Building The Most GENIUS DIY System For Raising Baby Fish (Dean’s Fish Room)

[@deansfishroom]

I saw this quite some time ago, excellent adaptation of my system. One of my favorite parts of the hobby is to inspire others to experiment and create. Then I in return can learn tips and tricks from them. Nice job!

[@classychandu5090]

You got that "crazy hobby eyes" I like it 😂

[@oakworthy]

The best video I've seen explaining 'Dean's system'. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this

[@Pokeepogo]

I love seeing you adapt all these coop and Dean ideas and proving that anyone can pull it off. I’m gonna be studying these videos religiously when it’s time to build my fish room and breeding system

[@WeldonTanks]

Thank you! That is one of my goals, I want others to feel that they can do it and adapt. Excited to see when you start your build

[@luisbatista9686]

That is so perfect I will build my the same way thanks for all details in this video good luck 👍

[@MelbourneFishKeepersClub]

Thank you for sharing, Very helpful and informative , It's amazing to see how passionate you are about the hobby and raising fry. Absolutely wonderful to see that.❤

[@akim2007p]

Thanks for very detailed explanation! Finally I understand all details I need. You are really passionate and as someone mentioned here in comments, have that crazy hobby eyes 🤣🤣🤣

[@cepuras]

There seems to be a craze of sorts for these systems? I do t see the great fascination over the Marina hang on boxes that are simple to add whenever, clean, etc.?? Great video, I like your passionate creativity with words.. cheers!

[@clayd9477]

Way cleaner than the set up i made! Looks awesome Trent, thanks for breaking it down into a easy to understand video

[@faedoyle4147]

I call this system the MBD Fry System. Master Breeder Dean is a genius, I agree. I want to thank you for taking the time to explain the plumbing. Nobody ever does but I am no plumber and I have to get this set up soon. I have Cory fry, guppy fry, and Angel fry going very old school and it’s stressing me out. You made this very easy to follow. Again, thank you so much ❤️❤️

[@WeldonTanks]

I am glad this helped! Good luck with the build and any questions let me know

[@ionutonea1537]

Lively video, very mice , clear and aqurate explanation. What about the filters ? It ll be part 2 to shiw the filters in the same details ? Thank you very much !

[@MridulSinghMusic]

Great video! I had one of these systems running when I had my fish room, and I forgot to use the stainless steel screws, and lo and behold, a month after setting it up I had to pull out the silicone to coat the screws!

[@WeldonTanks]

You have got a lot of experience my friend

[@MridulSinghMusic]

Thanks!

[@BecauseYourFish]

I would totally like to build this system! It looks clean and efficient. Great video with real nice step by step guide. Thanks Trent!

[@Martinreij]

Hi great setup. Now how do you prevent life food for your fry like vinagre eals swimming or rinsing out. And how dou you keep the trays clean. Great stuff. Martin the Netherlands

[@trevorgregori9667]

Great video. Like the step by step guide on how to build it. I will most likely build this system when I have my fish room up and running. Thanks for sharing.

[@WeldonTanks]

I highly recommend it! Breeder boxes like the ziss one are great but this system makes target feeding the fry much easier.

[@NutritionFacts101]

Can we keep plans and fishes in the lower tank???

[@albertamanna2258]

This is a great DIY system. How would the bottom of the tray get cleaned as the water clears only from the above slit?

[@WeldonTanks]

The trays are simple to remove, each time I moved fish out I would scrub the tray

[@1984resistant]

I love your enthusiasm. Learning do much from you.

[@tonylewis850]

Hi I live in the u.k I can’t seem to find these boxes anywhere looked on eBay and Amazon I want the same size boxes as you used in your video any help would be great thanks. Tony

[@deko9151]

I’m do happy people are now doing what we use to do 20 plus years ago aquaponics style aquaculture

[@pieterboon393]

2:43 Where did u buy these overflow trays?

[@WeldonTanks]

The Breeder box is amazon, the actual trays Target.

[@doncheko6866]

I loved it.. I will be copying it.. I will get the equipment little by little.. thank you a lot for your help. 🙏

[@WeldonTanks]

Remember you can adapt it to fit your needs. If you have not see the second video about this system I would suggest watching that as well. I changed out the water lines and had better success

[@bushi49]

Thank you my friend! That is exactly what i was looking for!!!

[@tomfannin3014]

Good program, lots of good info! Thank you!

[@ruvrandomusefulvideos]

I just got into hobby and this is another setup that I would take into consideration and combine with my own ideas.

[@jaysonevans9625]

Where did you source the water valves please? Thanks.

[@WeldonTanks]

Bulk Reef Supply. Actually where I purchased a majority of the parts I used.

[@jaysonevans9625]

@@WeldonTanks thanks, thought I checked before asking. How're you liking the trays from Target? Do they drift from front to back of the tank at all?

[@WeldonTanks]

With the screws bracing the back of the trays not one problem has come up. Solid system

[@jaysonevans9625]

Thanks. What have you found to be your ideal number/combo of trays for the system?

[@WeldonTanks]

If I were to change one thing I would use the slightly less wide trays to allow me to get one more tray on the system.

[@holo_gram_]

Whats that paint called again😮?

[@tv4184]

i was planning to do the same system for one of my 20 longs... i like the power head to water flow system you used vs using pvc and thread on valves

[@kkivvix9406]

I love that you gear this towards adult AND teens/kids. too often fish care videos are geared 100% towards adults, making it unfriendly and unmotivating for children, who really could learn a lot from stuff like this. Thank you!

[@WeldonTanks]

I try to make it so everyone can learn something. We all have different set ups but all love fish.

[@mjayb83]

Your local brew and grow, is gonna have a lot of these fittings ,hoses, pumps, and soils for planted tanks.

[@Mrsboncouer]

How often do you do a water change in the sump tank? I understand hormone build up can be an issue... does the filter help with that?

[@WeldonTanks]

The filter is helping control nitrate levels and keep debri off the bottom of the tank. In this set up it was connected to the auto water change system I had which was doing daily water changes

[@Mrsboncouer]

@@WeldonTanks I guess I am concerned with hormone levels...is that an issue at this stage, or more so in the grow out tanks?

[@alifelesordinary]

Are there Lids for these, or do we have to diy one if we want/need one?

[@WeldonTanks]

Because this entire system is a DIY method I would say you would need to make one. Now saying that there may be containers with lids you could modify but the containers I used did not come with lids.

[@superaquatics]

Thank you for Sharing. It is an excellent system and I would love to give it a try. I am not a professional breeder so will probably just create one tray and place it on top of my aquarium when my goldfish next spawn.

[@theothertiffany8728]

Do you need an airstone in each tray? Or, since the water being pumped into the trays agitates the surface, could you just install 1 decent sized sponge filter in the main tank to oxygenate the water?

[@WeldonTanks]

The air stone in each tray is added security to my mind, I would say it is not necessary. I was going to use sponge filters in the tank as the main filtration but after I changed some things in the fish room decided on the internal filter.

[@richardschneeberg112]

J

[@scottcahala7779]

Awesome set up. I will try it in my Angel room soon.

[@RikoStan]

Good stuff, brother! I am far from needing something like this, but it's good to know I have options once I do get there.

[@WeldonTanks]

Lets just say I found a way to justify it lol I really wanted to build it and hope to put it to more use.

[@Jeromeeb]

Homedepot sells these fittings under "john guest"-you can get the push connect to 1/2" thread for a direct fit to PVC pipe. They are also a quality fitting, we use in car washes for chemical feeds.

[@WeldonTanks]

In my experience they are much more expensive from Home Depot but the direct connection to pvc pipe could be useful.

[@Jeromeeb]

@@WeldonTanks they are if you buy them individually, but if you buy a 10 pack its more reasonable, they also have more of a selection. I use them for all kinda stuff, even use them on the marina boxes to get rid of air and just run a couple boxes off a powerhead

[@WeldonTanks]

Good to know, I will have to check again. Last time I checked my local Home Depot was only selling them individually, even online I was unable to find packs.

[@SamuelDelBuono-fr3oy]

This was a good one, I am about 1 year into the hobby, almost retired, I wanna grow fry and sell or give away, this looks so easy to build. I have enough tanks MTS.. lol, so I can use one to build. What’s running the air, and standard pump or do have a bigger one to run all your tanks

[@vhwft]

Pro tip for cutting most plastic, soldering iron. It’s like butter. Just do it outside or near a window with a fan.

[@daviddurocher3785]

I just built my own after seeing Dean's video, went as planned and as easy as you said, my issue was the water pump. I bought a small pump off amazon, with the included adapter to 1/4" tubing. works great and waiting for the next batch of fry to try.

[@WeldonTanks]

Glad you found success! After using the 1/4” tubing for a while I found a couple issues with keeping proper flow. I have another video showing adapting to a 1/2” pvc and using metal air valves. Once I made that switch I did not have any problems. The 1/4” tubing is great and hope it works well for you

[@The-Host]

I just drilled a large hole for the overflow. Heck of a lot easier than trying to carve a square.

[@WeldonTanks]

Whatever method works for you.

[@marshaw652]

Great idea

[@ornamentalfish2633]

This is awesome. Loved your way of explaining it in detail. Will definitely try this out for discus frys. Thank you for making such videos.

[@WeldonTanks]

I am glad you found value in it

[@ornamentalfish2633]

@@WeldonTanks Definitely this is a practical system.

[@thomashess9997]

where did you buy the containers, and their size please. thank you

[@WeldonTanks]

I purchased them from Target

[@dwsnono9104]

If you put sand in the hard acrylic tubing and move the lighter or heat gun , you can form the tubing better and helps prevent breaking and pinching. Watercool pc builders have used this method for years.

[@WeldonTanks]

That is a good idea! This was my first time experimenting with it. Next time I will try it, thanks for the tip!

[@KevinsCaninesAndAquatics]

How far down is the slot too? Sorry I am going to be making this system so I am getting some of the pieces ready. I have 2 trays but need to find more. Once I have a rack build for the tanks I will be building this whole system

[@WeldonTanks]

The lower you go the lower the water volume will be in the tray. Find the sweet spot that works for your tray.

[@rickyjorge6710]

I have a similar system for a killi breeding cabinet and I had high hopes for ziss air valves (my favorite) but they all leak water although less than any other air valve I tried.

[@WeldonTanks]

Do you have the Ziss valve connected into pvc pipe? You may try and use a metal air valve, when I used those I had not problems

[@rickyjorge6710]

@@WeldonTanks no. It's inline through 1/4 inch tube that I drip water through with only the pressure if gravity and they leak through the thread which surprised me giving how tight the thread fit.

[@tanyagaylor6891]

Your video was very good. You would be a great teacher 😃

[@Fishybusiness2024]

How many liters are those kitchen tubs ?

[@WeldonTanks]

Not sure

[@StephenBevilacqua]

Great vid thank you I will be building one looks awesome

[@oldmankid7584]

FYI...Those nuts you got for the bolts that have the white plastic inside the nut are purposely suppose to be hard to get them started on the bolt because those are called lock nuts. They have to be put on by hand as far as you can then you have to use a wrench or socket to tighten them up as far as you want them tightened and at that point that you stop tightening them, they will not move because you have force threaded the white plastic inside the nut, thus locking the nut in place. That is why they are so hard to get started on the bolt.

[@phillavoie3569]

I am interested in trying this system for my guppy breeding program

[@marshaw652]

I haven't looked yet, but hoping you have your plan for the auto water change for your fish room. Wanting to make a room for this in my house and consolidate some of my tanks. They are all over my house and I must be changing 300 gallons a week. I try to recycle my water into the garden though. Trying to find the best way to set up my cheap RO system. Trying to breed apistogramma borelli blue

[@WeldonTanks]

I have a full video showing how I did the auto water change system in my fish room. Simple design and it works for what I need.

[@marshaw652]

@@WeldonTanks I'm definitely checking it out. Now I just need my adult son to move out so I can have that room.... I have six tanks now. Well one is my other son's. I actually want to make him another one with those prehistoric shrimp. I can't remember their name and another with this easy aquatic newt. It's supposed to be easy. I can't remember the name of that one either, but there is no way we could do an axyloxtl. I can't spell that... 🤔I want to move all the tropical tanks to one room and make it easier. Plus some breeding tanks to pay for my hobby.

[@WeldonTanks]

When you get established and start breeding we do have our website everythingweldon.com that we stock by purchasing fish from hobby breeders

[@marshaw652]

I'm building a stock tank pond this week also! That's pretty much for me though.

[@TheAquariumLibrary]

Did you ever consider any other options for plastic containers for your fry rack? Currently, I am floating all of my fry in old cafeteria serving containers on the water surface and running air stones to them. I have been contemplating using the sterile plastic storage boxes but don't know what their longevity would be in the system. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[@WeldonTanks]

Based on what I could find and for the price I briefly considered other options. I thought about using the sterilte(?) plastic containers but found they bow with the water weight. These co trainers are rigid that they with stand that and give a cleaner look in my opinion.

[@TheAquariumLibrary]

@@WeldonTanks that is good to know. I have been considering other containers because of the price but the bowing would be problematic.

[@NewLocalAustin]

When you are running this how often do you clean the trays? Daily? And then the 20 gallon weekly? Just question I know it depends but what types of things does it depend?

[@WeldonTanks]

I clean the trays each time I move fish out of them but you can create a mini gravel vac to help clean out detritus. I have a video showing how to do that with airline and a pipette. The 20 gallon I usually siphon out detritus once a week. Variables can be the foods you feed and how many fish in each tray.

[@joeprovenzano4362]

How do you clean the base of the Frey trays

[@WeldonTanks]

Little siphon. Airline and pipette, have a video on how to make it

[@ilaafarm]

Super setup bro and you explain clearly 👌.

[@WeldonTanks]

Thanks! I know it is a longer video and that things can get lost, good to know it helped.

[@freshcupofjoel]

New to the hobby, your videos are matter of fact and helpful. Are you planning on continuing or has YT run its course for you?

[@WeldonTanks]

I would not say it has run its course, I would say life changed. I have hopes to return this year if things fall into place

[@kristenfrost5773]

Woooow! That's so efficient. Great video.

[@503Aquatics]

Live this video! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@pieterboon393]

How many liters does your drippers drip per hour?

[@WeldonTanks]

No idea on liters. the pump I used was in gallons and I more so had a steady stream than drip but never actually calculated the exact gallon per hour. If you want an actual you can use drop emitters on the end of the lines.

[@dimassoeyana445]

OMG! This is so brilliant

[@WeldonTanks]

It is a great system! First learned it from Dean

[@christinaalphabet]

Hey! I’m totally new to fish breeding , (aside from my tiger endlers which I let breed and grow out in the same tank), but my CPD tank surprised me. The first batch got eaten, so now I’m determined to have a separate grow out. I did a water change yesterday and found the second round of fry so I’ve removed them and am trying to get this type of set up going. Thanks for being thorough.

[@Samtheman676]

My problem with this setup is my fry getting stuck in the foam. Any suggestions is needed

[@WeldonTanks]

Lower the flow going into the trays or use a more fine foam

[@jeffklockowskisr8377]

Nice job . Use Frog tape for perfect edge when peeling of the tape .

[@carriehaberkorn4781]

That is a really nice setup. I like the versatility.

[@kumargaurav962]

Great setup and nicely explained.i will definitely try this.

[@WeldonTanks]

It is a great system! Easily adaptable to what you need and different ways to run air and water

[@ArtyMars]

I’m still trying to find a way to make this system vertical, to like, stack breeder boxes on top of each other 5 boxes High, and have them run water into each other, still can’t figure it out xD

[@WeldonTanks]

Use a pump to push it up to the top and then plumb each one to overflow to the next. Hardest part is going to be stacking them. Wood frame would probably do the trick.

[@abhishekaddy5134]

thank you for this video..... I was wanting to know how Dean make this in his fish room .

[@WeldonTanks]

I did what worked for me. There are numerous ways to adapt this. I would recommend that you watch my latest update video

[@aljanecko]

Great video Sgt.

[@WeldonTanks]

Thanks 👍

[@rosswilson424]

great video brother

[@adamsaquaculture3173]

So cool I know what I’m gonna be working on this weekend thanks for the idea and giving detailed instructions on how to do it this will definitely upgrade my fish room

[@WeldonTanks]

It is a fun project and there are so many ways you can adapt it. Let me know how it turns out for you

[@adamsaquaculture3173]

@@WeldonTanks will do

[@alexaradoi1075]

Thanks for sharing the step by step process. I have a question tho. How do you avoid wrigglers getting stuck in the sponge? So far, panda cory and electric blue rams are getting sucked into it and die (in first days of free swiming). If i use finer sponge the water overflows. Thanks in advance and big hugs from Romania!

[@WeldonTanks]

Using the coarse sponge that I am I have not had any issues with fry getting stuck in the sponge. I also have not put cory fry or ram into these yet. Saying that I have about 300 pleco fry and 100 mouth brooder fry in these and have not had an issue yet. If you want to use a finer sponge it sounds like you will need to balance out the ratio of return and overflow if that makes sense.

[@alexaradoi1075]

@@WeldonTanks Thank you greatly for your replay!

[@WeldonTanks]

Your question actually got me thinking about it. Your question actually taught me something. Plus I am still working on breeding my Rams and corys so plus one there 👍

[@alexaradoi1075]

I'm glad if it helped in any way, didn't expect that. :) You should really have a go at rams! They need all the love they can get from experienced people to fix their genetics that makes them such a "scary" fish to keep. ;) They are great to watch in a community tank and are a piece of color that doesn't go unnoticed :>

[@WeldonTanks]

I am currently working on a set of gold and blacks. Had two sets of blue Rams now with no luck. One of my next top 3 fish I would like to spawn successfully.

[@thimoschreiber4275]

Wow, i have waited so long fore a good frie solution thank you alot The Tank where you took the frie out, how much methylenblue did you put in there?

[@WeldonTanks]

The 10 gallon tank I followed the dosing instructions but later found that to be an excessive amount in my opinion. I would generally use 2-3 drops

[@thimoschreiber4275]

@@WeldonTanks what Produkt do you use? Do you would send the link where you bought it?

[@WeldonTanks]

Is you are referring to the methlyenblue I just use what is available on Amazon to me. If you are referring another product you will have to be more specific

[@thimoschreiber4275]

@@WeldonTanks nah i meant the methylenblue, ok thx i will look out fore that 👍

[@gowthamgowtham1764]

Nice ideas and explaination is so so good broooooo nice I like ur presentations 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@WeldonTanks]

Thank you! I can’t take all the credit on the original idea behind the build though. Glad you enjoy the content

[@DreamWeaverPets]

We really like this. Great Job!

[@WeldonTanks]

Thank you! If you have not I suggest you check out Master Breeder Deans set up for the original inspiration

[@DreamWeaverPets]

@@WeldonTanks I have seen his videos. We have 50 tanks all together and most of them are in our fish room. We breed shell dwellers and the spawns are constant right now and I'm running out of space for new small fry. So I may adopt something like this. I apreciate you making this video! :)

[@WeldonTanks]

Out of curiosity where are you located? That is an intense amount of shell dwellers

[@DreamWeaverPets]

@@WeldonTanks We are in ohio north of Columbus. we have some videos of our fish room on our channel. Working on getting more tank by tank in detail videos. It can be tons of work But tons of fun too. Each tank is not a separate species. I may have 4 or 5 tanks Just for one type.

[@WeldonTanks]

Sounds awesome! I will have to check it out.

[@steve852011]

i have pretty much the same system but i use a hang on the back filter on the main tank and use airline hose to make a siphon from it into the tub and i use a valve to adjust the flow. Now im working on one where the breeding tank itself has a divider and the eggs get sucked into the back side of the tank, the real trick is figuring out how get an auto dosing system to inject food into the fry side several times a day.

[@WeldonTanks]

I have a buddy that is working on auto dosing enphusoria into a fry system

[@drugmonkeyrx7965]

this is GREAT! ...thank you!

[@colinnelson225]

I think I'd try to use a thin water stream under pressure to negate the need for an air stone. If it is a thin stream, and the water is filtered so it's clean, it shouldn't have enough mass to strongly penetrate the water and harm fry but it will cause aeration. Just an idea for those of us without a central/large air pump. This looks like a great setup exactly as you made it, good work!

[@WeldonTanks]

Air stone can be completely optional in this matter. And if you wanted to add an air stone and even had this on a smaller scale you could use a stand alone small air pump.

[@rickrathbone2118]

Very well done. Lots of good info.

[@WeldonTanks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pattirooks6346]

I am having problems finding the trays you used. HELP!!!

[@WeldonTanks]

Found them at Target. Search Amazon or find another suitable container

[@veneshpillay2988]

Brilliant video, very well explained 👏 👍

[@WeldonTanks]

Thank you! It was a fun system to build

[@غلامرضابیات-ز1ر]

I love it,but my question is about waterchange of that.

[@WeldonTanks]

Easy Siphon out the tank and refill. I had it hooked up to auto water change system

[@ramilSevare]

Nice video help me a lot gives me good idea

[@billdavis5252]

great job

[@MrVazirzadeh]

It was wonderful

[@skippityskeepskeep923]

Nice video Trent!

[@WeldonTanks]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@amytindell7172]

Do u just use a sponge fikter in bottom

[@WeldonTanks]

I used an internal filter for a while but eventually switched to a sponge filter. A canister filter is also a great option

[@amytindell7172]

@@WeldonTanks I'm making one tomorrow. Got all parts in mail today. Ur video is great and I formative

[@NateK-MN]

Definitely interested in making something like this in the future, thanks for taking the time to make this and show us! Aquarium co op is now charging us to see Dean build this fry rack :(

[@WeldonTanks]

Not necessarily. There have been plenty of videos showing deans system in depth. I figured out how to make it without the members only video. Glad you found it useful information. Just remember there are numerous ways to build this and make it what you need it to be

[@louiscreager9199]

So perfectly!!

[@KevinsCaninesAndAquatics]

Can you please put the links to the products you used?

[@WeldonTanks]

Bulk Reef Supply is where I purchased all the plumbing parts. Tubing, fittings, pump. RO tab on their site. The trays I purchased at target but can be found on Amazon but can be difficult to find. A lot of it just depends on how you want to build it. I have seen it done with plastic totes and pvc pipe. I can try to get links in but it will take me some time to circle back around and find all of them.

[@KevinsCaninesAndAquatics]

@@WeldonTanks Thanks Trent I just purchased 2 20 gallon tanks and have 2 40 breeders for when I set them up and make the fry system. I know you have dialed it in and so I really want to make what you have made. Thanks again Trents

[@WeldonTanks]

Sounds like you got a good plan. I will see if I can’t find some time this week to get links in

[@KevinsCaninesAndAquatics]

@@WeldonTanks ​ @Wel-Don Tanks Hi Trent need to place an order at bulk reef supply but don't have enough stuff in my cart to get free shipping. Could you put the links to the products you used and purchased? Thanks

[@WildPursuit1]

Lock nuts are great, use a wrench and it will be easier

[@guydriver]

Great job

[@August_Duwell]

Very helpful. Thank you. Definitely going to try to build one of these now!

[@Tatsumi972]

I tried this but sponge keep clogging up and overflow.

[@WeldonTanks]

Use a more coarse sponge

[@Tatsumi972]

@@WeldonTanks tried it still end up logged witin a week or so.

[@fishermen6898]

Great video!

[@WeldonTanks]

Thank you!

[@mjayb83]

Tin knockers are spergin out... Tin snips or aviation snips? Red, green, or yellow?

[@YesterdayTodayandTomorrow]

Brilliant!

[@coyslilfishery9713]

Love the set up man!!

[@sharronmiller451]

This is awesome!! Can’t wait to see the babies in a tank. 😊😊😊. You know my curiosity is killing me, what is behind that black bag???? 😜😜😜

[@WeldonTanks]

So...nothing actually lol. That is my Yellow Zebra Pleco tank but the light I was using had a really bad reflection on that tank so I used the bags to stop that

[@sharronmiller451]

Lol!! I always think you are hiding new fish!! 😂😂😂😂

[@everythingaquarium]

Great video man! Would love to try out this system one day