newer.

Staying organized is a fundamental skill. After reorganizing, if you still cannot keep track of things, you may be taking on more than you can handle. I've seen fish rooms so packed with tanks that it’s difficult to move around, with proper storage seemingly an afterthought. That’s not my style, but to each their own.

A solution similar to how people commonly organize their garage is the most efficient imo and not terribly expensive. Invest in a label maker too.

 

[phreeflow]

For example I often run into problems such as jumbled equipment with pieces of the equipment mixed together and such.
Filter pieces for instance.
Or perhaps suction cups for equipment.
While these things seem to be easy conundrums to get sorted out, they often seem to create a more complex problem.
Other things such as filter manuals becoming lost or equipment being dirty before I put it away.
Sometimes aquarium and terrarium equipment become jumbled.
Or nitrogen compound reducing filter sponges become old and their function wears out, without me knowing what ones are old and what ones are newer.

I feel you bud. Apparently no one else has ever experienced any of these issues even when they first started the hobby and continued to grow in bits and pieces. Sounds like everyone had the gift of foresight and pre gamed any and all potentialities and planned out flawless fish rooms. I’ll admit to running into many of the issues you mentioned and have had to rethink and reorganize how to better do things before finally getting an adequate system going