Jump to content

rack shelf units


darktim

Recommended Posts

Hi all i was considering using shelves from bunnings for a future rack system, only issue is that there was only one shelf that could fit my planned tank size but bigger shelves then the actual tank. The shelf dimensions for each shelf are 1200cm by 600 and support 200kg per shelf whilst my tanks were planning on being 900cm by 450cm and being about 180L in volume. Should i keep looking for different shelf units? or would i be able to reinforce the shelf to safely support the tank.

If anything does anyone have any experience on making a shelf would greatly appreciate it any tips on possibly making one or if you can make one too order that could easily be a possibility

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah the Rack-it system from Bunnings is ok but as torface mentioned you need to strengthen up the timber shelves :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got to say why Bunnings racking? I'm just in the stage of finishing my first descent rack which I purchased from http://www.unirack.com.au/. Good pricing

but more importantly, holds a good weight so you don't need to fret about pushing the limits in terms of weight. Very professional and I'm really happy with

their service. I'll be posting photos shortly for comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went with the Bunnings Rack-it system as it was readily available and reasonably cheap (I actually went to Bunnings to buy wood to make my own). Apart from having to reinforce the shelves, it worked out well for me.

I guess you could say availability was the main factor me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool. Just thought I'd ask, no offense intended. I know what its like though, I'd seen a lot of things I'd like but budget became a limiting factor

but I wanted the strength hence unirack. And delivery included and they delivered exactly when they said they would, just perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm getting the Dexion style rack for my new rack, the Bunnings rack does the job for my smaller system but for 400kg per shelf the pallet racking is the only way to go, each self can hold 2ton & I know I'm never going to get anywhere near that weight but piece of mind is a good thing. The only thing you have to get for pallet racking is a strong surface material as they come as a bare frame :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Give us a yo when you want yours torface, I'm getting mine at 2100H x 1800W x 600D & it's only going to cost $220 :victorious:

edit: I'm getting three shelves in that system :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do they come smaller than that?

Those pallet rack uprights i told you about the other day are Dexion...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah I dont think they are, I think they are the Bunnings Rack-it system from memory. I don't know if you can get smaller width than 1800 from where I get it from but the depth can go down to 450 & you can always chop the height down :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But they're freeeeeeeeeeee! lol

1800 seems a long lenth to support with just 2 uprights! I definately dont have enough space for something that long anyway right now :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These pallet racking systems come as long as 4.5m & can support four 1200x1200 pallets that weigh 1 ton per pallet, these beams are plenty strong. Some places will do 1500 & 1200 beams, there's a place at Yatala that will do those sizes :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dexion style? You mean simply Long Span Shelving, I had a quite from Dexion as opposed to Unirack, lets see. Under $400 vs $1500 for exactly the same, boy I can

see money for value there, NOT!

If you look to Long Span shelving do check around. There are quite a few resellers so you'll find some are cheaper on price, however they ship from interstate and

then the price goes through the roof and potentially up to a months wait for delivery.

Also, do work out the weight beforehand. You may think 200kgs is enough, but considering a single foot of water is 27Kgs the weight disappears pretty quickly. Also

of course substrate can be pretty dense so don't underestimate it, and lastly, the Glass. Glass is heavy, really heavy! 10mm glass weighs 25kg/m2, 6mm glass is

16kg/m2 and 8mm is 20kg/m2, so do your sums! Work out the size of the tank, check the size of the glass required and add it up, you may be in for a shock!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great info dude, the reason I said "Dexion style" is because most people know what you're talking about. Dexion is a brand of pallet racking with tombstone locking system, like Xerox is a brand of photocopier & Glad Wrap is a brand of cling film. I am getting mine for $220 as opposed to another place which quoted me $450 for the exact same sized rack so shopping around is a good idea.

You're on the money too with the weight of a full tank being a lot more than expected, another easy way to calculate it is 1L of fresh water weighs roughly 1kg, saltwater is more as there's salt in it but not much, about 1.02kgs. Plus you've got to add substrate but also account for the water it displaces & as you've stated, the weight of the glass too so a 100L tank could end up weighing about 130kg-160kg depending on the scape, ie rocks, drift wood & decorations. Well pointed out BigD :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dexion is a brand of pallet racking with tombstone locking system' date=' like Xerox is a brand of photocopier & Glad Wrap is a brand of cling film. [/quote']

It makes me happy you said "cling film"... most people look at me weird when i use that term! LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys some useful links and information to consider.

I was looking at the both unirack and dixion they both seem to offer longspan shelfing, but uniracks just from their price list seem to be cheaper and support more weight per shelf

I was wondering as well how safe would it be to put a 450mm deep tank on a 600mm deep shelf? With both companies they offer metal shelf sheeting and partical board it seems, which woudl be the better choice? (i would consider the metal since the partical board might deform/ warp from the moister evaporating from the tanks) if its not that safe i might need to consider getting a slightly smaller tank or upsizing it even more to fit 600 deep but then i would have to deal with the tank being even more heavy

I was wondering KiwiBigD what model and size shelf did you end up getting and if not too rude but how much did it set you back?

Also squiggle are you using pallet shelving for your racks? how do your tanks sit on the shelves?

weight wise ive kinda worked out how much each tank will end up being roughly as well the tank i dont know if ive done the maths right tho a 3ftx1.5x1.5 with 10mm glass weighs 50kg if i were to make the tank 4ftx60cm x 45cm (so basicly to fit a shelf from unirack)the glass itself would weight 75kg and the rest is pretty straight foward to work out

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm getting the pallet racking, it's a bit more heavy duty. I'm also going to get 600 shelves & a 450 tank, I'm probably going to use 16mm ply & you can get support braces for under the shelves to help strengthen the shelf material & then you just put foam under the tank :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lols alright then i was wondering since your doing it as well how are you planning on placing the tank on the rack would it be best to centre it or place it closes to the front/back i guess same would apply if the tank was shorter then the length of the shelf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I'll be placing them at the back of one end to make it easier for the plumbing & some storage for foods etc, I will be getting the braces for between the beams & I'll be putting them directly under the tank :encouragement: I'll be posting how I do it on my new rack thread so keep an eye on it, I'll be hopefully picking up the rack on Saturday :victorious:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys some useful links and information to consider.

I was looking at the both unirack and dixion they both seem to offer longspan shelfing' date=' but uniracks just from their price list seem to be cheaper and support more weight per shelf

I was wondering as well how safe would it be to put a 450mm deep tank on a 600mm deep shelf? With both companies they offer metal shelf sheeting and partical board it seems, which woudl be the better choice? (i would consider the metal since the partical board might deform/ warp from the moister evaporating from the tanks) if its not that safe i might need to consider getting a slightly smaller tank or upsizing it even more to fit 600 deep but then i would have to deal with the tank being even more heavy

I was wondering KiwiBigD what model and size shelf did you end up getting and if not too rude but how much did it set you back?

Also squiggle are you using pallet shelving for your racks? how do your tanks sit on the shelves?

weight wise ive kinda worked out how much each tank will end up being roughly as well the tank i dont know if ive done the maths right tho a 3ftx1.5x1.5 with 10mm glass weighs 50kg if i were to make the tank 4ftx60cm x 45cm (so basicly to fit a shelf from unirack)the glass itself would weight 75kg and the rest is pretty straight foward to work out[/quote']

Only too happy to answer any questions.

I've spoken to both Unirack and Dexion and was quite disappointed with Dexion customer service. They see themselves as the best out from a brand

perspective however their pricing sucks! The Unirack staff I found were great but more importantly the quality of the rack I think is brilliant. I did do

a lot of research before choosing Unirack, it wasn't just the price but the general all round feel.

If you're looking at the 600mm deep shelf but only a 450mm tank then I would replace the particle board. Its strong, don't get me wrong but I would

go with a good hardwood instead. The metal shelving provides good strong support for the particle board however if the particle board bends then I'd

be concerned. I can quite comforably state with my setup and I'm not dependent upon the board, if it fell away it would be bad but the tank should

support itself on the polysterene but my tank is 600mm deep so the weight evenly distributed across the entire shelf.

I went for the rack that is 2500mm tall, 1200mm inside and 600mm front to back. I could have used only the 2100mm tall but wasn't sure and the

price difference between 2100 and 2500mm was neglible. I paid $345 for it including delivery with 4 shelves. I got the extra shelf for storage and I'll be

throwing up some pictures soon. It does mean though my tank is 1193mm long as opposed to the usual 1200 or 1210mm and its tight, but I was happy

with that, just meant a bit of a touchup with the paint afterwards.

Unirack does the size in 400mm, 600mm and 800mm, thought about the 800mm but it was heavy enough being 600mm the tanks as the advice was to

use 10mm glass. Just ask Doron ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having seen the rack in the flesh earlier this week, I can say that I'm now considering one for myself later this year instead of building it out of timber.

It looks nice and solid and is fairly cheap considering the appearance of quality. I guess KiwiBigD is the guinea pig for durability and longevity. Definitely an good option for me, instead of having to build my one. The only consideration is aesthetics. If mine were to be in the main living area, then maybe I would consider something a bit prettier versus purely functional.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having seen the rack in the flesh earlier this week' date=' I can say that I'm now considering one for myself later this year instead of building it out of timber.

It looks nice and solid and is fairly cheap considering the appearance of quality. I guess KiwiBigD is the guinea pig for durability and longevity. Definitely an good option for me, instead of having to build my one. The only consideration is aesthetics. If mine were to be in the main living area, then maybe I would consider something a bit prettier versus purely functional.[/quote']

I'm just like my Rack, I'm functional, I ain't pretty! And yeah I'm pretty happy with it so far, I'll have pictures up by the end of today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm just like my Rack' date=' I'm functional, I ain't pretty! And yeah I'm pretty happy with it so far, I'll have pictures up by the end of today.[/quote']

Kiwi are the racks customisable to size? Can they make it to size required? Or does it come in standard sizes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Join Our Community!

    Register today, ask questions and share your shrimp and fish tank experiences with us!

  • Must Read SKF Articles

  • Posts

    • sdlTBfanUK
      Thats a great photo, beautiful blue bolt, I hope it survived the molt without dropping the eggs! I think I can just about see some black dots (eyes) on the central egg but can't be 100% sure. I used to (and plan to again) do weekly water change of 10-15% but if you do too large or quick (not drip in new water) that would likely trigger a molt. What KH are they in, my new setup is sitting at (and refusing to budge) KH 3 and PH 7.5 so I may have to settle for neocaridina shrimp this time as opposed to the caridina I want, though not looking/deciding just yet, give the tank a bit more of a run in! Tap water here starts at kH 14, tds 320, when filtered goes to KH 0 and PH 6 but when put in the tank keeps going to KH3 and PH 7.5 despite 3 x 50% water changes???? You may be at 'maximum capacity' with only 20L tank especially if the tank is a cube type rather than shallow type?
    • beanbag
      Right now this tank only has blue bolts and golden bee (red bolts?).  The eggs start off all brown, but at the end, I notice that some are kind of a clear pink-ish color.  So I don't know if that is the egg color of dud or golden bee.  Picture of shrimp only about half hour before molting. The water is always RO + remineralizer, so it should be ok. The tank seems to still be on a "good streak" ever since I started the regimen of weekly water change, monthly gravel vac and plant trim.  The point being to keep the amount of waste low and removing moss / floating plants so that the nitrates go towards growing algae.  At one point, I had three berried females, but only netted about half dozen babies by the end, due to this early molting problem.  There might be about 30-40 shrimp total in 5 gallons, but still very few full-sized adults.
    • ngoomie
      Alright, I've done a bit more research on gentian violet's cancer-causing potential but I haven't yet done research on malachite green's to compare. But from reading the California propositon 65 document about GV (North Americans incl. some Canadians will recognize this as the law that causes some products they buy to be labelled with "known to the state of California to cause cancer", including the exact product I bought) it seems that the risk of cancer is related to internal use, either injection or ingestion. Speaking of ingestion, I think GV bans mainly relate to its use in treating fish/shrimp/etc. which are intended for human consumption, because of the above. And in countries where GV isn't banned for this purpose, it does seem to get used on various species of shrimp without causing any issue for the shrimp themselves (at least enough so for shrimp farming purposes). See the following: In February, the FDA Began Rejecting Imported Shrimp for Gentian Violet and Chloramphenicol (2022 article by Southern Shrimp Alliance) FDA Starts New Calendar Year by Refusing Antibiotic-Contaminated Shrimp from Three BAP-Certified Indian Processors and Adding a BAP-Certified Vietnamese Processor to Import Alert (2024 article by Southern Shrimp Alliance) Southern Shrimp Alliance and some other organizations have tons of other articles in this vein, but I'd be here for a while and would end up writing an absolutely massive post if I were to link every instance I found of articles mentioning shrimp shipments with gentian violet and/or leucogentian violet registering as contaminants. That being said, I know shrimp farmed for consumption and dwarf shrimp are often somewhat distantly related (in fact, the one time a shrimp's species name is listed that I can see, it's the prawn sp. Macrobrachium rosenbergii, who at best occupies the same infraorder as Neocaridina davidi but nothing nearer), but this at least gives a slightly better way of guessing whether it will be safe for aquarium dwarf shrimp or not than my bladder snail anecdote from the OP.
    • sdlTBfanUK
      I would hazard a guess that perhaps those eggs were unfertilized and thereby unviable? Did the eggs change colour, usually yellow to grey as the yolks used up, or any eyes in the eggs. Is your water ok, using RO remineralised and the parameters in range, as I have heard others say that if the water isn't good it can 'force' a molt? How is it going overall, do you have a good size colony in the tank, you may have reached 'maximum occupancy' as a tank can only support so many occupants.
    • beanbag
      Hello folks,  The current problem I am having is that my Taiwan bee shrimp are molting before all their eggs have hatched.  Often the shrimp keep the eggs for 40+ days.  During that time, they lose about half or so, either due to dropping or duds or whatever.  Shortly before molting they look to have about a dozen left, and then they molt with about half a dozen eggs still on the shell.  Then the other shirmp will come and eat the shell.  These last few times, I have been getting around 0-3 surviving babies per batch.  I figure I can make the eggs hatch faster by raising the water temperature more (currently around 68F, which is already a few degrees higher than I used to keep it) or make the shrimp grow slower by feeding them less (protein).  Currently I feed Shrimp King complete every other day, and also a small dab of Shrimp Fit alternating days.  Maybe I can start alternating with more vegetable food like mulberry?  or just decrease the amount of food?
×
×
  • Create New...