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Fish tank rack system for aquatic research facilities

Fish tank rack systems are common in retail aquarium stores for commercial purposes.

Aquatic research facilities also need them for science programs. Just not any fish tank rack system. Here is what changes.

The level of customisation of the design goes beyond its size and colour. This type of fish tank rack system is used to breed and care for aquatic animals, such as fish, coral or cephalopods, studied by the science programs of the facility.

Each fish tank rack is usually made of 2 to 3 shelves. Each shelf can contain 1 to 4 fish tanks from 10 to 1500 litres (or from 2 to 400 gallons). The materials used may involve glass, aluminium and other composite materials depending on the requirements of our clients.

Beyond the design of the stand, also called a frame, a fish tank rack system is a state-of-the-art piece of engineering with precision sensors, actuators, filters and lighting.

The fish tank rack systems we designed and installed for our clients go from 5 to 100 fish tank racks. The fish tank racks are usually shared between different functions and objectives. The various functions of a fish tank rack system used by an aquatic research facility mainly include:

To get the exact fish tank rack system your need to achieve your research objectives, you need to consider 5 phases, from design to commissioning:

Designing a fish tank rack system

There is no one-size-fits-all product in terms of fish tank rack systems, especially in the case of an aquatic research facility. Only a proper investigation of your needs and objectives will allow outdrawing the ideal project.

This preliminary step will allow us to draft the preliminary piping and instrumentation diagram.

The first step is to sit down together and review the key information of your project. It includes typical questions such as:

Do you need freshwater or seawater fish tanks?
How many fish tanks do you tentatively need?
What’s the volume of the fish tanks?
Which aquatic animals will be studied?
Is the aquatic facility using a closed or open circuit?
Do you conduct water treatment on-site or not?
What is the research protocol you want to implement?
How much room space available do you have?
What is the time frame of the project?

Choosing the best materials for the fish tank racks

Each part of a fish tank rack system needs different types of material depending on the constraint of your project: weight, resistance, food grade and, obviously, the total price.

Fish tank rack systems frame

The frame supports the fish tanks on 1 to 3 shelves. The key is finding the best balance between the total weight and the resistance. The most popular materials are:

Aluminium
Stainless steel
Fibreglass

Plumbing

The plumbing of the fish tank rack system makes up a large part of the material used in such a project. While most piping is usually made of PVC, we may include thermowell and heat exchangers made of titanium or stainless steel.

Fish tanks

Having a food-grade material for the fish tanks is essential for aquatic habitats. You may request transparent or opaque fish tanks with a window and, for instance, with or without a lid. The most popular materials are:

Glass
PVC
PMMA
HDPE (high-density polyethylene)
Fibreglass

Selecting the features of a fish tank rack system

A fish tank rack system needs components such as sensors and actuators to run its automated processes and security protocols smoothly and precisely.

Filtration & water quality

Different filtration techniques can be employed in a fish tank rack system to maintain the optimum water quality. This aquatic life support system includes:

Mechanical filters
Biological filters
Dilution & salinity control
Temperature control
Protein skimmers
Reverse osmosis
UV sterilisation

Actuators

Based on the information given by the sensors, actuators such as valves and pumps will act according to the determined protocol. Solenoid valves can be all-or-nothing or three-way types. Pumps can bring water and/or air to rectify the water quality and quantity.

Sensors

The list of the most used sensors in a fish tank rack system includes thermocouples, pressure sensors, waterflow sensors and level sensors. The latter can work on ultrasound or infrared technology.

Lighting

The lighting system of the fish tank racks can be automated to reproduce natural conditions such as sunrise and sunset.

Automation & monitoring

The best design of a fish tank rack system won’t work at its best without an efficient fish tank monitoring system. Nothing makes us prouder than when our clients are positively surprised and impressed by how advanced our bespoke monitoring system is.

On-site, all fish tank racks can be controlled by a tablet but our system also allows for remotely reading and exporting all experimental data.

The automation system ensures the research protocols are respected at all times. A typical automated program includes a cycle with an overflow, a sump, and a water pump to ensure we have the correct water quantity in the tanks. All research protocols can be implemented to your needs.

The monitoring system can send alerts and notifications in case of technical issues or failure. For instance, we include a leak sensor on the feet of the racks that can detect any water on the floor.

Installing & commissioning the fish tank rack system

All our projects are pre-manufactured, pre-assembled and thoroughly tested in our workshop in France.

We build but also organise the packing and logistics of sending you the equipment with the utmost care for details.

Our team will travel to your facility to realise the final piping and connection before commissioning it. To guarantee delays, all electrical and water outlets must be ready when our engineers and technicians arrive.

We will ensure everything works and that your team is adequately trained to use the system before the end of our mission.

Benefits of asking Luxaqua to design and install a fish tank rack system at your research facility:

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